4 things to know for Friday’s March Madness action after a wild first day

The first day of March Madness was chock stuffed with upsets and fairly a few nailbiters that make this event so nice. And one of the best half? There’s extra approaching Friday.

Here are 4 things to look out for on the second day of the lads’s NCAA event and the first day of the ladies’s NCAA event.

The RedHawks went 31-0 in the regular season after which promptly misplaced their first recreation of the MAC event. Any Power 5 convention crew with their file would have been a shoo-in for a berth within the spherical of 64 however their weak schedule relegated them to the First Four.

A victory over SMU places them within the Big Dance now they usually’re eyeing Tennessee as their proving floor.

The first day of the event was all about mid-major groups beating Power 5 colleges, making a level that mid-majors should not almost as lifeless as some would have them consider. Perhaps High Point head coach Flynn Clayman stated it greatest after his crew upset Wisconsin, telling CBS: “Looks pretty obvious to me that high-majors need to play mid-majors early in the season. Because they said we didn’t play nobody. We played somebody now.”

Miami is unquestionably bringing that very same vitality to the event and it’s wanting to show that its season wasn’t the product of a weak schedule however as a substitute proof of a crew stuffed with winners. They tackle Tennessee at 4:25 p.m. ET.

Listen, Florida and Arizona are going to be a lot of individuals’s picks to win the entire thing. They’ll expect their video games in opposition to Prairie View A&M and Long Island University, respectively, to go comparatively easily as they prepare for harder roads forward.

But if the expertise of Duke and Michigan on Thursday are any indication, the highest groups won’t be easing into the spherical of 32.

While Michigan ultimately pulled away from Howard – they received 101-80 however led by solely 4 at halftime – and Duke ultimately acquired previous Siena after trailing for a lot of the sport, each of the No. 1 seeds that performed on Thursday have been examined.

There are not any actual cakewalks in March and – as Thursday proved – upsets are at all times on the playing cards. The Gators and Wildcats higher be locked in from the beginning.

The Crimson Tide appeared prime for a sturdy run within the event after a season full of controversies. Instead they’re now coping with the lack of a prime star after a surprising authorized revelation.

Aden Holloway was arrested on Monday, simply after the Crimson Tide obtained a 4-seed within the Big Dance and a matchup with No. 13 Hofstra. He’s accused of being in possession for greater than two kilos of marijuana and he was instantly suspended by the crew whereas the authorized course of performs out. He’s going through up to 10 years in jail.

Holloway began 27 video games for the Tide and averaged almost 17 factors per recreation and was their prime shooter from past the arc.

It was a actually surprising improvement and one which tosses the Crimson Tide’s event future into doubt. The CAA champion Hofstra Pride are one other mid-major wanting to make a large assertion within the event and the Tide may have a lot of labor to do to make up for Holloway’s taking pictures prowess.

The girls’s event suggestions off and there are some prime groups who’re anticipating to go all the way in which to the desert for the Final Four.

Texas, Michigan, LSU all get happening their quest to get to Phoenix. The Longhorns are particularly thought of to be one of many nationwide title favorites and Michigan and LSU are each darkish horses to go deep within the tourney.

The SEC champions are a favourite to go to the Final Four and largely have a clear path till a potential matchup with second-seeded Michigan within the Elite Eight. They play Missouri State at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.