Category: Basketball

Newcomers Frankie Fidler, Szymon Zapala and Jase Richardson have Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo excited for a 27th straight NCAA tournament.

The second half of the first round of the NCAA men's tournament takes place Friday with 16 games. A breakdown of each of the matchups.

The March Madness action continues on Friday with top seeds taking the court. Here is the rundown of all the games today and how to watch.

North Carolina Tar Heels (23-13, 15-8 ACC) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (22-11, 11-9 SEC) Milwaukee; Friday, 4:05 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tar Heels -2.5; over/under is 155.5 BOTTOM LINE: Ole Miss faces North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Rebels are 11-9 against SEC opponents and 11-2 in non-conference play.

Akron Zips (28-6, 20-1 MAC) vs. Arizona Wildcats (22-12, 16-8 Big 12) Seattle; Friday, 7:35 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Wildcats -14.5; over/under is 167.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Arizona and Akron play in the NCAA Tournament first round.

Dayton Flyers (23-10, 12-7 A-10) at Chattanooga Mocs (25-9, 16-4 SoCon) Chattanooga, Tennessee; Saturday, 11:30 a.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Chattanooga takes on Dayton in the National Invitation Tournament. The Mocs are 16-4 against SoCon opponents and 9-5 in non-conference play.

Baylor Bears (19-14, 11-11 Big 12) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-12, 9-11 SEC) Raleigh, North Carolina; Friday, 12:15 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bulldogs -1.5; over/under is 144.5 BOTTOM LINE: Mississippi State and Baylor play in the NCAA Tournament opening round. The Bulldogs have gone 9-11 against SEC opponents, with a 12-1 record in non-conference play.

UConn scores 77.4 points and has outscored opponents by 9.4 points per game. The Sooners are 7-13 in SEC play. Oklahoma ranks second in the SEC shooting 37.0% from 3-point range.

UCLA Bruins (23-10, 13-8 Big Ten) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (28-7, 14-7 SEC) Lexington, Kentucky; Saturday, 9:40 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Volunteers -4.5; over/under is 132.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Tennessee takes on UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

McNeese Cowboys (28-6, 21-1 Southland) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (23-11, 14-8 Big Ten) Providence, Rhode Island; Saturday, 12:10 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Boilermakers -5.5; over/under is 143.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Purdue plays McNeese in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Troy Trojans (23-10, 16-5 Sun Belt) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (22-11, 11-9 SEC) Milwaukee; Friday, 7:10 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Wildcats -11.5; over/under is 152.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Kentucky plays in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Troy.

New Mexico Lobos (26-7, 18-4 MWC) vs. Marquette Golden Eagles (23-10, 14-8 Big East) Cleveland; Friday, 7:25 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Golden Eagles -3.5; over/under is 152.5 BOTTOM LINE: Marquette plays in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against New Mexico. The Golden Eagles' record in Big East play is 14-8, and their record is 9-2 in non-conference play.

Bryant Bulldogs (23-11, 17-2 America East) vs. Michigan State Spartans (27-6, 18-4 Big Ten Cleveland; Friday, 10 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Spartans -17.5; over/under is 152.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Michigan State faces Bryant in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-8, 16-4 WCC) vs. Houston Cougars (31-4, 22-1 Big 12) Wichita, Kansas; Saturday, 8:40 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cougars -5.5; over/under is 140.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Houston faces No.

Lipscomb Bisons (25-9, 17-4 ASUN) vs. Iowa State Cyclones (24-9, 15-8 Big 12) Milwaukee; Friday, 1:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cyclones -14.5; over/under is 142.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Iowa State and Lipscomb square off in the NCAA Tournament opening round.