Your NCAA Tournament TV Guide: Who To Watch And When For Women And Men

OK, first things first.

Caitlin Clark and No. 1 seed Iowa (29-4) play at 3 p.m. Saturday on ABC in Iowa City in the next installment of Must-See TV. The Hawkeyes will meet the winner of Holy Cross and Tennessee-Martin, which play Thursday (9 p.m., ESPN2).

Iowa could be part of an excellent triple-header as the NCAA Men's Tournament second round opens at 12:10 p.m. Saturday and goes through the night on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. Potential early or late match-ups to be announced could be between No. 4 seed Kansas (22-10) and either No. 5 seed Gonzaga (25-7) or upset special pick 12 seed McNeese State (30-3), then possibly No. 2 seed Tennessee (24-8) vs. No. 7 seed Texas (20-12).

A wondrous six nights of March Madness began Tuesday on the men's side with Wagner beating Howard, 71-68, and Colorado State embarrassing Virginia, 67-42. Wagner now plays No. 1 seed North Carolina (27-7) on Thursday (2:45 p.m., CBS) in Charlotte. And Colorado State plays Texas on Thursday (6:50 p.m., TNT).

The men's First Four continues Wednesday. Not dazzling, but consider it an appetizer, and it's better than the NIT. Grambling plays Montana State (6:40 p.m., truTV), and Colorado meets Boise State (9:10 p.m., tru TV). The first winner advances to play No. 1 seed Purdue (29-4) on Friday (7:25 p.m., TBS) in Indianapolis, and the second survivor meets No. 7 seed Florida (24-11) on Friday (4:30 p.m., TBS).

The other leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball behind Iowa's Caitlin Clark is Purdue 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey with 24.4 points a game and 11.7 rebounds.(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Purdue has the men's answer to Clark. That would be 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, who leads the men's game in scoring with 24.4 points a game - seven below Clark's 31.9 average. Edey also is third in rebounding with 11.7 a game. Clark is also first in the nation in assists with 8.9 a game and first in 3-pointers a game with 5.24.

Christmas In March - First Thursday Of NCAA Tournament

If you're like me, the first Thursday of the men's NCAA Tournament is like Christmas morning. And it doesn't matter who plays in the first game, because the Dance has officially begun. Consider it like your Christmas stocking. No. 6 seed BYU (23-10) and No. 11 seed Duquesne (24-11) tear it open at 12:40 p.m. on truTV in college baseball heaven - Omaha, Nebraska.

Then the presents just keep coming one after another throughout the day and night.

Next will be March Madness sentimental favorite Dan Monson, the fired coach of Long Beach State who keeps seizing the day to stay employed for another night. He has a job until he loses his next game. He and his No. 15 seed Beach (21-14) will play No. 2 seed Arizona (25-8) at 2 p.m. on TBS.

No. 3 seed Kentucky (23-9) follows in the prime time CBS game at 7:10 p.m. against No. 14 seed Oakland (23-11) and opens a splendid double-header.

Could it be 1983 all over again at North Carolina State? Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts celebrates winning the ACC Tournament title over North Carolina Saturday. (Getty Images). 

Shortly after Kentucky tips, the McNeese Bayou Bandits - kind of a crooked Cinderella under NCAA outlaw Will Wade - start with Gonzaga (7:25 p.m., TBS). 

The 2024 reboot of the 1983 "Survive And Advance" classic of coach Jim Valvano continues at 9:40 p.m. on the CBS nightcap with No. 11 seed North Carolina State (22-14) playing No. 6 seed Texas Tech (23-10). North Carolina State coach Kevin Keatts poured ice on his hot seat with five back-to-back wins from last Tuesday through Saturday to win the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and advance to The Dance and get a contract extension. 

As if all that was not enough, remember the Saint Peter's Peacocks? They upset No. 2 seed Kentucky two years ago as a 15 seed. And they're back to play another No. 2 seed in Tennessee (24-8) as a 15 seed again at 19-13 on the season. Tip-off is at 9:20 p.m. on TNT.   

Fists Up: South Carolina, LSU Women Back-To-Back Saturday

The No. 1 South Carolina women's team (32-0) plays Friday (2 p.m., ESPN) at home against the winner of Presbyterian and Sacred Heart in a religious school crusade for slaughter that tips Wednesday (7 p.m., ESPNU). South Carolina will likely not miss 6-foot-7 star center Kamilla Cardoso, who is suspended for the game because of an ejection for fighting against LSU in the SEC Tournament title game on March 10. 

Defending national champ LSU coach Kim Mulkey will guide her Tigers vs. Rice on Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center at 4 p.m. on ESPN. (Getty Images)

And right after you watch South Carolina, don't touch that dial as No. 3 seed and defending national champion LSU (28-5) will tip off with No. 14 seed Rice (19-14) at 4 p.m., also on ESPN. Or you can switch over to the men and watch No. 4 seed and SEC Tournament champ Auburn (27-7) against No. 13 seed Yale (22-9) at 4:15 p.m. on TNT.

At halftime of the South Carolina game Friday afternoon, try switching over to ESPNU for another No. 1 women's seed as Texas (30-4) will be playing No. 16 seed Drexel (19-14) starting at 3 p.m.

There is quite a possible treat waiting for late Friday night from Spokane, Washington, as No. 12 seed Grand Canyon (29-4) will play No. 5 seed Saint Mary's (26-7) at 10:05 p.m. on truTV on the men's side.

In between men's games on Saturday, you will have a chance to catch another superstar guard in the women's game in No. 1 seed USC's JuJu Watkins. She is likely the heir apparent to the WNBA-bound Clark. 

Watkins is second in the nation in scoring to Clark with 27 points a game. She will lead USC (26-5) against No. 16 seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (4:30 p.m., ESPN).

Better put fresh batteries in those clickers. This is just the first week.