The first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament will conclude with another full slate of games on Friday, March 22. Thursday's opening action saw just four upsets by lower-seeded teams, so will that trend continue on Friday? Once again, all 16 games will be broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV and be available to stream via NCAA March Madness Live.
Whether your bracket is already busted or not, don't miss all of the action. Three of the top seeds (Duke, Virginia and North Carolina) will take the court for the first time, as well as some top mid-major teams that you may not be as familiar with such as Houston, Buffalo, UC Irvine, and Utah State.
So if you're wondering, "What NCAA Tournament games are on today?" know this: There are 16 more scheduled for Friday, March 22.
Why You Should Watch: Iowa is one of eight teams from the Big Ten to get into the NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes have the benefit of already having played a tough schedule so Cincinnati will need to be on upset alert. But the Bearcats are the AAC Tournament champs and this will be somewhat of a home game for them playing in Columbus.
Why You Should Watch: Both Oklahoma and Ole Miss got off to great starts but then cooled off in conference play and were knocked out by lower-seeded teams in their respective tournaments. The Rebels are led by the guard trio of Breein Tyree, Terrence Davis, and Devontae Shuler, who combine to average nearly 44 points per game.
Why You Should Watch: Northern Kentucky likes to push the tempo to create easy scoring opportunities and force turnovers. Texas Tech relies on its defense to suffocate opponents and is led by potential NBA lottery pick Jarrett Culver.
Why You Should Watch: UC Irvine was a popular upset pick entering the NCAA Tournament and has won 16 in a row. Kansas State claimed a share of the Big 12 regular-season title but the Wildcats are likely going to be without star forward Dean Wade because of a foot injury.
Why You Should Watch: Colgate won the Patriot League and is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 23 years. The Raiders are disciplined on offense and make a living beyond the arc. Tennessee is still smarting from its loss to Auburn in the SEC Tournament championship game and is probably looking to come out and make a statement.
Why You Should Watch: Because the last time Virginia was in this position the Cavaliers suffered a historic defeat to No. 16 UMBC. But don't expect a repeat against Gardner-Webb, who is making its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs do a good job of moving the ball around and making teams defend the entire half-court area.
Why You Should Watch: Arizona State has momentum following a convincing First Four victory over St. John's on Wednesday. But Buffalo has been one of the nation's top teams throughout the season and don't forget the Bulls knocked out Arizona in the first round last year.
Why You Should Watch: Oregon got the automatic bid out of the enigmatic Pac-12 by winning the conference tournament. The Ducks have had to deal with some key injuries but appear to be peaking at the right time. This is a typical Wisconsin team, one that forces teams to play at their pace. The Badgers are led by a talented and versatile big man, Ethan Happ, who is averaging a double-double (17.5 ppg, 10.1 rpg) to go along with nearly five assists per game.
Why You Should Watch: Washington lost in the Pac-12 Tournament title game and boasts the league's Player and Defensive Player of the Year. Utah State is in the Big Dance for the first time since 2011 and is led by Mountain West Player of the Year Sam Merrill.
Why You Should Watch: To watch Zion Williamson in action. Fellow freshmen RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish are plenty talented in their own right but Duke is clearly a different team with Williamson on the floor (see ACC Tournament). North Dakota State beat North Carolina Central on Wednesday thanks to some late, clutch free-throw shooting. It will take a lot more than that for the Bison to upset the Blue Devils.
Why You Should Watch: Some thought Houston would be in the running for a No. 2 or possibly even a No. 1 seed before the Cougars lost to Cincinnati in the AAC Tournament championship game. Georgia State is back in the Big Dance under head coach Ron Hunter and would like nothing more than to recapture the magic from their last-second win over Baylor in the first round back in 2015.
Why You Should Watch: Liberty won the Atlantic Sun regular-season (shared with Lipscomb) and tournament titles behind their strong shooting. The Flames will need to make all of their shots against a Mississippi State team that doesn't lack for scoring options and also has enough size to control the boards.
Why You Should Watch: Iona is a fun team to watch because the Gaels like to run up and down the floor and shoot a bunch of 3-pointers. The problem for them is that North Carolina can run with any team in the country and boast one of the most efficient offenses in the country. The shot clock probably won't be needed much in this one.
Why You Should Watch: Both teams somewhat stumbled their way into the NCAA Tournament but are capable of righting the ship. And they'll need to do so with No. 1 overall seed Duke the expected opponent on Sunday. UCF is a good shooting team that gets to the line frequently while VCU's defense makes life miserable for opponents.
Why You Should Watch: Ohio State was the last of the Big Ten's eight teams to get into the NCAA Tournament but the Buckeyes are capable of rising to the occasion. Iowa State comes into this game hot after winning the Big 12 Tournament and can hit shots from anywhere on the floor.
Why You Should Watch: Saint Louis won four games in four days to take the Atlantic 10 Tournament and the conference's automatic bid. The Billikens look to keep their run going behind one of the top defenses in the country. Virginia Tech has dealt with plenty of adversity this season but still was able to put enough quality wins together to get a No. 4 seed. The Hokies also are expected to get senior point guard Justin Robinson back from a foot injury suffered in late January.