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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Bryan Kalbrosky

8 must-watch NCAA tournament matchups (NC State vs. Creighton!) ahead of the NBA draft

If you want to watch future NBA players in the NCAA tournament, you have to know where to look.

While it is hard to predict what will happen during March Madness, the one thing we do know is that there are countless college basketball players who will make the case for why they deserve to eventually hear their name called in the NBA draft.

We don’t know how the brackets are going to shape up, but we know the matchups for the opening round. With that in mind, here are the games you have to watch if you want to see as many future pros as possible.

THE BRACKETS ARE BACK! The USA TODAY Sports Bracket Challenge is back! $1 MILLION grand prize for a perfect bracket, $25,000 prize for top bracket. Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now!

1
#8 Arkansas vs. #9 Illinois (West)

Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

HOW TO WATCH

Thursday, March 16, 4:30 p.m. ET, TBS

PROSPECTS TO KNOW

Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas)

Anthony Black (Arkansas)

Ricky Council IV (Arkansas)

Jordan Walsh (Arkansas)

Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois)

Coleman Hawkins (Illinois)

Matthew Mayer (Illinois)

2
#6 Creighton vs. #11 NC State (South)

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

HOW TO WATCH

Friday, March 17, 4 p.m. ET, TNT

PROSPECTS TO KNOW

Terquavion Smith (NC State)

Arthur Kaluma (Creighton)

Baylor Scheierman (Creighton)

Trey Alexander (Creighton)

Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

3
#6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence (East)

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

HOW TO WATCH

Friday, March 17, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS

PROSPECTS TO KNOW

Cason Wallace (Kentucky)

Chris Livingston (Kentucky)

Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky)

Bryce Hopkins (Providence)

4
#8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn (Midwest)

(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

HOW TO WATCH

Thursday, March 16, 6:50 p.m. ET, TNT

PROSPECTS TO KNOW

Kris Murray (Iowa)

Yohan Traore (Auburn)

Johni Broome (Auburn)

Allen Flanigan (Auburn)

5
#5 Miami vs. #12 Drake (Midwest)

© Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

HOW TO WATCH

Friday, March 17, 7:25 p.m. ET, TBS

PROSPECTS TO KNOW

Tucker DeVries (Drake)

Isaiah Wong (Miami)

Jordan Miller (Miami)

Nijel Pack (Miami)

Wooga Poplar (Miami)

CAN YOU SURVIVE? USA TODAY Sports’ Men and Women’s Basketball Tournament Survivor Pools are here with a $5,000 prize for each contest! Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now!

6
#5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts (East)

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

HOW TO WATCH

Thursday, March 16, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS

PROSPECTS TO KNOW

Dariq Whitehead (Duke)

Kyle Filipowski (Duke)

Dereck Lively II (Duke)

Tyrese Proctor (Duke)

Mark Mitchell (Duke)

Max Abmas (Oral Roberts)

7
#4 Virginia vs. #13 Furman (South)

(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

HOW TO WATCH

Thursday, March 16, 12:40 p.m. ET, truTV

PROSPECTS TO KNOW

Reece Beekman (Virginia)

Jalen Slawson (Furman)

8
#7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State (Midwest)

© Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

HOW TO WATCH

Thursday, March 16, 9:55 p.m. ET, TBS

PROSPECTS TO KNOW

Jalen Pickett (Penn State)

Seth Lundy (Penn State)

Solomon Washington (Texas A&M)

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