The NCAA Tournament has been a wild ride already, and this one should be no different. #6 Buffalo finds themselves in unfamiliar territory as the favorite, taking on #11 Arizona State. It’s an especially intriguing matchup because Arizona St coach Bobby Hurley coached Buffalo – and some of their current players – until 2015.
How to Watch the NCAA Tournament First Round:
Arizona St vs. Buffalo
Date: Friday, March 22
Time: 3:50 p.m. ET
Location: Tulsa, OK
TV Channel: TNT
Live Stream: fuboTV – start your 7-day free trial to watch every NCAA Tournament game
#11 Arizona St
Arizona State racked up 22 wins during the 2018-19 campaign (including postseason) to celebrate their highest number of victories in one term since 2010. Their 12-6 conference record was sufficient to see them finish second in the Pac-12, but they were surprised by No. 6 seed and eventual champions Oregon in the conference semi-finals and lost 79-75.
Arizona State lost to Syracuse in last season’s First Four but this year already made progress, dispatching St. John’s on Wednesday night 74-65 in a win that was not as close as the score appears. They’ll try and use that confidence going forward into the Round of 64.
#6 Buffalo
After a stellar season that finished with a 31-3 record and the fourth MAC Tournament title in five years, the Buffalo Bulls arrive in the NCAA Tournament as a potential dark horse pick for a very deep run in March Madness. Statement wins over Syracuse and West Virginia this season show that the Bulls are ready to make noise in the Big Dance, and after tasting victory in the tournament for the first time last year with an upset of Arizona, Buffalo is ready to take it one step forward and maybe even make the Sweet Sixteen. Their bracket is very favorable, and the team is good. Buffalo takes care of the ball and works really hard on defense, and although their poor three-point shooting may cause them to go home early, they’re still talented and deep enough to cause problems for any team.
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