4 Can’t-Miss Games On Thursday In March Madness

The March Madness mayhem is here, with first-round Thursday of the NCAA Tournament finally upon us. It is arguably the single best and most fun sports day of the whole year, a 12-hour-long parade of postseason single-elimination basketball with the whole country waiting to see who advances in the bracket and whether any Cinderella upsets occur. Let the fun begin with these four featured Thursday games.

San Francisco vs. Murray State

The Dons of San Francisco are in their first NCAA Tournament since 1998. This is a very special moment for them in their history, which is an illustrious one. You might know that San Francisco won back-to-back national championships in 1955 and 1956 under future NBA legend Bill Russell. The Dons are finally back where they belong in the NCAA Tournament, making this game an eagerly-anticipated event.

Going up against USF are the Murray State Racers, who did not lose a single game in conference all season long. Murray State had a perfect regular-season record in the Ohio Valley Conference, and it then won the Ohio Valley Tournament to punch its ticket to March Madness. The Racers have lost only two games all season, one of them to an Auburn team which won the SEC championship and is seeded second at this tournament. Murray State has done virtually nothing wrong all year long, a tremendous feat. San Francisco will try to upend the Racers, but it won’t be easy.

Memphis vs. Boise State

The 8-9 game in the West Region puts Memphis, a team with great talent which underachieved for most of the year before catching fire late, against a Boise State team which won the Mountain West Conference’s regular season and tournament championships. Memphis has the high-end talent in this game and can play above the rim with great power and strength. Boise State has the fundamentally sound defense which is always in the right position and simply doesn’t make many mistakes. It’s a delicious contrast of styles and a game which could go in any of several directions. Both coaches have been hounded by their fan bases, but they made impressive adjustments and recovered well this year.

South Dakota State vs. Providence

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits have not lost since December 15. Like Murray State, they did not lose a single game in their conference all season long. Providence won the Big East regular season championship for the first time in school history. Ed Cooley is probably going to win the 2022 National Coach of the Year Award based on what he has done with the Friars. Providence has been a great team in close games, going 3-0 in overtime games this season. South Dakota State hasn’t lost in three months. This is a tremendous matchup which figures to be must-see TV.

Marquette vs. North Carolina

The Golden Eagles have first-year head coach Shaka Smart. The Tar Heels have first-year head coach Hubert Davis. Which coach will make the better adjustments? Marquette swept Villanova this season. North Carolina won at Duke in Coach K’s final home game as a college head coach. These teams are fascinating and very evenly matched. The game should go down to the wire.