Georges Niang and Iowa State take on Iona in what could be the most entertaining matchup on Thursday. (Getty)
The brackets are filled, the predictions have been made and the office pools are all ready for the person with the least basketball knowledge to win it all. Now, all that’s left is for the games to be played.
The first two days of the NCAA tournament, which feature 32 win-or-go-home games in a span of about 36 hours, need no introduction. But this year, after a season that had more Top-10 upsets and more scoring than ever before, could potentially provide even more drama and even more excitement than years previous. If that’s possible.
Thursday’s 16-game slate should provide a fantastic start. Three games opened with a spread of just one point. An array of teams will be on upset watch. Iona vs. Iowa State and Providence vs. USC should both be high-octane, first-one-to-80-wins kind of games.
Buckle up to your couch. It’s going to be good.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch:
2016 NCAA Tournament Round 1 Schedule
Note: All times ET
Thursday, March 17
West: No. 13 UNC Wilmington vs. No. 4 Duke, 12:15 p.m., CBS
Midwest: No. 9 Butler vs. No. 8 Texas Tech, 12:40 p.m., TruTV
South: No. 9 UConn vs. No. 8 Colorado, 1:30 p.m., TNT
Midwest: No. 13 Iona vs. No. 4 Iowa St., 2 p.m., TBS
West: No. 12 Yale vs. No. 5 Baylor, 2:45 p.m., CBS (30 minutes after UNC Wilmington vs. Duke)
Midwest: No. 16 Hampton vs. No. 1 Virginia, 3:10 p.m., TruTV (30 minutes after Butler vs. Texas)
South: No. 16 Austin Peay vs. No. 1 Kansas, 4 p.m., TNT (30 minutes after UConn vs. Colorado)
Midwest: No. 12 Arkansas Little-Rock vs. No. 5 Purdue, 4:30 p.m., TBS (30 minutes after Iona vs. Iowa St.)
South: No. 14 Buffalo vs. No. 3 Miami, 6:50 p.m., TNT
East: No. 12 Chattanooga vs. No. 5 Indiana, 7:10 p.m., CBS
East: No. 16 Florida Gulf Coast vs. No. 1 North Carolina, 7:20 p.m., TBS
Midwest: No. 14 Fresno St. vs. No. 3 Utah, 7:27 p.m., TruTV
South: No. 11 Wichita St. vs. No. 6 Arizona, 8:20 p.m., TNT (30 minutes after Buffalo vs. Miami)
East: No. 13 Stony Brook vs. No. 4 Kentucky, 8:40 p.m., CBS (30 minutes after Chattanooga vs. Indiana)
East: No. 9 Providence vs. No. 8 USC, 9:50 p.m., TBS (30 minutes after FGCU vs. UNC)
Midwest: No. 11 Gonzaga vs. No. 6 Seton Hall, 9:57 p.m., TruTV (30 minutes after Fresno St. vs. Utah)
Friday, March 18
Midwest: No. 10 Syracuse vs. No. 7 Dayton, 12:15 p.m., CBS
South: No. 15 UNC Asheville vs. No. 2 Villanova, 12:40 p.m., TruTV
West: No. 10 VCU vs. No. 7 Oregon State, 1:30 p.m., TNT
South: No. 13 Hawaii vs. No. 4 California, 2 p.m., TBS
Midwest: No. 15 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 2 Michigan State, 2:45 p.m., CBS (30 minutes after Syracuse vs. Dayton)
South: No. 10 Temple vs. No. 7 Iowa, 3:10 p.m., TruTV (30 minutes after UNC Asheville vs. Villanova)
West: No. 15 CSU Bakersfield vs. No. 2 Oklahoma, 4 p.m., TNT (30 minutes after VCU vs. Oregon State)
South: No. 12 South Dakota State vs. No. 5 Maryland, 4:30 p.m., TBS (30 minutes after Hawaii vs. California)
East: No. 10 Pittsburgh vs. No. 7 Wisconsin, 6:50 p.m., TNT
East: No. 14 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 3 West Virginia, 7:10 p.m., CBS
West: No. 14 Green Bay vs. No. 3 Texas A&M, 7:20 p.m., TBS
West: No. 16 Holy Cross/Southern Winner vs. No. 1 Oregon, 7:27 p.m., TruTV
East: No. 15 Weber State vs. No. 2 Xavier, 9:20 p.m., TNT (30 minutes after Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin)
East: No. 11 Michigan/Tulsa Winner vs. No. 6 Notre Dame, 9:40 p.m., CBS (30 minutes after Stephen F. Austin vs. West Virginia)
West: No. 11 Nothern Iowa vs. No. 6 Texas, 9:50 p.m., TBS (30 minutes after Green Bay vs. Texas A&M)
Wes: No. 9 Cincinnati vs. No. 8 Saint Joseph’s, 9:57 p.m., TruTV (30 minutes after Holy Cross/Southern vs. Oregon)