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March Madness games today: Ranking all 8 men's NCAA Tournament games Saturday
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- March Madness games today: Ranking all 8 men's NCAA Tournament games Saturday
Follow all of Saturday's NCAA Tournament second round games with USA TODAY Sports' live updates .
Just like that more than half the men's NCAA Tournament field has been eliminated. Less than seven days after Selection Sunday, there are 32 teams left fighting for a place in next week's Sweet 16.
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The eight-game schedule for Saturday features a little bit of everything as a cross-section of teams looking to keep their seasons alive on the road to the Final Four. A pair of No. 1 seeds will look to avoid a stumble before the regional round, while four double-digit seeds are hoping to pull off another upset against a favored opponent. Other potential Final Four contenders look to avoid potential dangerous obstacles.
So which games are the best matchups that will take place from the four sites hosting doubleheaders across the country? We ranked them all and broke down the matchups to give you a lookahead at the schedule.
1. No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt
Time/TV:8:45 p.m. ET, TNT
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With their first tournament win the books , the Cornhuskers can now turn their attention to making their initial Sweet 16. A slow first 10 minutes against Troy was overcome by the shooting of Pryce Sandfort . He will have to be on his game again against the Commodores, who also got behind McNeese State early before finding their footing. Vanderbilt will look to its backcourt of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles to calm things against what should be a vocal Nebraska crowd in Oklahoma City.
2. No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Louisville
Time/TV:2:45 p.m. ET, CBS
It was a classic professional effort from the Spartans and coach Tom Izzo in the first round. as they look to get back to their first Final Four since 2019. The Cardinals didn't appear to miss leading scorer Mikel Brown for most of their win against upstart South Florida before the Bulls made a furious rally. The task will be more difficult against Michigan State and require big efforts again from Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely.y
Michigan State guard Denham Wojcik (10) dribbles against North Dakota State guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas (1) during their first-round game of the 2026 NCAA men's tournament at Keybank Center.
3. No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 9 Saint Louis
Time/TV:12:10 p.m. ET, CBS
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You like points? This is your game. Both the Wolverines and Billikens exceeded the century mark in the first round and this matchup should be up-tempo throughout. Michigan has the size and star power with center Aday Mora and do-everything forward Yaxel Landeborg. But Saint Louis will counter with its unique offense that blew away Georgia and relies on multiple scoring options.
4. No. 1 Duke vs. No. 9 TCU
Time/TV:5:15 p.m., CBS
After it's scare against Siena, the Blue Devils won't be caught napping in the second round. But that doesn't mean the Horned Frogs aren't capable of taking down the ACC champions. Duke remains short-handed without guard Caleb Foster and forward Patrick Ngongba which puts more pressure on star Cameron Boozer . His twin Cayden Boozer was critical filling in for Foster in the first round. TCU won't be overawed in this matchup. It played the other three No. 1 seeds during the regular season, including a defeat of Florida.
5. No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth
Time/TV:7:50 p.m. ET, CBS
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This looks to be another entertaining game played at a high pace with both teams relying on playing from the outside. The Illini rank ninth in 3-pointers per game, while the Rams are among the best in the country in shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Inside is where Illinois has the edge with David Mirkovic and Tomislav Ivisic. But the favorite still must be wary of VCU's comeback ability after its comeback from a 19-point deficit to North Carolina in the first round.
6. No. 2 Houston vs. No. 10 Texas A&M
Time/TV:6:10 p.m. ET, TNT
The former Southwest Conference rivals clash up the road in Oklahoma. The Cougars have been the model of tournament success in recent seasons under Kelvin Sampson and have as scoring options Kingston Flemings and Emmanuel Sharp to compliment their rugged defense. The Aggies started fast in the SEC under first-year coach Bucky McMillian before a late-season swoon. They appeared to get their mojo back against Saint Mary's and will need that and more to pull another surprise.
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7. No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 Texas
Time/TV:7:10 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV
Runs from the First Four to deep into the tournament aren't uncommon, and the Longhorns have been gaining momentum after a late-season stumble before the start of NCAA play. But beating the Bulldogs will be more difficult than handling North Carolina State and Brigham Young. Gonzaga builds its success around veteran big man Graham Ike . The play of Davis Fogle could be critical after his 17 points off the bench against Kennesaw State.
8. No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 12 High Point
Time/TV:9:45 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV
Can the Panthers pull off another upset after their last-minute defeat of Wisconsin? The task will be more difficult given the Razorbacks having the advantage in athleticism and pedigree. But that doesn't always win games. High Point must find a way to slow down star freshman guard Darius Acuff, who has put up at least 24 points in each of the four postseason wins by Arkansas that includes its run the SEC tournament title. The Panthers, who have won 22 of 23 games, have plenty of fight and a big chip on their shoulder as evidenced by the emotional interview from coach Flynn Clayman after their first-round win.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness schedule today: Ranking NCAA Tournament games Saturday
