The NCAA Tournament field is down to 16 and the final eight will start to take shape Thursday night when the Midwest and West determine their regional finalists.
How to watch NCAA Tournament online, radio and more: A pair of No. 1 seeds and Wichita State take the court on Thursday
The Midwest and West regions will host their Sweet 16 games, as Kentucky goes for 37-0 and Sean Miller coaches against his former team.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Out west, Arizona coach Sean Miller will face the team he used to coach. Before taking the helm at Arizona, Miller led Xavier to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2008.
Miller also brought Arizona to the Elite Eight in 2011, and this year the No. 2 seed Wildcats have a realistic hope for their first Final Four trip since 2001. They reached the Sweet 16 this year by winning two convincing games, the second coming by 15 over Ohio State in the Third Round. T.J. McConnell and Gabe York each scored 19 points to lead Arizona, which out-rebounded the Buckeyes, 43-26.
Xavier reached the Sweet 16 by knocking off Cinderella hopeful Georgia State, 75-67. Jalen Reynolds had 21 points and Myles Davis added 17 more to pace the Musketeers. For the game, Xavier shot 68 percent from the field and 54 percent from three.
The Wildcats and Musketeers will tip off in the final game of the evening, expected to get underway around 10:15 p.m. ET.
No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 4 North Carolina will precede that game in Los Angeles. The Badgers, led by Big Ten Player of the Year Fran Kaminsky, are seeking their second consecutive Final Four appearance and will be matched up with a short-handed North Carolina team. Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams said on Monday that starting forward Kennedy Meeks likely would not be available after suffering a knee injury in their Third Round game against Arkansas.
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While there’s plenty of intrigue out west, the Midwest region isn’t exactly lacking either. No. 3 Notre Dame faces No. 7 Wichita State in the first game of the evening. The Irish reached the Sweet 16 by taking down Butler in an overtime thriller, while Wichita State advanced with a statement win over No. 2 seed Kansas.
This is the second time in three years that the Shockers have reached the second weekend, while Notre Dame is there for the first time since 2003.
The winner of that game may have the pleasure of facing No. 1 overall seed Kentucky for a spot in the Final Four. But in order for the undefeated Wildcats to get there, they’ll have to beat a West Virginia team intent on overwhelming them defensively. The Mountaineers turned Maryland over 23 times en route to a Third Round victory, while Kentucky outlasted Cincinnati in a 40-minute battle.
Here’s how to watch each game on Thursday, no matter where you are. All times Eastern:
Midwest Region:
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Wichita State
Time: 7:15 p.m.
TV: CBS
Radio: Westwood One
Online Stream: March Madness Live
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 5 West Virginia
Time: approx. 9:45 p.m.
TV: CBS
Radio: Westwood One
Online Stream: March Madness Live
West Region:
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina
Time: 7:47 p.m.
TV: TBS
Radio: Westwood One
Online Stream: March Madness Live
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Xavier
Time: approx. 10:17 p.m.
TV: TBS
Radio: Westwood One
Online Stream: March Madness Live
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