Here are Friday’s key March Madness 2024 games to watch:
No. 12 UAB vs. No. 5 San Diego State
1:45 p.m., TNT
So, how many people — even college hoops fans — remember San Diego State reached the national championship game in 2023? The Aztecs came up short against UConn, but for the second straight year they’re a 5-seed with potential for a deep run. Senior big man Jaedon LeDee has blossomed from a bench player last year into the Mountain West Conference’s leading scorer (21.1 ppg).
No. 11 New Mexico vs. No. 6 Clemson
3:10 p.m., truTV
Hey look, Pitino made the tournament after all! Richard — not Rick — Pitino has his Lobos in the field for the first time in a decade, looking for the program’s first win since 2012. Clemson, meanwhile, has flown under the radar this season but holds impressive wins over North Carolina and Alabama.
No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 8 Nebraska
6:50 p.m., TNT
Japanese native Keisei Tominaga leads Nebraska with 14.9 points a game, but it’s his willingness to shoot from anywhere on the court and his exuberant celebrations that make him a potential breakout star of the tournament. Texas A&M has a gunner of its own, though: Junior Wade Taylor IV, coming off consecutive 30-plus-point games in the SEC Tournament.
No. 16 Grambling State vs. No. 1 Purdue
7:25 p.m., TBS
It can’t happen again, right? A year after losing to 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson in Round 1, Zach Edey, the likely back-to-back national player of the year, and the Boilermakers would like to make quick work of Grambling State before the nerves start to kick in.
No. 13 Charleston vs. No. 4 Alabama
7:35 p.m., truTV
If you like points, this is the game for you. With a total hovering around 173, it’s the highest over/under for an NCAA Tournament game since 1995, according to The Action Network. Alabama leads the nation with 90.8 points a game, but its defense allows 81.1, which puts the Tide 346th out of 351 teams.
No. 12 Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 Saint Mary’s
10:05 p.m., truTV
The true college hoops sickos will be staying up past midnight to watch this battle of Western mid-major powers. St. Mary’s, not Gonzaga, was the best team in the West Coast Conference all season, while the Lopes have been a tournament staple, in the field for the third time in four years under coach Bryce Drew.
