Top 10 First Round games to watch out for in 2024 March Madness ft. Kansas vs. Samford

It's March Madness time. The most wonderful time of year has arrived. A four-day run of wire-to-wire college basketball is ongoing. But of course, all NCAA Tournament matchups aren't created equal.

The next four days will include plenty of blowouts. But there'll also be the epic games that go down to the wire and give us unforgettable March Madness endings.

Top 10 First Round games to watch out for in 2024 March Madness

James Madison and Coach Mark Byington are looking for a March Madness upset of No. 5 seed Wisconsin.

#10. No. 13 seed Charleston vs. No. 4 seed Alabama

The No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide are one of the wildest teams in this tournament. Alabama leads the nation in scoring (90.8 ppg) but is also 7th worst in scoring defense (81.1 ppg). The Tide have lost four of their last six games. Charleston scores 80.5 ppg, is 20th nationally in rebounding, and has won its last 12 games.

#9. No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 South Carolina

South Carolina has quietly ground out victories all season, but the Gamecocks are 227th in the nation in scoring. After an underwhelming season, Oregon blew through the Pac-12 Tournament. Former Gamecock Jermaine Cousinard and big man N'Faly Dante will lead an Oregon movement to upset the No. 6 seed.

#8. No. 10 Nevada vs No. 7 Dayton

With Arizona's massive struggles late in the season, this No. 7 vs. No. 10 battle to ostensibly face the Wildcats gets even bigger. Nevada is a solid all-around team that constantly gets to the foul line (9th nationally in free throw makes and attempts per game). Dayton is led by All-American DaRon Holmes but has lost three of its last six games.

#7. No. 10 Colorado State vs. No. 7 Texas

One of the all-time rules of March Madness is don't anticipate matchups. So, a possible matchup between Rick Barnes and Tennessee and his old school, Texas, should be viewed with skepticism. It'll be big if it happens, but don't take it for granted. Colorado State dominated Virginia and has won five of its last six games. The Rams are dangerous to the possible UT/TU matchup.

#6. No. 12 Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 Saint Mary's

Saint Mary's could be a bit overrated as a No. 5 seed, as their triumph is largely based on dominating a mediocre WCC. Meanwhile Grand Canyon scores 79.8 ppg and holds opponents to just 40.5% shooting (17th best in the nation). The x-factor in this game is Grand Canyon guard Tyon Grant-Foster (19.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg), who might be the best college basketball player the nation doesn't yet know.

#5. No. 11 NC State vs. No. 6 Texas Tech

Much like Oregon, NC State stumbled through a mediocre regular season and then awakened in March. The Wolfpack is coming off an ACC title win and DJ Horne (16.9 ppg) and DJ Burns Jr. (12.4 ppg) have played excellent basketball lately. The role of momentum in March Madness is hard to overlook.

Tech meanwhile went 5-4 in their last nine games of the regular season. Scoring guard Pop Isaacs (15.9 ppg) could shoot Tech into the Sweet 16 or go 2-for-13 as he did against Houston. Particularly with a relatively vulnerable Kentucky team awaiting the winner, the victory in this game could be the prelude to a much deeper March Madness run.

#4. No. 11 New Mexico vs. No. 6 Clemson

This one is the upset that isn't an upset. Clemson has lost three of its last four games against a deeply mediocre ACC. Meanwhile, New Mexico won against the vastly underrated Mountain West Conference. Richard Pitino's veteran team, which has four 12.5 ppg scorers, looks like it was made for a March Madness run.

In fact, this upset is so obvious that gambling lines currently have the No. 11 seed Lobos as a 2.5-point favorite in this game. That type of March Madness action can create its own dilemma. When is the smart money too smart for its own good?

#3. No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Wisconsin

Wisconsin somehow got a No. 5 seed despite being 5-9 in its last 14 games. The Badgers also allow opponents to shoot 37.1% from 3-point range, one of the 20 worst marks in the nation. Wisconsin is also 3-6 in games which were decided by six or fewer points. Again, it's hard to figure out how a team that is this cold and bad in close games got such a high seed.

James Madison, meanwhile, is 10th nationally in scoring (84.4 ppg). The Dukes also hold opponents to 28.8% from 3-point territory, the fifth-best mark in the nation. The Dukes have won 13 games in a row and guard Terrence Edwards Jr. (17.4 ppg) is a high-level talent. James Madison has an excellent chance at this one.

#2. No. 12 McNeese vs. No. 5 Gonzaga

Gonzaga has an impressive resume, but their competition is more akin to the mid-majors than the power conference teams that would usually get a No. 5 seed. Gonzaga is just 3-3 in games, which were decided by six or fewer points. The Zags have played just three games against ranked teams since December 16th. It's not the sort of competition that prepares a team for March Madness time.

McNeese, meanwhile, is a team that bases its identity on its defense. The Cowboys hold opponents to 61.5 ppg (5th best in the nation) and 38.5% shooting (3rd best nationally). McNeese has won 11 games in a row and coach Will Wade isn't new to high-level college basketball. In a close game, McNeese might pull off the surprise.

#1. No. 13 Samford vs. No. 4 Kansas

There are a million reasons this No. 4 seed vs. No. 13 seed game is circled. First, the loss of Kevin McCullar Jr. matters, particularly for a Kansas team that only plays seven players. Second, the Jayhawks' late-season slide is concerning, with four losses in their last five games. Sounds like a March Madness upset victim in the making.

Third, Samford is really, really good. The Bulldogs scored 86.0 ppg (5th nationally) and hit 39.3% of their 3-point tries (6th nationally). The Bulldogs also have a deep bench, playing a dozen players and forcing 16.6 turnovers per game (6th most in the nation). Kansas is still a 7.5-point favorite, but they probably shouldn't be.