Preview Roundups
March 18, 2018
Mississippi State at Baylor 12:00 PM ET
Top-seeded Baylor looks to take another step toward its second NIT title in six seasons when it hosts No. 4 seed Mississippi State in the second round on Sunday. The winner will face either Louisville or Middle Tennessee State in the quarterfinals.
Butler at Purdue 12:10 PM ET
Purdue appeared to suffer a key injury in its 74-48 first-round NCAA Tournament victory over Cal State Fullerton when 7-2 center Isaac Haas suffered a fractured right elbow while fighting for a rebound in the second half. But Haas, who will need to undergo surgery at some point, took part in some drills during Saturday's practice and may play in Sunday's second-round East Regional contest with Butler in Detroit if the NCAA approves a special elbow brace.
Syracuse at Michigan St 2:40 PM ET
Michigan State looks to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons when it takes on surprising Syracuse in a Midwest Region second-round contest Sunday in Detroit. The third-seeded Spartans advanced with a victory over Bucknell on Friday, while the 11th-seeded Orange got past TCU in their first-round game.
Oregon at Marquette 4:30 PM ET
Second-seeded Marquette, known more for its offensive prowess, rode defense into the second round of the NIT and will host Oregon on Sunday at the Al McGuire Center. The Golden Eagles limited Harvard to 21 points in the first half and 60 overall in the first round and will now face the No. 3 seed Ducks, who prefer a more up-tempo style.
Texas A&M at North Carolina 5:15 PM ET
Texas A&M will try to benefit from its height advantage when the seventh-seeded Aggies play second-seeded North Carolina in the second round of the West Region on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. Texas A&M has an experienced starting front court that stands 6-10, 6-10, and 6-9 and helped the Aggies become the fifth-ranked rebounding team in the nation during the regular season, while North Carolina's tallest starters are 6-6, 6-8 and 6-8.
Nevada at Cincinnati 6:10 PM ET
Cincinnati not only got a win in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, it also watched the top-seeded team in its region fall in a stunning upset. The second-seeded Bearcats will try not to worry about the road ahead and instead focus on making it to the Sweet 16 when they face seventh-seeded Nevada on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.
Middle Tennessee St. at Louisville 6:30 PM ET
Two teams who felt the sting of being snubbed from the NCAA Tournament get to take out their frustrations on each other Sunday when Louisville hosts Middle Tennessee in the second round of the NIT. The Cardinals, who debated even accepting the NIT bid, shot 25 percent from the field in the first half before finding its stride in Tuesday’s first-round victory over Northern Kentucky.
Clemson at Auburn 7:10 PM ET
It’s been 15 years since Auburn made a trip to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, and even longer for Clemson. One of the droughts will end Sunday, when fifth-seeded Clemson and fourth-seeded Auburn square off in a Midwest Region second-round contest in San Diego.
MD Baltimore County at Kansas State 7:45 PM ET
Maryland-Baltimore County returns to the court two days after pulling off the biggest upset in men's NCAA Tournament history as it takes on Kansas State in the second round of the South Region from Charlotte, N.C. Prior to Friday night, No. 16 seeds were 0-135 all-time against first seeds - they are now 1-135 after the 16th-seeded Retrievers beat No. 1 Virginia 74-54.
Florida State at Xavier 8:40 PM ET
Xavier has routinely proved it possesses one of the best offensive teams in the country - something it displayed in its NCAA Tournament opener as well as the last time it faced Florida State. The top-seeded Musketeers attempt to end the ninth-seeded Seminoles' season in the second round of the West Region for the second straight year Sunday when they meet in Nashville, Tenn.
Marshall at West Virginia 9:40 PM ET
There is no love lost between Marshall and West Virginia and the in-state rivals present perhaps the most tantalizing second-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament when they meet Sunday in the East Region in San Diego. The 13th-seeded Thundering Herd won their first-ever tournament game with an 81-75 upset of Wichita State on Friday, presenting them with a chance to meet a hated foe, although the initial reaction was to downplay the bitterness.