The NCAA Tournament Round of 64 enters day two with another exciting slate of games. #14 Northern Kentucky take on #3 Texas Tech, which could be the upset pick that nobody is picking. The Norse aren’t new to March Madness, while the Red Raiders flamed out early in the Big 12 tournament.
How to Watch the NCAA Tournament First Round:
Northern Kentucky vs. Texas Tech
Date: Friday, March 22
Time: 1:20 p.m. ET
Location: Tulsa, OK
TV Channel: TNT
Live Stream: fuboTV – start your 7-day free trial to watch every NCAA Tournament game
#14 Northern Kentucky
For the second time in three years as a Division I team, the Northern Kentucky Norse will play in the NCAA Tournament. After a 26-8 regular season record and the Horizon League Tournament title, John Brannen’s men will now go to the Big Dance as a 14-seed, and they’re hoping to make some noise. Forward Drew McDonald is the team’s top scorer and biggest hope of a Cinderella run, but he’s not the only reason why the Norse can pull off an upset or two: NKU is a very sound basketball team, with a potent offense that can score from inside and outside the arc, as well as a physical, intense defense. The Norse lost to Kentucky in the first round in 2017, so the hope is for a deeper run this time.
#3 Texas Tech
After sealing their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight in 2018, Texas Tech’s Red Raiders return to the big show in 2019 hoping they can mimic that performance and more. Coach Chris Beard is in his third season at the college and has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in the last two of those, not to mention winning the Big 12’s regular season championship this term. They open their round of 64 against No. 14 Northern Kentucky on Friday, a fixture that—on paper—shouldn’t trouble them too much.
The Big 12 Tournament didn’t go as smoothly for Beard’s side, who followed up an impressive 26-6 season (14-4 in the Big 12) by losing 79-74 to No. 10 West Virginia in the first round of the contest. Texas Tech has featured in three of the past four NCAA Tournaments (including 2019) and hopes this will be the year they can make a maiden appearance in the Final Four.
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