Three SEC teams in action Friday in NCAA Tournament

The First Round of the NCAA Tournament tips off Friday afternoon, and three SEC teams will be in action!

Let’s take a closer look at who each of the SEC squads will be up against, and how you can see the games.

#7 Florida vs. #10 Virginia Tech

Time: 12:15 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Streaming: March Madness Live

The Gators open the SEC’s presence in this year’s NCAA Tournament as they take on the Virginia Tech Hokies at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Tre Mann (16.0 PPG for Florida this season) will look to continue his stretch of strong play. Mann has recorded 20+ points in each of the last four games he’s played, and a career-high 30 in his last game, Florida’s SEC Tournament quarterfinal loss to Tennessee. These teams should be fairly evenly matched. Florida went 14-9 this season while Virginia Tech went 15-6. Florida will have to focus on Keve Aluma. Virginia Tech’s forward led the team with 15.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game this season.

#3 Arkansas vs. #14 Colgate

Time: 12:45 p.m. ET

TV: TruTV

Streaming: March Madness Live

Arkansas has their highest seed since making the title game against UCLA in 1995 as a 2-seed, and as such, expectations are high for Eric Musselman’s Razorbacks.

The Razorbacks have multiple players who are high-level scorers, and multiple players who can rebound, which is what makes them so tough to matchup against. Moses Moody leads the way with 17.4 points per game, one of four Razorbacks averaging 10+ points per game, and Justin Smith hauled in 6.9 rebounds per game, one of five Razorbacks to record four or more rebounds per game.

Colgate has a very good offense, but defensively, they will likely struggle to slow down Arkansas. Colgate boasts a 40% three point shooting percentage, which is the second-best among NCAA Tournament teams. If they can get hot from deep, they can give Arkansas a scare.

#5 Tennessee vs. #12 Oregon State

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Streaming: March Madness Live

The SEC’s final appearance Friday sees the Tennessee Volunteers looking to avoid the classic 5/12 upset. Oregon State is only in the NCAA Tournament due to running the table in the Pac-12 Tournament. This may make it seem like momentum is on their side, but Tennessee is most likely the best team the Beavers have played in that stretch, certainly from a defensive standpoint. If the Vols are able to play their typical smothering defense (Tennessee’s 87.9 Adjusted Defensive Efficiency is third-best among Tournament teams), they’ll avoid the upset.

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