The action opens in San Jose on Friday with one of the more enticing first-round matchups of the NCAA Tournament. #13 UC Irvine dominated the Big West all season, while #4 Kansas State has exceeded expectations. March Madness always brings out the best, and this game should be no different.
How to Watch the NCAA Tournament First Round:
UC Irvine vs. Kansas State
Date: Friday, March 22
Time: 1:50 p.m. ET
Location: San Jose, CA
TV Channel: TBS
Live Stream: fuboTV – start your 7-day free trial to watch every NCAA Tournament game
#13 UC Irvine
UC Irvine ran away with the regular-season championship in the Big West this season, which ended with a dominant 30-5 record (15-1 in their conference), at least eight more wins than any other team. They’ll meet No. 4 Kansas State in San Jose, California on Friday and are hoping to advance to the NCAA Tournament’s second round for the first time in their history.
The Anteaters capitalized on an emphatic regular season and scythed past UC Riverside (63-44), Long Beach State (75-67) to reach the Big West Tournament final. There, they sent a statement and hammered Cal State Fullerton 92-64 and have won their last 16 successive matches as they enter March Madness.
#4 Kansas State
Kansas State turned some heads as they took a share of the Big 12’s regular-season title this season, upsetting some of the more favored teams to finish at 25-8 for the campaign. Unfortunately, they couldn’t convert that potential into the finished product at the Big 12 Tournament, where they defeated TCU in their opener but lost 63-59 to Iowa State in the semi-finals.
The Wildcats’ best-ever finish in an NCAA Tournament was their runner-up consolation in 1951. They did, however, advance as far as the Elite Eight last season and will hope to go even better this term, poised to open their competition against last-64 opponents UC Irvine on Friday.
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