Last year, at the previous iteration of Bloguin’s college basketball site, Run The Floor, I wrote a viewer’s guide for Championship Week. A few readers complained that I talked too much about the games and didn’t provide straightforward TV listings.
Okay, then: Here are the simple TV listings for the various conference tournaments, put together by the always-great Chris Dobbertean of SB Nation’s Blogging The Bracket.
Now, let’s make sense of those listings to give you a good roadmap for the coming days of Madness. The NCAA tournament is the heart of the matter in college hoops, but the power conference tournaments provide a higher volume of basketball and represent one of the more underrated sequences of the sports year. How should you handle various remote-control-switching situations? In order to get your fingers ready, you need to get your mind right first.
That’s what we’re here for at The Student Section. We’ll start with Wednesday and lead you through the rest of the week, up to the Selection Show on Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern.
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WEDNESDAY
The Big Ten is now a five-day tournament, which means it will play two preliminary-round games on Wednesday of Championship Week for the first time. We’re just letting you know you have hoops to watch on ESPN2 and Big Ten Network. The games aren’t compelling, but if you have a little downtime and need your life to be occupied by something, you could do worse than choose tournament basketball as your filler of the moment.
Wednesday’s lineup doesn’t have a lot of great power-conference games. In the evening, you should focus on the Patriot League tournament championship game at 7:30 Eastern on CBS Sports Network, as American visits Lafayette.
However, Wednesday is noteworthy from a power-conference perspective because the ACC tournament is now a Tuesday-through-Saturday event instead of a Wednesday-through-Sunday showcase. On Wednesday, therefore, you’ll get four second-round games. One of them, a game involving bubble team Miami, lands on ESPN2 at approximately 9:30 Eastern. In the 9:30 window on Wednesday night, you’ll have that Miami contest and — on ESPNU — a Big 12 bubble game involving Texas against Texas Tech.
In the late-night (11:30 Eastern) window on Wednesday, you can move over to Pac-12 Network for BILL WALTON (I think his name should always appear in all-CAPS — people love him that much). You can also watch Stanford, a team in desperate need of at least three wins in this tournament, go against Washington.
That’s Wednesday. It’s on Thursday (and Friday) of Championship Week when things get serious, and your remote truly needs to be ready to roll in the heat of competition.
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THURSDAY
Thursday of Championship Week truly begins the long stretch of weekday daytime basketball which makes this time of year so fun (especially if you can get out of work or, better still, work from home). On Thursday of Championship Week, you get major-tournament quarterfinals in the noon hour.
OHHHHH, YEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH.
This is, of course, the reason your remote control needs to be ready to rock… and where this planner comes in handy. We’re going to put our recommended picks in BOLD just to help you out an extra bit.
In the early (noon-3 p.m. Eastern) window on Thursday, the ACC quarterfinal involves top-seeded Virginia. You are not likely to need to watch 1-versus-8-or-9 quarterfinals as much as 4-versus-5 quarterfinals. Therefore, you’ll want to go to ESPN2 for a Baylor-West Virginia Big 12 quarterfinal at 12:30. That game should sizzle.
Also in the noon window on Thursday, Villanova plays its Big East quarterfinal. Michigan plays Illinois (BTN) in a Big Ten second-round game. That game should be close, and it has bubble value for Illinois. The Illini have to make the final to gain a realistic shot at the Dance. At 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network, Alabama plays Florida in an SEC second-rounder. We mention that game to simply remind you that the SEC Network now gives you a lot of extra SEC tournament games compared to past years.
In the mid-afternoon window — 2:30 to 5:30 — the seed matchups get flipped at the tournaments with quarterfinals. The Big 12 led off with a 4-5 quarterfinal, so in the second window, you’ll get top-seeded Kansas versus the 8-9 winner on ESPN2. In the ACC, though, you’ll get the 4-5 quarterfinal between Louisville and North Carolina, assuming the Tar Heels defeat the 12-13 winner on Wednesday. That’s appointment viewing for a Thursday afternoon on ESPN, our recommended choice.
Also in that mid-afternoon window on Thursday, top-seeded Arizona starts the Pac-12 quarters at 3 Eastern on Pac-12 Network. You probably won’t need to watch much of that game. The second-best game in that window is St. John’s-Providence, the 5-versus-4 Big East quarterfinal on Fox Sports 1. The Johnnies and Friars start 25 minutes after the end of the Villanova quarterfinal.
