NCAA Tournament Day 1 Game Thread

[Jeff Van GULLY]

Alright so I figured it was time to get a thread going for first day action. I was hoping for a few more day games but I guess the NCAA moved away from that a few years ago.

Link to watch live on computer

Here's the schedule:

First Round Games
Thursday Afternoon, March 17 (Noon-6 p.m. ET)
Tip (ET)	Network	Site	Game	Play-by-Play/Analyst//Reporter
12:15 p.m.	CBS	Providence I	Duke vs. North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW)	Ian Eagle/Chris Webber/Len Elmore//Evan Washburn
12:40 p.m.	truTV	Raleigh I	Texas Tech vs. Butler	Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner//Lewis Johnson
1:30 p.m.	TNT	Des Moines I	Colorado vs. Connecticut	Jim Nantz/Grant Hill/Bill Raftery//Tracy Wolfson
2:00 p.m.	TBS	Denver I	Iowa State vs. Iona	Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas//Jamie Eradhl
After conc. I	CBS	Providence II	Baylor vs. Yale	Eagle/ Webber/Elmore//Washburn
After conc. I	truTV	Raleigh II	Virginia vs. Hampton	Harlan/Miller/Bonner//Johnson
After conc. I	TNT	Des Moines II	Kansas vs. Austin Peay	Nantz/Hill/Raftery//Wolfson
After conc. I	TBS	Denver II	Purdue vs. Arkansas-Little Rock	Catalon/ Lappas// Eradhl
First Round Games
Thursday Evening, March 17 (6:30 p.m. ET-Midnight)
Tip (ET)	Network	Site	Game	Play-by-Play/Analyst//Reporter
6:50 p.m.	TNT	Providence III	Miami vs. Buffalo	Eagle/ Webber/Elmore//Washburn
7:10 p.m.	CBS	Des Moines III	Indiana vs. Chattanooga	Nantz/Hill/Raftery//Wolfson
7:20 p.m.	TBS	Raleigh III	North Carolina vs. Florida Gulf Coast/Fairleigh Dickinson	Harlan/Miller/Bonner//Johnson
7:27 p.m.	truTV	Denver III	Utah vs. Fresno State	Catalon/ Lappas// Eradhl
After conc. III	TNT	Providence IV	Arizona vs. Vanderbilt/Wichita State	Eagle/ Webber/Elmore//Washburn
After conc. III	CBS	Des Moines IV	Kentucky vs. Stony Brook	Nantz/Hill/Raftery//Wolfson
After conc. III	TBS	Raleigh IV	Southern California (USC) vs. Providence	Harlan/Miller/Bonner//Johnson
After conc. III	truTV	Denver IV	Seton Hall vs. Gonzaga	Catalon/ Lappas// Eradhl

Other than the Duke game, we should have some solid matchups to start the tournament this afternoon.

 

[DJnVa]

Is that really fewer day games? I thought it's always been 4x4x4x4 with the time slots like that. Games from essentially 12-6ish, with a slight break then 8 more at night.

 

[johnmd20]

It isn't fewer day games. On Saturday and Sunday, the day game factor is limited. But today and tomorrow, that's the normal schedule.

 

[DJnVa]

Other than the Duke game, we should have some solid matchups to start the tournament this afternoon.

Don't sleep on UNCW, Keatts is a really good coach and they recruit in ACC country, so sometimes those kids have a little extra fire in them when they play local schools.

 

[Luis Taint]

UNCW is coming up with some offensive rebounds, but the center can't shoot for shit.

 

[The Big Red Kahuna]

UNCW's style (full court press, frenetic) plays really well into Duke only going 6-7 deep in terms of players. I think this one is going to be close the whole way, and actually would take UNCW even $ right now with 6 minutes left in first half.

 

[Luis Taint]

The refs are calling some garbage fouls.

 

[johnmd20]

There is never anything better than Duke losing in the first round. I hope it happens today. Last year was rough, even if I had a ton of money on Duke in the finals.

 

[Luis Taint]

What a first half by UNCW

 

[Greg29fan]

That last sequence is why I like Ingram over Simmons. Ingram takes and makes shots; Simmons took something like three three-pointers all season.

 

[Jeff Van GULLY]

Don't sleep on UNCW, Keatts is a really good coach and they recruit in ACC country, so sometimes those kids have a little extra fire in them when they play local schools.

Great call. This UNCW team is playing really well.

 

[DukeSox]

flagrant

 

[Cellar-Door]

I assume Looper Ted Cruz and company pull away here as UNCW players foul out on ticky tack shit.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Marshall Plumlee moves pretty well for a 38 year old

 

[rymflaherty]

Any neutral observers watching the UConn game?
A lot of these fouls on UConn seem atrocious... wondering if it's my bias as a Uconn fan or if it actually is as bad as it's seemed to me.

