As the NCAA Tournament First Round winds down, we’re being treated to one of the best 3-14 matchups in some time. #3 Houston steamrolled through the AAC while #14 Georgia State returns with the magic of their head coach, Ron Hunter. This could easily be the best March Madness game of the first round.
How to Watch the NCAA Tournament First Round:
Georgia St vs. Houston
Date: Friday, March 22
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Location: Tulsa, OK
TV Channel: TBS
Live Stream: fuboTV – start your 7-day free trial to watch every NCAA Tournament game
#14 Georgia State
Georgia State rolled through the Sun Belt conference tournament to secure an automatic bid. The Panthers’ 73-64 win over Texas-Arlington in the final brought their overall record to 23-9. This is their fifth appearance in the tournament, and just because they are a No. 14 seed, don’t expect them to go down without a fight. In two of their previous four trips to the big dance, they eliminated a much higher seed in the first round. In 2001 they took down No. 6 seed Wisconsin and in 2015 they pulled off one of the upsets of the tournament, knocking off No. 3 Baylor. Guard D’Marcus Simonds leads the team in both scoring and assists. The junior averages 18.4 points per game and has eclipsed the 25-point mark seven times this season. Coach Ron Hunter has been a viral sensation before, and perhaps he’ll be one again.
#3 Houston
The Houston Cougars basketball program was a powerhouse in the 1980s, making three consecutive Final Fours from 1982-84. They’ve certainly had a fall from grace since the glory days, but head coach Kelvin Sampson is slowly leading a resurgence. The former Oklahoma coach has led his team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, their first trips since 2010. This year was a boon for the Cougars as they put up a very impressive 31-3 record that earned them a No. 3 seed in the tournament. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to convert their sensational regular season into a conference championship win as they were brought down by Cincinnati in the final. Houston may not be the household name it once was, but this year’s team has the best chance of any in a long time to correct that.
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