The night session on Thursday — 6:30 p.m. Eastern — could feature a hugely important bubble game if Texas makes it through to the Big 12 quarters. A Texas-Iowa State quarterfinal, if it happens, would air at 7 on ESPNU. That would be our recommendation for this window. Another quality choice would be N.C. State (assuming it beats Pittsburgh the day before) facing Duke in an ACC quarterfinal on ESPN. There’s another bubble game in this window, too: On ESPN2 at 6:30, Indiana — squarely on the bubble — meets Northwestern in a game the Hoosiers have to win. That’s a Big Ten second-round clash.
In the 9 p.m.-to-midnight window on Thursday, the recommended choice is a possible bubble game between Miami (assuming it moves through the previous round) and Notre Dame. Miami would need to win this game to make the NCAA tournament. In this window, you can also watch Oklahoma State-Oklahoma (Big 12 quarters, ESPNU) and Xavier-Butler (Big East quarters, Fox Sports 1) at 9:30. In the Mountain West quarters, you could find a possible matchup between San Diego State and host team UNLV. The Runnin’ Rebels have to get through a first-rounder the previous day in order to make that game a reality. CBS Sports Network would have the broadcast at 9 Eastern.
Then, in the late-night window at roughly 11:30 on ESPN, you can get BILL WALTON for a Pac-12 quarterfinal between Utah and (most likely) Stanford. Attractive matchup, fun broadcast analyst.
One larger note: ESPN’s Buzzer Beater channel should be in operation for this day as well as Friday of Championship Week.
Speaking of Friday…
FRIDAY
This might be my favorite non-NCAA tournament day of the college basketball season. A mixture of quarterfinals and semifinals makes this day so rich in terms of its offering of high-quality conference matchups. The night windows, having so many semifinals in power-conference tournaments, really pop on Friday of Championship Week.
In the noon-3 Eastern window, the first Big Ten quarter is the Wisconsin quarter. That game shouldn’t be close, although Illinois — if it gets past Michigan — would be trying to play its way into the field. If the Illini can somehow surprise us all, you’ll want to keep an eye on that game, which is carried by ESPN.
Our recommended choice for this window is a possible SEC quarterfinal between Kentucky and Florida, provided the Gators can get past Alabama the previous day. Kentucky-Florida was the best game at the 2014 SEC Tournament. If the Gators can play UK again, you should see some very entertaining basketball. That’s at 1 p.m. on SEC Network.
Also in the noon-3 window, The American quarterfinals begin with top-seeded SMU on ESPN2. The Atlantic 10 quarterfinals begin with top-seeded Davidson in action on NBC Sports Network.
In the 2:30-5:30 window, our choice is a Big Ten quarterfinal between fourth-seeded Purdue and, in all likelihood, Iowa. That game’s on ESPN. Purdue should be okay in terms of making the NCAA tournament, but the Boilermakers are just as clearly not a lock. Beat Iowa? Then the Boilers would be good to go, no questions asked.
Also in the 2:30-5:30 window on Friday, there’s a bubble-flavored SEC quarterfinal (probably around 3:30 on SEC Network) between LSU and Texas A&M, provided that the Aggies get through the previous round. You’ll also find a possible A-10 quarterfinal between Richmond and VCU (NBC SN), should prior rounds uphold seedings. In The American, a quarterfinal between Memphis and Temple (ESPN2) could be moderately interesting.
Then come the night windows on Friday. Fasten your seat belts.
Every power-conference tournament will swing into action in these two windows (6:30-9:30, 9-midnight). Keep in mind that matchups are subject to change if upsets bust a tournament bracket. We’ll give you the very likely seeds and list “either-or” scenarios for the closer seeds.
Our recommended choice in the first night window is Kansas versus West Virginia or Baylor in the Big 12 semis (ESPN or ESPN2 — TBA) at 7 Eastern. Our second choice is a Big East semifinal — that’s Bill Raftery with Gus Johnson — between Villanova and St. John’s or Providence on FS1 at 7.
