The first round is in the books and more than half of the field is gone. We’ve cut the NCAA Tournament down from 68 teams to just 32 as games begin on Sunday, starting with No. 10 Oregon versus No. 2 Duke at 12 p.m. ET from the historic Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Oregon is one of just two double-digit seeds advancing to the second round, with the other being No. 10 South Dakota State after it toppled No. 7 Oklahoma State in the Round of 64.
As trips to the Sweet 16 are on the line over the next two days, we’re here to help you organize your watch schedules for Sunday and Monday. Some teams will be going home, while others will be packing their bags for Birmingham, Alabama, or Spokane, Washington.
Here’s a ranking of all 16 games in the Round of 32:
16. No. 9 Indiana vs. No. 1 South Carolina
Sunday, 3 p.m. ET – ABC
I mean, we all know how this game is going to go, right? Gamecocks by a whole lot. Tune in if you want to see MiLaysia Fulwiley do MiLaysia Fulwiley things.
15. No. 10 South Dakota State vs. No. 2 UConn
Monday, 8 p.m. ET – ESPN
It was a fun run, South Dakota State. Best of luck against the sport’s longest-running Death Star.
14. No. 8 Illinois vs. No. 1 Texas
Monday, 2 p.m. ET – ESPN
Sorry Illinois, but Madison Booker and Rori Harmon can go ahead and start packing for Birmingham.
13. No. 9 Mississippi State vs. No. 1 USC
Monday, 10 p.m. ET – ESPN
It’s been a good ride, Bulldogs. Congrats on your first round win. Good luck containing JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen.
12. No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 3 North Carolina
Monday 7 p.m. ET – ESPN2
All due respect to the Tar Heels and Mountaineers, and Alyssa Ustby and JJ Quinerly, but there’s a good chance that this game devolves into an absolutely unwatchable rockfight. These are two of the best defensive teams in the sport. UNC and WVU both rank in the top 10 in defensive rating and top 25 in points allowed per play. The Tar Heels allow their opponents to shoot just 36.6 percent from the floor on average – which is 16th in the country – while the Mountaineers rank second in turnovers forced per game. If you like offense, this game might not be for you.
11. No. 10 Oregon vs. No. 2 Duke
Sunday, 12 p.m. ET – ESPN
For many of the same reasons stated above regarding UNC-WVU, Oregon’s clash with Duke might be a game that’s low on good offense and high on missed shots and turnovers. The Ducks and Blue Devils play different defensive schemes and styles, but both are very good on that end of the floor. The added wrinkle to this game is the presence of Deja Kelly, who played for Duke’s rival North Carolina for four years before joining the Ducks. She’s 5-2 all-time vs. Duke and 3-1 in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The winner of this game might get to face the Tar Heels in the Sweet 16.
10. No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Baylor
Sunday, 4 p.m. ET – ESPN
The Rebels are likely playing with a chip on their shoulder and with something to prove here because they believed they should’ve been hosting as a top 16 seed. One of those No. 4 seed spots went to Baylor. While this game might lack in starpower – although Madison Scott and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs have been very fun to watch this season – both of these coaches rank among the top in their craft in their respective conferences.
9. No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 2 N.C. State
Monday, 12 p.m. ET – ESPN
The Wolfpack held off Vermont and pulled away at the end on Saturday, while Michigan State got a double-double from Grace VanSlooten and slowed down Harmoni Turner just enough to beat Harvard. Another slow start could cost N.C. State against a more experienced, talented and defensive-minded team like the Spartans.
8. No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 4 Maryland
Monday, 5 p.m. ET – ESPN2
If you’re looking for a potential upset, this could be one of them. The Terps got off to a slow start on Saturday and trailed Norfolk State at halftime before pulling away to win by double digits. Alabama, meanwhile, shot 47 percent from the floor and won the rebounding battle by 16 against a tough Green Bay team. The Crimson Tide is searching for its first Sweet 16 trip since 1998.
7. No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 3 Oklahoma
Monday, 4 p.m. ET – ESPN
Now here’s a game with some star power, with Lucy Olsen knocking down 3-pointers for the Hawkeyes and Raegan Beers doing work in the paint for the Sooners. Fun fact: Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk played at Iowa when current head coach Jan Jensen was there as an assistant.
6. No. 9 Richmond vs. No. 1 UCLA
Sunday, 10 p.m. ET – ESPN
March Madness probably ends in this game for the Spiders, but they’re a really fun and talented team that could pose problems for the Bruins. Richmond proved that it deserved an at-large bid by beating Georgia Tech by 25 points in the first round behind the stellar play of Maggie Doogan. Richmond ranks inside the top 25 nationally in both offensive and defensive rating.
5. No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 4 Ohio State
Sunday, 8 p.m. ET – ESPN
If you’re looking for high-powered offense from both teams, this is your game. The Lady Vols and the Buckeyes both rank in the top 18 nationally in points per game. Ohio State went undefeated in non-conference play, but it didn’t play anyone from the SEC. Let’s see how the Buckeyes do against Kim Caldwell’s squad.
4. No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 2 TCU
Sunday, 6 p.m. ET – ESPN
TCU is really good and this is a bit of a rebuilding year for Louisville, so it’s hard to know if this game will be close. But Hailey Van Lith going up against her old team is a good reason to tune in, and Jeff Walz – long one of the top coaches in the sport – might have an interesting scheme cooked up to stop his former player and Sedona Prince.
3. No. 5 Kansas State vs. No. 4 Kentucky
Sunday, 2 p.m. ET – ESPN
Kentucky had a close call in the first round with Liberty, winning by just a single point and behind a massive performance from Georgia Amoore. Meanwhile, Ayoka Lee returned for Kansas State and she had a double-double in a big win for Jeff Mittie’s squad against one of the best mid-major teams in the country in Fairfield. Despite all the success that Lee and Mittie have shared together, Kansas State hasn’t been to the second weekend of the tournament since 2002.
2. No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 3 Notre Dame
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET – ABC
This is a big rivalry in football, but the two sides don’t play each other all that often in women’s basketball. Still, this should be a competitive game with big-time players. Notre Dame, of course, is powered by its trio of guards in Hannah Hidalgo, Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles, but it’s unclear how effective the latter will be after going down in the first round with a left ankle injury. Michigan is steered by a star freshman in Syla Swords.
1. No. 3 LSU vs. No. 6 Florida State
Monday, 6 p.m. ET – ESPN
Florida State has been one of those teams this season that is capable of beating anyone and losing to anyone. The Seminoles defeated North Carolina and Notre Dame, but also lost to Stanford. Still, when the nation’s leading scorer Ta’Niya Latson and one of the game’s best rim protectors in Makayla Timpson are playing at their best, the Seminoles are hard to beat. Even against a banged up LSU squad, where both Aneesah Morrow and Flau’Jae Johnson have dealt with recent lower-body injuries, FSU will need to be at the top of its game to pull off an upset in Baton Rouge. Watching them try could be a whole lot of fun.
