4 Best Men's College Basketball Games to Watch During Thursday's First Round

It's that time of year where we collectively try to find any way possible to watch each game of the first round of the men's college basketball tournament, just to witness our brackets crumble to pieces. There will be no shortage of games to watch on Thursday and Friday, with both days featuring 16 first-round matchups to determine which teams will inch closer to a national title.

Which contests on Thursday stand out among the rest as the ones we should prioritize watching?

Let's discuss the most enticing games ahead of Thursday's opening tip off, which takes place at 12:15 p.m. ET in a matchup that features the 9 seed Creighton Bluejays and the 8 seed Louisville Cardinals.

Best Men's Tournament Games to Watch Today

High Point vs. Purdue

How to Watch: 12:40 p.m. ET on truTV

The second game that is scheduled to take place on Thursday pits the 13 seed High Point Panthers against the 4 seed Purdue Boilermakers. Of the games being played on Thursday, the High Point-Purdue showdown possesses the highest total, and it's one of two 13/4 matchups in the first round where the 13 seed isn't a double-digit underdog.

Points should be flowing in this contest as the Panthers are 29th in adjusted offensive rating (117.8) and the Boilermakers are 8th in adjusted offensive rating (125.1), per BartTorvik. Additionally, both of these programs are 14th or better in effective field-goal percentage and 46th or better in three-point percentage.

Neither of these teams are dominant on the defensive end of the floor, which is why I've sided with the over in my Purdue vs. High Point betting picks piece.

Could we see another 13/4 upset in the tournament after watching the Yale Bulldogs take down the Auburn Tigers last year?

VCU vs. BYU

How to Watch: 4:05 p.m. ET on TNT

The 6 seed BYU Cougars play a style of basketball that is popular among the masses, which involves them doing everything they can to generate as many shots from deep as possible. The outcomes of BYU's contests tend to be determined by whether or not their threes are falling, setting up an interesting matchup against the 11 seed VCU Rams in the first round.

While the Cougars are 15th in three-point rate (48.3%) and 32nd in three-point percentage (37.1%), the Rams are 63rd in three-point rate allowed (35.3%) and 22nd in three-point percentage allowed (30.6%), so they have the recipe -- at least on paper -- to contain BYU. Our Aidan Cotter highlighted VCU advancing to the Round of 16 among his best futures bets for the men's college basketball tournament due to their defensive prowess.

Since 2005, there has been at least one 11 seed beating a 6 seed in every tourney, and there were three such instances in 2024. VCU has defeated a 6 seed as an 11 seed twice since 2007, and they'll be looking to add to that total on Thursday versus BYU.

Arkansas vs. Kansas

How to Watch: 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS

Thursday's clash between the 10 seed Arkansas Razorbacks and 7 seed Kansas Jayhawks will feature two coaches (John Calipari and Bill Self) who are top six in all-time tournament wins. In his first year coaching the Razorbacks, Calipari led Arkansas to a 20-13 record, losing 83-80 to the Ole Miss Rebels in the second round of the SEC tournament.

As for Self and the Jayhawks, it's been a bit of an up-and-down season after being listed among the preseason favorites to win the national championship. Arkansas won't have their leading scorer (Adou Thiero; 15.6 PPG) available in Thursday's bout, but Kansas can't overlook anyone right now after losing three of their last five contests entering the tourney.

Considering that the Razorbacks and Jayhawks are both 21st or better in adjusted defensive rating, this could be a defensive struggle until the final buzzer sounds. Calipari and Self have met 12 times over the years, and they've split the wins in those head-to-head meetings, so the winning coach today gets a spot in the second round of the tournament and bragging rights -- at least for the time being.

UC San Diego vs. Michigan

How to Watch: 10 p.m. ET on TBS

The penultimate game of Thursday's slate of contests will have the 12 seed UC San Diego Tritons taking the court versus the 5 seed Michigan Wolverines. Among the 12/5 matchups in the first round, the Tritons are one of two 12 seeds that aren't 6.5-point underdogs or worse.

There's a lot to like about UC San Diego as they are 6th in offensive turnover rate (13.4%), 8th in three-point rate (49.6%), and 53rd in three-point percentage (36.5%). Our Riley Thomas spoke about the Tritons' Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones (19.5 PPG) as one of the marquee players to watch in this year's tournament, and our Annie Nader mentioned this matchup as one of the most likely upsets in the 12/5 games.

The Wolverines are a talented team in their own right, finishing the regular season on a high note by defeating the Purdue Boilermakers, Maryland Terrapins, and Wisconsin Badgers -- teams that are all a 4 seed or better in this year's tourney -- en route to winning the Big Ten tournament. At least one 12 seed has beaten a 5 seed in 33 of the last 39 tournaments, and 12 seeds have a 35.3% win rate since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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