In the first window, other selections include Virginia versus Louisville or North Carolina on ESPN or ESPN2 at 7; Maryland versus Indiana or Northwestern on BTN at 6:30; Dayton versus St. Joe’s or St. Bonaventure on NBC SN at 6:30; Vanderbilt or Tennessee versus Arkanas on SEC Network at 7; and Houston or Tulane versus bubble-hugging Tulsa on ESPNU at 7.
In the second night window — 9 to midnight — our pick is a possible ACC semifinal between Duke and Notre Dame, on ESPN or ESPN2 near 9:30. Duke and Notre Dame played one of the most thrilling games of the season in South Bend in late January. These teams play very aesthetically pleasing basketball, and if they live up to the hype, they will leave a big imprint on this year’s ACC tournament.
Our second choice in this window is a possible Big Ten quarterfinal between Michigan State and Ohio State. That’s on BTN around 9.
Other selections in this window include a possible Butler-Georgetown Big East semi (FS1, approximately 9:30); a possible Iowa State-Oklahoma Big 12 semi (ESPN2 or ESPN, around 9:30); a possible UCLA-Arizona Pac-12 semi (P-12 Net at 9); a possible Connecticut-Cincinnati quarterfinal in The American on ESPNU at 9:30; a possible Wyoming-Boise State Mountain West semi on CBS Sports Network at 9; and a possible Georgia-Ole Miss bubble game in the SEC quarters on SEC Network at 9:30.
Then, at around 11:30, it’s BILL WALTON on ESPN for a possible Pac-12 semi between Oregon and Utah. You can also find a possible San Diego State-Colorado State Mountain West semi on CBS Sports Net at the same time.
SATURDAY
The Saturday slate begins to thin out after the massive volume of action on Friday night. You will not face as many competing choices. The ones that exist are the ones that emerge earlier in the day, when some tournaments stage their semifinals.
In the first main window on Saturday — let’s call it 1 to 4 Eastern — two choices stand out above the others: You can go to ESPN for Dick Vitale (and Brad Nessler) in a possible SEC semifinal between Kentucky and LSU at 1, or you can go to Bill Raftery (with Jim Nantz and Grant Hill) for a possible Big Ten semi between Wisconsin and Purdue on CBS at 1:30.
Also at 1:30, you can find a possible A-10 semi on CBS Sports Network involving Davidson and Richmond.
In the second main window on Saturday — 3 to 6 — you can find an American semifinal on ESPN2 at 3 Eastern, probably Temple-SMU. You can also find the Conference USA championship game at 3:30 on FS1. If that game is Old Dominion-Louisiana Tech, do set aside some time for that one. ODU is a bubble team.
In this window, you can also watch an SEC semi (ESPN) at 3:30 between Arkansas and Georgia. However, our choice is the Big Ten’s second semifinal, probably a few minutes after 4 Eastern, with the Nantz-Raftery-Hill team on CBS. The possible opponents: Maryland and Michigan State.
Saturday evening, you’ll face some interesting choices: a possible bubble game in The American’s second semifinal between Tulsa and either Cincinnati or Connecticut (5:30, ESPN2); the Mountain West title game on CBS (around 6:15, with the Big Ten semifinal probably spilling over a bit); the SWAC title game at 6:30 on ESPNU; or the Big 12 title game on ESPN at 6. Our choice is the Big 12.
In the night window, you’ll have the Big East title game at 8 on FS1; the ACC title game at 8:30 on ESPN; the Big Sky title game at 9 on ESPNU; and the Southland title game (probably Stephen F. Austin-Sam Houston State) at 8:30 on ESPN2. Our choice is the ACC, though the Southland bears watching during commercials.
Later that night, you’ll find the WAC title game at 10 Eastern on ESPNU, and the Big West title game at 11:30 on ESPN2, but our pick is the Pac-12 title game with BILL WALTON at 11 on ESPN.
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SUNDAY
At this point, there are just a few conference tournament title games, and then it’s on to the heart of Selection Sunday for the revealing of the brackets at 6 on CBS.
At 1 p.m. on Sunday, the SEC title game (ESPN) goes up against the A-10 title game (CBS) and the Sun Belt final (ESPN2).
Our pick: the SEC.
At 3:15, The American final begins on ESPN. At 3:30, CBS has the Big Ten championship game.
Our pick: the Big Ten.
Have any TV questions or comments? Feel free to tweet to (or at, it doesn’t matter) @TheStudentSect during the week.
