NCAA Tournament 2014: Who to watch Friday, Mar. 28
Four more NCAA 'Sweet 16' games tip off Friday night in New York City and Indianapolis, two US cities with a lot of college basketball history.
Louisville Cardinals guard Russ Smith (2) dribbles against Kentucky Wildcats guard Aaron Harrison (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at Rupp Arena, Dec. 28, 2013.
Jamie Rhodes, USA TODAY Sports/REUTERS
New York and Indianapolis.
Two diverse cities, but one overriding passion: basketball.
They're both hosting regional semifinal and finals action in the 2014 NCAA men's basketball tournament, beginning Friday evening.
In the Midwest region at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, second seed Michigan will play 11th seed Tennessee Friday night at 7:15 p.m. Eastern time on CBS. The Wolverines (27-8) have reached the 'Sweet 16' for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, the Volunteers (24-12) made a regional semifinal for the first time in four years. These two schools met in the 2011 NCAA tournament's first round, with Michigan winning by 30 points.
At 7:27 p.m. Eastern Friday on TBS, East region third seed Iowa State takes on seventh seed Connecticut at Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City. For many years, New York has been synonymous with basketball, with several early-season college tournaments and the end-of-season National Invitation Tournament, which predates the NCAA Tournament by one year. The Cyclones (28-7) have quietly made their way to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2000. The UConn Huskies (28-8) return to a regional semifinal for the first time since they won it all in 2011.
Perhaps the game of the evening is scheduled to tip off at approximately 9:45 p.m., and will be televised on CBS. In-state neighbors and rivals Louisville and Kentucky will meet for the second time this season in the Midwest region. The Cardinals (31-5), defending national champions, lost to the Wildcats (26-10) back in late December at Kentucky's Rupp Arena. But both U of L and UK are playing at a higher level now.
Finally, at approximately 9:57 p.m. Eastern on TBS, East top seed Virginia meets fourth seed Michigan State in "The World's Most Famous Arena." The Cavaliers (30-6) were perhaps the final No. 1 seed selected for the NCAA tournament, but won both the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles. The Spartans (28-8) are playing their best basketball of the season right now, winning the Big Ten conference tournament and their first two NCAA tournament games in impressive fashion.