Ron Baker and Wichita State have been a major part of the NCAA tournament the last three years. Now, they’re just looking to get past the First Four. (Getty)
Let the madness, officially, begin.
Sure, the NCAA tournament may not truly get going until Thursday and Friday, but don’t think for a second these “First Four” games don’t matter. In 2011, the first year the Field of 68 was introduced, VCU famously went from First Four to Final Four. No one has quite replicated that success, but at least one First Four team has won a Round of 64 game every year since.
There are plenty of candidates to continue that streak this year.
Wichita State has exactly what you need to succeed in March: Two talented, experienced guards in Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker, and an elite defense, which ranks first in America in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted efficiency rankings. Vanderbilt has failed to play up to expectations but is flush with NBA talent. Michigan has the offensive weapons to get hot in a hurry. And Tulsa has the chip on its shoulder as the squad no one thinks belongs.
Then, of course, there are the 16 seeds, who get to battle it out for a chance at history against North Carolina or Oregon.
Here’s everything you need to watch the Big Dance get underway:
2016 NCAA Tournament First Four Schedule
Note: All times ET
Tuesday, March 15
No. 16 Florida Gulf Coast vs. No. 16 Farleigh Dickinson, 6:40 p.m., TruTV
No. 11 Vanderbilt vs. No. 11 Wichita State, 9:10 p.m., TruTV
Wednesday, March 16
No. 16 Holy Cross vs. No. 16 Southern, 6:40 p.m., TruTV
No. 11 Michigan vs. No. 11 Tulsa, 9:10 p.m., TruTV
2016 NCAA Tournament First Four Live Stream Info
If You Don’t Have a Cable Log-In & Want to Watch Online
You can watch all the games through Sling TV, an online streaming service that provides access to select channels for a monthly fee.
The service’s Best of Live TV package, which includes TBS and TNT and will include TruTV between March 13 and April 12, costs $20 a month. But if you want to watch a week’s worth of tournament games for free, you, can do so with Sling’s free 7-day trial.
Here’s how to sign up:
1. Click here to create a Sling account.
2. Select the Best of Live TV package.
3. Enter your billing information and create an account. You will not be charged until after you’ve completed the free 7-day trial.
4. Download the Sling app on your computer.
If You Have a Cable Log-In & Want to Watch Online
If your cable subscription includes TruTV, you can watch the games via March Madness Live. You’ll need to sign in to your TV provider with a user name and password.
If You Don’t Have a Cable Log-In & Want to Watch With an App
Sling TV subscribers (check above for info on how to sign up for free) can watch on the Sling app, which can be downloaded for free in the App store or the Google Play store. There’s also a Sling app for Roku, Chromecast, Nexus player, ZTE and XBox One.
Click here for a full list of compatible devices.
If You Have a Cable Log-In & Want to Watch With an App
You can download the March Madness Live app for your phone or tablet in the following places:
Download the March Madness Live app in the App Store.
Download the March Madness Live app in the Windows Store.
Download the March Madness Live app in the Google Play store.
Download the March Madness Live app from Amazon.
It’s also available for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku. As is the case with desktop, you’ll need to sign in to your TV provider with a user name and password to watch the stream.
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NCAA First Four 2016: Time, TV Channel & Live Stream