NCAA First Round Viewing Guide: Thursday

We're inching closer to the best sporting event of the year. 64 teams are getting ready to take the court over the next two days. This tournament proves to be wide open, once you get beyond a few really strong teams. It seems that almost everyone is picking Kansas this year (including me), so the first few rounds will be very important in your pool. So here's your handy viewing guide for Thursday. Games being shown on WDBJ in Roanoke are so noted.

#7 BYU vs. #10 Florida (12:20 p.m.)
Some say Florida didn't really belong in the tournament, certainly not as a 10 seed. They are the underdog as the SEC team going against the mid-major. BYU has to be the favorite, with one of the better players in the country (Jimmer Fredette)
#6 Notre Dame vs. #11 Old Dominion (12:25 p.m., WDBJ)
Notre Dame is one of my sleepers in this tournament, with a great end to the season. They have just gotten back Luke Harangody from injury. They have a tough matchup here with ODU, which won both the CAA regular season and tournament.
#2 Villanova vs. #15 Robert Morris (12:30 p.m.)
Villanova has had some problems in early round games (see: American last year) but shouldn't have much trouble with Robert Morris.

#4 Vanderbilt vs. #13 Murray State (2:30 p.m.)
Vanderbilt is a team that I never am really comfortable with. I think they are vulnerable in this game against a Murray State team that went 30-4 on the season. Don't be surprised if there is an upset here.
#2 Kansas State vs. #15 North Texas (2:40 p.m.)
Kansas State has had an impressive season, doing really well except when they had to play Kansas. They shouldn't have any problems with the Mean Green.
#3 Baylor vs. #14 Sam Houston State (2:45 p.m.)
Baylor has been a great story, on the verge the last couple years of having a breakout season. And this was it. Many people have them as a real sleeper in this tournament. They should definitely win this one.
#7 Richmond vs. #10 St. Mary's (2:50 p.m., WDBJ)
I am real high on Richmond. I think the Spiders have the talent and the coaching to do very well in this tournament. They have a tough first round game against a St. Mary's team that did admirably well the year after losing Patty Mills.

#5 Butler vs. #12 UTEP (4:45 p.m.)
This is the no-man's land game on the west coast, and it should be a good one. I like what Brad Stevens has done at Butler, but a lot of people are smelling upset. This one reminds me of the Drake vs. Western KY matchup from a couple years ago.

#8 UNLV vs. #9 Northern Iowa (7:10 p.m.)
There probably isn't a lot of juice for this game between two mid-major teams. But it is an 8/9 game, so it should be very competitive. I like Northern Iowa in this spot.
#1 Kentucky vs. #16 East Tennessee St. (7:15 p.m.)
If you haven't seen Kentucky play this year, this is your chance to see one of the most talented teams in the country. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how they handle the pressure of the NCAA Tournament. This won't be a contest though.
#6 Marquette vs. #11 Washington (7:20 p.m.)
This might be the most attractive matchup of day 1. Marquette plays very hard with somewhat limited talent. And Washington is a very athletic team that can play very well at times. I expect a close battle.
#3 Georgetown vs. #14 Ohio (7:25 p.m., WDBJ)
Georgetown has had an up and down season, but closed on a high note with a trip to the Big East Tournament final. They have the pieces to beat anyone. But they can also play poorly, which means Ohio could sneak in an upset.

#1 Kansas vs. #16 Lehigh (9:30 p.m.)
The Jayhawks have all the tools to cut down the nets in a few weeks, and Lehigh will be but a small bump in the road. I'm sure they'll use this as a tuneup for their next game.
#8 Texas vs. #9 Wake Forest (9:35 p.m., WDBJ)
This is a game between two teams that had higher aspirations earlier in the season but have really struggled down the stretch. Texas has the talent to be a #2 seed but really dropped off. But I still like them over Wake, which is in freefall mode.
#3 New Mexico vs. #14 Montana (9:40 p.m.)
For many people, New Mexico is one of the biggest wildcards in this tournament. Most (including me) have never seen them play. I will be interested to see how they do against a Montana team that was one of the best stories of championship week.
#6 Tennessee vs. #11 San Diego State (9:45 p.m.)
I thought Bruce Pearl did one of the best coaching jobs this year, getting Tennessee to play as well as they did after an incident marred the program in the middle of the year. They could make a run in the tournament, or could lose this game.