 

[DJnVa]

For that watch online site, the score along the bottom updates before the video.

 

[DJnVa]

Two bad shots in a row for UNCW...wheels coming off?

FT's 33-14 in Duke's favor.

 

[wibi]

Any neutral observers watching the UConn game?
A lot of these fouls on UConn seem atrocious... wondering if it's my bias as a Uconn fan or if it actually is as bad as it's seemed to me.

A lot of those fouls were ones that were called during the PAC-12 regular season games that I watched. No clue where the referees are from though

 

[shawnrbu]

Marshall Plumlee EAT.

 

[pokey_reese]

UConn making me look foolish to this point, hope they have a second-half run in them. For New England ex-pats, they carry an extra heavy mantle this year.

 

[johnmd20]

Plumlee, wow. Just dunking on every play.

 

[johnmd20]

UConn making me look foolish to this point, hope they have a second-half run in them. For New England ex-pats, they carry an extra heavy mantle this year.

They can come back.

 

[johnmd20]

Brutal call against UNC Wilm there.

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

May have to check on that area of the floor. Twice the Duke player has taken a spill in the same spot.

 

[CantKeepmedown]

Down 5 with 90 seconds left, not sure why UNCW felt they needed a 3.

 

[DJnVa]

Duke will survive

 

[johnmd20]

Wow, that Butler free throw was one of the ugliest looking makes i've ever seen.

 

[Soxy]

Possibly the two best games of the day will be late night. Really looking forward to Arizona-Wichita St. and Seton Hall-Gonzaga.

 

[johnmd20]

UConn finally getting something going.

 

[Sox and Rocks]

Duke is pretty bad, aren't they? They play a 13 seed that can't do anything but foul on defense and they get the usual favorable calls and still barely survive.

I hope Baylor gives them the beat down they deserve.

 

[tims4wins]

More thin than bad, but they are gonna get bounced pretty quickly

Edit: this is a team that has beaten Virginia, UNC, Indiana...

 

[johnmd20]

Uconn playing with some fire now. Colorado players look high.

 

[MuzzyField]

Can UConn stay focused and keep the fire stoked for 11 more minutes?

 

[wibi]

Possibly the two best games of the day will be late night. Really looking forward to Arizona-Wichita St. and Seton Hall-Gonzaga.

I'm anxious to get to the Gonzaga game tonight. Going to be a hell of a dog fight if both teams show up

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Duke is pretty bad, aren't they? They play a 13 seed that can't do anything but foul on defense and they get the usual favorable calls and still barely survive.

I hope Baylor gives them the beat down they deserve.

This isn't one of Duke's best teams by any means but I'm not sure if I'd call them "pretty bad" except compared to Duke teams of the past. Baylor may not get past Yale but either way a very favorable draw for Duke to reach the Sweet Sixteen.

 

[wibi]

Colorado is falling apart. They show no energy or life moving the basketball

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

Wow, UCONN really came on. They were up 1 and I had to do a few things and they are now up 9 when I got back to my desk

 

[canderson]

I had Colorado, Texas Tech, Iona all winning. Oops.

 

[johnmd20]

39 to 17 in the 2nd half for UCONN.

 

[johnmd20]

Uconn playing sloppy and stupid.

 

[Average Reds]

39 to 17 in the 2nd half for UCONN.

And just like that, UConn collapsing and it's now a game. Colorado has scored 10 straight.

 

[DukeSox]

Great game. This is what March Madness is all about - a scrappy upstart mid-major really taking it to a Power 5 conference team!

 

[johnmd20]

Uconn acting like it doesn't matter where they inbound or dribble. This is crazy, so sloppy.

 

[Average Reds]

Lol at Billy Packer: "that was unattractive."

 

[Average Reds]

Looks like UConn will hang on.

 

[DanoooME]

Lol at Billy Packer: "that was unattractive."

LOL Billy Packer has been retired for how long?

Raftery does have funny lines tho.

 

[Average Reds]

LOL Billy Packer has been retired for how long?

Raftery does have funny lines tho.

Dammit, brain cramp. How the f@ck did Billy Packer get in my head?

I guess that's PTSD from years of hating that ahole.

 

[DanoooME]

Dammit, brain cramp. How the f@ck did Billy Packer get in my head?

I guess that's PTSD from years of hating that ahole.

It must be. You desperately need treatment for that affliction. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

Iona keeps hanging around vs. Iowa St. But I don't think they have enough to pull it out.

 

[MuzzyField]

I imagine Billy Packer at his house wearing a headset and still "working" the tournament.

 

[wibi]

Baylor is way more athletic than Yale but plays much with much less team discipline. I can actually see Yale winning this one