HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 21: Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree #21 of the Villanova Wildcats defends in the second half against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
The No. 3 seed Purdue Boilermakers (24-9; Big Ten Conference at-large) take on the No. 6 seed Villanova Wildcats (26-9; Big East tournament champion) in a South Region Round of 32 matchup at XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut as the 2018-19 NCAA Tournament continues on Saturday afternoon.
The game is scheduled to start around 8:40 p.m. ET (after conclusion of UW vs Utah State) and will be televised on TNT. But if you don’t have cable, you can sign up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services that allow you to watch TNT on your computer, phone or streaming device:
FuboTV
FuboTV
TNT is one of 85-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports. Also included are TruTV, TBS and CBS (live in select markets), allowing you to watch every NCAA tournament game.
You can start a free 7-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch the game (and other programs) on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue
PS Vue–which doesn’t require an actual PlayStation console to sign up or watch–offers four different live-TV channel packages: All four include TNT. Also included are TruTV, TBS and CBS (live in select markets), allowing you to watch every March Madness game.
You can start a free 5-day trial of PS Vue right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation (3 or 4), or other supported device via the PS Vue app.
If you can’t watch live, PS Vue comes with cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
Hulu
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 60-plus live TV channels, including TNT. Also included are TruTV, TBS and CBS (live in select markets), meaning you can watch every other NCAA tournament game.
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
Purdue vs Villanova Preview
Capping off an unbeaten first day for the Big Ten was Purdue holding Old Dominion to a 26.9% shooting percentage inn a 61-48 win. Leading the way was the Boilermakers’ leading scorer, the conference’s leading scorer as well, Carsen Edwards.
The 6-foot-1 junior guard averaged 23.1 points per game during the regular season, and carried that effort into Thursday. Edwards finished with a game-high 26 points, while adding seven rebounds despite his undersized frame. Purdue head coach Matt Painter has one of the NCAA Tournament’s most dangerous weapons, but it is a blessing and a curse because when Edwards goes, so do the Boilermakers, but as he struggles, the team struggles, too.
The defending National Champions got right out of the gate with a 61-57 win against Saint Mary’s to avoid a 6-11 upset. Head coach Jay Wright, despite getting a tough draw seeding wise by the Selection Committee, following the win told reporters he thought the idea of the Gaels playing his Wildcats tight heading down the stretch will benefit his team as they continue their quest to defend their title and get back to their third Final Four in three seasons.
“I would much rather (have) a 20-point win. That would have been much nicer. But it is good to play a game like this in the NCAA Tournament.”
Wright later added:
“We’re growing, our young guys are growing, but we have two seniors who do everything for us, on and off the court. We’re just so lucky to have them.”
Seniors Phil Booth and Eric Paschal each did their jobs admirably. Booth (18.7 PPG this season) had a team-high 20 points, while Paschal added 14. Booth and Paschal give Wright the veteran leadership he needs on the court to combat lineups more naturally talented than his.
Purdue, with a win, would reach its third straight Sweet 16. And fifth appearance under Painter; Painter, however, has never reached the Elite Eight. With a victory, Villanova would reach its seventh Sweet 16 under Wright, and would make a third appearance in four seasons.
The winner of Purdue vs Villanova takes on the winner of Tennessee vs Iowa in the Sweet 16. That South Regional semifinal game takes place from KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky next weekend, and will be broadcast on CBS/TBS/TNT.