The grand finale of the NCAA basketball season is here. After four months of grueling competition, 68 teams now have the opportunity to compete to earn their one shining moment. This March promises to bring plenty of buzzer beaters, bracket busters, and upsets.
How to watch:
The official first round of the men’s tournament begins Thursday, with the women’s tournament tipping off Friday. The action continues throughout the weekend and into next weekend before culminating with the semifinals April 6 and the national championship April 8 on the men’s side, and April 5 and April 7, respectively, in the women’s tourney. Here’s a look at the full NCAA Tournament for men and women.
All games are available on TDS TV, airing on CBS, TNT, TBS, TruTV, and the ESPN family of networks. Additionally, you can watch all the action on the March Madness Live streaming app on your mobile devices this March!
TDS TV+ makes it easy for fans as it integrates live TV and streaming apps into one device, one remote, and one input. If you’re at work while your favorite team is playing, you can set up a recording in advance and add extensions to the beginning or end in case the game starts early or runs into overtime.
Two games coming down to the wire? You can also log into the TDS TV+ app on your home Wi-Fi connected mobile device to ensure you never miss a comeback or buzzer-beating shot.
Storylines to know:
Men’s reigning champion Connecticut is one of the favorites and slots in as a No. 1 seed alongside Purdue, Houston, and North Carolina. Marquette, Arizona, Iowa State, and Tennessee also join the list of contenders as No. 2 seeds, while No. 3 seeds Creighton, Baylor, Kentucky, and Illinois will look to make a deep run in the tournament.
On the women’s side, undefeated South Carolina is a favorite again. But they will have plenty of competition – not least of which from Iowa and all-time leading scorer Caitlin Clark.
LSU tries to go back to back
South Carolina could also have to go through the defending champion LSU. The Tigers, at 28-5, are seeded third this year and could face a rematch with Iowa for the right to go to the national semifinals – a matchup that would surely draw a huge audience.
Peer into the KenPom crystal ball
Since its inception in 2002, advanced analytic website KenPom has tracked the offensive, defensive, and overall efficiency of men’s teams. Twenty-one national champions have been crowned since the invention of KenPom, and all 21 champions have met this KenPom criteria: top-40 in adjusted offensive efficiency and top-25 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Only nine teams meet this mark going into the tournament, those being Houston, Tennessee, Auburn, North Carolina, Connecticut, Arizona, Marquette, Purdue, and Creighton. Notably absent from this list are teams such as No. 2 seed Iowa State, No. 3 seed Baylor, and No. 3 seed Kentucky. When you are making your championship selection, keep these nine teams in mind.
Caitlin Clark’s last dance
The Iowa phenom has smashed all sorts of records, including most career points scored by any men’s or women’s player. Last year, she set a record for most points scored in a single NCAA tournament. She’ll enter the WNBA after this season – meaning she has one last chance to win it all.
Written by Will Chamblee, TDS Communications Intern
