The round of 32 gets started for the men’s N.C.A.A. basketball tournament, while the women kick off their second day of first-round action. Follow along with the bracket and live scores, and check out our picks for the Saturday games we don’t want to miss (all times Eastern):
Men’s Tournament
No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 13 Furman
12:10 p.m., CBS
Furman on Thursday earned its first N.C.A.A. tournament win since 1974 with a 68-67 upset of fourth-seeded Virginia. The Paladins took the win with a steal on a bad pass that gave JP Pegues a chance to hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left. San Diego State on Thursday survived an upset bid by No. 12 Charleston, 63-57. Matt Bradley led the Aztecs with 17 points.
No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 5 Duke
2:40 p.m., CBS
Tennessee committed 18 turnovers in its Thursday game, but the Volunteers still eked out a narrow win over the No. 13-seeded Louisiana. Duke easily dispatched Oral Roberts, 74-51, avoiding the dreaded curse of the No. 5 seeds. For Tennessee to advance to the round of 16, it will need more offense from guard Santiago Vescovi, who averaged 12.6 points per game during the season but scored just 3 against Louisiana.
No. 7 Missouri vs. No. 15 Princeton
6:10 p.m., TNT
Princeton on Thursday became the 11th No. 15 seed to knock off a No. 2-seeded team, and the first since all the way back in … 2022, when St. Peter’s stunned Kentucky. The Tigers shot just 4 for 25 from 3-point range and attempted only five free throws, but they scored the final 9 points of the game to secure the upset of Arizona. In the round of 32, they’ll face the Tigers of Missouri, who easily dispatched No. 10 Utah State. Missouri displayed a stifling defense and won the turnover margin.
No. 2 U.C.L.A. vs. No. 7 Northwestern
8:40 p.m., TNT
Northwestern on Thursday won the second tournament game in program history, 75-67, against Boise State. Boo Buie tallied 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the Wildcats. U.C.L.A. beat U.N.C.-Asheville, 86-53, in the first round. The Bruins had injury concerns going into the game: Guard Jaylen Clark is out for the tournament with an Achilles’ tendon injury and the big man Adem Bona is still nursing a shoulder injury. Bona was available for the game but didn’t play.
No. 5 Washington State vs. No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast
2:30 p.m., ESPNU
After winning the title in the Pac-12 Conference tournament, Washington State snagged a No. 5 seed — the highest seed in program history. The Cougars have played in only three N.C.A.A. tournaments previously, though this is their third straight appearance under Coach Kamie Ethridge. Junior guard Charlisse Leger-Walker paces Washington State with 18.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Florida Gulf Coast is coming off a 14-game winning streak, including a title run in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. The Eagles are led by the 5-foot-3 guard Tishara Morehouse, who averages 15.9 points per game.
No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 10 Alabama
5:30 p.m., ESPN2
Baylor had a streaky end to its season: Starting on Jan. 28, the Bears won three, lost four, won another three and then lost two. But Baylor is playing in its 19th consecutive N.C.A.A. tournament, having won it all in 2005, 2012 and 2019. Alabama went 19-10 on the season and finished fifth in the SEC, though the Crimson Tide lost their final four games. This game could come down to the performances of the two first-team all-conference guards on the floor: Baylor’s Sarah Andrews and Alabama’s Brittany Davis.
No. 6 Colorado vs. No. 11 Middle Tennessee
7 p.m., ESPN News
Colorado (23-8) finished third in the Pac-12 and is headed to its second straight N.C.A.A. tournament after missing out since 2013. Middle Tennessee ended the season on a 10-game winning streak, including the three games of the Conference USA tournament. M.T.S.U. was ranked No. 25 in the final Associated Press poll but received only a No. 11 seed in the tournament, so they were a popular pick to pull an upset: 32 percent of public brackets on ESPN chose the Lady Raiders, and The Athletic gave them a 45.4 percent chance to win the matchup.
No. 4 Texas vs. No. 13 East Carolina
10 p.m., ESPN
Texas started the season ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press poll, but the Longhorns lost three of their first five games while their star point guard, Rori Harmon, was out with a foot injury. Texas rebounded to tie with Oklahoma for the Big 12 regular-season title. East Carolina is playing in just its third N.C.A.A. tournament, the most recent in 2007, when it was also seeded at No. 13. The Pirates earned their spot by winning the American Athletic Conference tournament.
