March Madness Viewer's Guide: What to Watch on Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament's Second Round
The 32 teams still in national championship contention will play in the second round of the 2019 NCAA tournament this weekend. Sixteen of those teams will take the court on Saturday during first day of the round of 32, including No. 1 Gonzaga, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 2 Michigan and third-seeded LSU and Purdue.
The South's top seed, Virginia, and second-seeded Tennessee advanced with a pair of wins on Friday and will headline Sunday's slate of second round games alongside No. 1 Duke, No. 1 UNC and No. 3 seed Texas Tech.
Saturday's slate is backloaded with six of the day's eight games tipping off in the evening. If you want to know who you should watch (and read about) on Saturday as the remaining teams vie for a coveted slot in the Sweet 16, we've got you covered. Full schedule follows.
All times listed in Eastern.
What to watch
The early afternoon game
No. 6 Maryland vs. No. 3 LSU (12:10 p.m., CBS)
The Terrpains advanced to Saturday's second round game against the Will Wade-less Tigers after escaping with a two-point win over the East's No. 11 seed. Maryland managed the win with a big defensive stop in the final seconds that silenced an upset-seeking Belmont. LSU had an equally close call against Yale, but four free throws in the final 15 seconds from junior guard Skylar Mays helped the Tigers slip by with the win as all eyes watched to see what LSU could do without Wade. Watch to see what these two teams do next.
The afternoon block
No. 7 Wofford vs. No. 2 Kentucky (2:40 p.m., CBS)
Wofford waltzed into the round of 32 with an easy win over No. 10 Seton Hall on Thursday—but its 84–68 win wasn't what was making headlines. That would be Fletcher Magee, the Terriers' senior guard who sunk seven threes against the Pirates, setting the Division I career record for three-pointers in the process. How Kentucky responds to the Magee mania, especially without its own star, sophomore forward PJ Washington, will be telling of whether or not Wofford can continue the streak it's on and win its 22nd straight game.
Early evening must-watch
No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 12 Murray State (6:10 p.m., TNT)
Ja Morant is stealing the March Madness show this year. Any game with the sharp-shooting, fancy-passing king is appointment television already. Florida State will have its hands full containing the Racers' 6'3" star sophomore guard, but the Seminoles are lengthy, athletic and talented enough that they just might be able to stop Murray State's momentum. Who will move on to the Sweet 16 in the West? Watch and see.
Late night blockbuster
No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 5 Auburn (9:40 p.m., TBS)
When Auburn is on, it's a really fun team to watch. The Tigers play fast, shoot a lot of threes and force turnovers. Plus, they're playing Kansas. The Jayhawks defense could stifle the Tigers just enough to squeak out a win, but it certaintly won't be as easy as Kansas's 87–53 first round rout of Northeastern. Bill Self's squad could be on upset alert Saturday night.
Recommended reads from the SI Staff
• The SI Staff recapped all of Friday's first round games for you, from lower seeded teams like Iowa and Oklahoma advancing to Virginia and Tennessee surviving early scares.
• Michael Beller dives into Iowa's identity and how the Hawkeyes found their footing against Cincinnati.
• Jeremy Woo shows us how the card game Uno might be the key to Florida's late-season surge.
• Laken Litman looks at how Ja Morant stole the show on the first full day of the NCAA tournament and what's to come for Murray State.
• Andy Staples dives into how PJ Washington's injury clouds Kentucky’s path to the Sweet 16 without its star big man.
• Staples also explains how Fletcher Magee's unorthodox turnaround three that finished off Seton Hall is the norm from the new three-point king.
Saturday's full schedule
• 12:10 p.m.: No. 6 Maryland vs. No. 3 LSU (CBS)
• 2:40 p.m.: No. 7 Wofford vs. No. 2 Kentucky (CBS)
• 5:15 p.m.: No. 10 Florida vs. No. 2 Michigan (CBS)
• 6:10 p.m.: No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 12 Murray State (TNT)
• 7:10 p.m.: No. 9 Baylor vs. No. 1 Gonzaga (TBS)
• 7:45 p.m.: No. 10 Minnesota vs. No. 2 Michigan State (CBS)
• 8:40 p.m.: No. 6 Villanova vs. No. 3 Purdue (TNT)
• 9:40 p.m.: No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 5 Auburn (TBS)
All games can also be streamed with March Madness Live online on NCAA.com.
