The first Thursday of the NCAA men's tournament features 16 matchups that make up half of the first round. A breakdown of every game.
March Madness schedule today: Times, TV channel info for Round 1 NCAA tournament games
It's time for March Madness. Here's the Round 1 schedule for Thursday and Friday of the NCAA tournament, game by game.
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It’s March gladness for UCLA, filled with first-timers in the NCAA tournament
Seven of the Bruins' top 10 players have not played in an NCAA tournament game. That will change for seventh-seeded UCLA on Thursday night against Utah State.
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Doncic reaches milestone as Lakers defeat Nuggets
Luka Doncic scored 31 points as the Los Angeles Lakers eased to a 120-108 home win against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference.
The 26-year-old Slovenian bagged 21 points in the first quarter alone and went on to reach the 200th 30-point game of his career while also recording nine rebounds and seven assists.
Austin Reaves added 22 points for the Lakers, who were without the injured LeBron James and Rui Hachimura.
The Nuggets, who missed Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray because of injuries, failed to recover after trailing 46-29 at the end of the first quarter and saw the Lakers leapfrog them by moving into third place in the standings.
Doncic, who joined the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in February, has now scored 30 points or more in eight of his 16 games since the move.
"Like I always say, every day gets better," Doncic told ESPN after the win.
"That's three wins in a row now so we've got to just keep it going.
"We go game-by-game because if you think too far in the future maybe you forget about the next game. We know the [standings] are tight but we've just got to try and win every game."
The Lakers' 46-point first quarter was their highest-scoring quarter of the season, while Doncic's 21 points was his most points in any quarter for the Lakers.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers remain top but fell to a 123-119 loss to the Sacramento Kings - their third straight defeat.
DeMar DeRozan added 27 points for the Kings against the Cavaliers, who had seen their franchise record 16-game winning streak snapped by the Orlando Magic at the weekend.
Houston Cougars play the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars in first round of NCAA Tournament
The Houston Cougars have gone 22-1 against Big 12 opponents, with an 8-3 record in non-conference play. Houston is third in the Big 12 with 10.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Joseph Tugler averaging 2.5. The SIU-Edwardsville Cougars' record in OVC games is 15-7.
Alabama and Robert Morris square off in first round of NCAA Tournament
Robert Morris Colonials (26-8, 18-5 Horizon League) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (25-8, 14-6 SEC) Cleveland; Friday, 12:40 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Crimson Tide -22.5; over/under is 165.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Alabama and Robert Morris square off in the NCAA Tournament first round.
Florida and Norfolk State play in first round of NCAA Tournament
The Gators' record in SEC games is 17-4, and their record is 13-0 in non-conference games. Florida is 1-1 in one-possession games. The Spartans' record in MEAC games is 14-3.
Illinois Fighting Illini face Xavier Musketeers in first round of NCAA Tournament
Xavier Musketeers (22-11, 13-8 Big East) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (21-12, 13-9 Big Ten) Milwaukee; Friday, 9:45 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Fighting Illini -3.5; over/under is 159.5 BOTTOM LINE: Illinois plays Xavier in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Fighting Illini's record in Big Ten games is 13-9, and their record is 8-3 in non-conference games.
Kentucky takes on Troy in opening round of 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 faces Troy in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Clemson Tigers play the McNeese Cowboys in first round of NCAA Tournament
McNeese Cowboys (27-6, 21-1 Southland) vs. Clemson Tigers (27-6, 19-3 ACC) Providence, Rhode Island; Thursday, 3:15 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tigers -7.5; over/under is 133.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Clemson and McNeese meet in the NCAA Tournament opening round.
Auburn and Alabama State meet in first round of NCAA Tournament
Alabama State Hornets (20-15, 15-6 SWAC) vs. Auburn Tigers (28-5, 16-4 SEC) Lexington, Kentucky; Thursday, 2:50 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tigers -32.5; over/under is 149.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Auburn plays in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Alabama State.
Duke and Mount St. Mary’s play in opening round of NCAA Tournament
Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (23-12, 15-8 MAAC) vs. Duke Blue Devils (31-3, 22-1 ACC) Raleigh, North Carolina; Friday, 2:50 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Blue Devils -32.5; over/under is 141 BOTTOM LINE: No. Duke plays in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Mount St. Mary's.
BYU Cougars play VCU Rams in first round of NCAA Tournament
VCU Rams (28-6, 18-3 A-10) vs. BYU Cougars (24-9, 15-7 Big 12) Denver; Thursday, 4:05 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cougars -2.5; over/under is 146.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. BYU and VCU play in the NCAA Tournament first round.