Now that all the whining and bragging have subsided over who did and didn’t make the cut for this this year’s NCAA Tournament, it’s time to play some basketball. And unlike years past, some of the so-called “play-in” games could very well have an impact on things to come.
Since the tournament expanded to beyond 64 teams, two teams in the past got to battle it out for the right to get blown out by one of the top teams in the country. And now that the number of teams has increased to 68 teams, there will be four games tonight and tomorrow to decide who advances to the field of 64.
Don’t get me wrong, there are still some sacrificial lambs in the mix here. In a battle of hyphenated schools, UNC-Ashville and Arkansas-Little Rock will duke it out tonight (truTV, 6:30pm ET) for the unenviable right to face #1 seed Pitt later this week. And Texas-San Antonio will take on Alabama tomorrow (truTV, 6:30pm ET) to determine who gets to face the #1 seed in the entire tournament (Ohio State).
But what is different this year is that there are some very good teams fighting for their lives, and a few of them very well could advance a few rounds in the tournament should they prevail today or tomorrow.
Alabama at Birmingham and Clemson square off at 9pm ET on truTV later today, with the winner facing a very good but beatable West Virginia squad. The Mountaineers are battle-tested after doing great in the Big East, but they suffer severe scoring droughts and can be exposed on an off night (especially by a team as gifted as Clemson).
Perhaps the most intriguing storyline is the USC/VCU game Wednesday night (9pm ET, truTV). Virginia Commonwealth of the Colonial Athletic Association was a controversial at-large selection, but the senior-laden team could pose some mismatch problems for USC and the rest of the field.
Should the Rams prevail against the Trojans, it would set the stage for a clash with Georgetown in what could be one of the best games of the entire tournament. The Hoyas have lost four straight games since losing senior guard Chris Wright, but he has been cleared to play this week. With VCU and Georgetown both loving to run, they could probably turn the shot clocks off for the entire game.
Regardless of which teams advance in these first four games, this tournament looks to be one of the best ever with no clear-cut favorite (although Kansas and Ohio State are both formidable). Let the madness begin!