Viewers Guide to the first day of the NCAA Tournament for NBA fans interested in watching draft prospects

Are you an NBA fan who hasn't watched a lot of college hoops this season but wants to check out the draft prospects playing in the NCAA tournament today? I got you covered.

Are you an NBA fan who hasn't watched a lot of college hoops this season but wants to check out the draft prospects playing in the NCAA tournament today?

I got you covered.

Below I have listed the game time (and channel) for players projected to be first or second-round picks in the 2022 draft:

First Round — Thursday, March 17

Game: No. 6 Colorado State vs. No. 11 Michigan
Time: 12:15 p.m. EST
Channel: CBS
Players to watch: David Roddy (Colorado State), Caleb Houstan (Michigan), Moussa Diabate (Michigan), Hunter Dickinson (Michigan)

If you haven't seen Roddy play this season, make sure you check him out. He's projected as a second-round pick in many mocks, but I wouldn't be surprised to see his draft stock soar if he can carry Colorado State to the second weekend of the Tourney. Roddy is a burly 6'6" 255-pound forward but does it all for the Rams. He leads the team in scoring (19.4 PPG) rebounding, FG%, blocks, steals, and three-pointers. Oh, and he's second on the team in assists… As for Michigan, Houstan, a dynamic 6'8" freshman who does his damage on the wing, is the highest-ranked of the three Wolverines. He is currently projected by many pundits to land in the early second if he does not decide to stick around Ann Arbor for another season. Dickinson is Michigan's 7-foot center who averaged 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game this season.

Game: No. 13 South Dakota State vs. No. 4 Providence
Time: 12.40
Channel: truTV
Players to watch: Baylor Scheierman (South Dakota State)
Scheierman, a sophomore, is considered only a fringe NBA prospect at this point, but his complete game is undeniably impressive. He was named MVP of the Summit League after becoming the only Division I player to lead his conference on a per-game basis in rebounding (8.2) and assists (4.6). The lefty also poured in over 18 points a night.

Game: No. 8 Boise State vs. No. 9 Memphis
Time: 1:45 p.m.
Channel: TNT
Players to watch: Jalen Duren (Memphis), Josh Minott (Memphis)

Duren is a physical freak. He's 6'10 and 250 pounds of chiseled steel, which allows him to bully his way into the paint and out-muscle overmatched defenders. The issue is that his range doesn't extend out beyond the paint. He is shooting 62% from the free-throw stripe and hasn't made a 3-pointer (attempting only one). Although he doesn't fit the profile of a modern big man in today's NBA, he's talented/strong/tough enough to be considered a lottery lock in most mocks. If Memphis beats Boise State, we'll get to see Duren match up against Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren in Round 2, which would be must-see TV. 

Game: No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 16 Norfolk State
Time: 2 p.m. EST
Channel: TBS
Players to watch: Kendall Brown (Baylor), Jeremy Sochan (Baylor), Matthew Mayer (Baylor) 

Both Brown and Sochan have a solid shot at landing in the top-15 in June's draft. The highest I've seen Sochan projected is No. 9 overall by The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, who describes him as "capable of excelling as an athletic two-way player who can defend all five positions, and if he develops a jump shot he has limitless potential." KOC adds Sochan is an "elite defensive prospect who can defend across all positions. He's super active, a total pest for offenses. NBA switching schemes are perfect for his skill set. He has the toughness and strength to handle bigger players inside, plus the length and mobility to handle quicker players on the perimeter. He hustles hard, communicates, and displays excellent awareness all over the court. He can serve as a rim protector in pick-and-roll or defend at the point of attack. There is nothing he can't do."… Brown is a 6'8" freshman blessed with remarkable physical gifts, but his stock dipped a bit toward the end of Baylor's 2021-22 season due to inconsistent statical production. Still, based on skillset, this kid has a ridiculously high upside. 

Game: No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Longwood
Time: 2:45 p.m.
Channel: CBS
Players to watch: Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)

Chandler is one of the very few pure point guards who has a chance to land in the first round of the 2022 draft. He is undersized at just 6'0" and 170 pounds but makes up for it with plus athleticism, burst, and hops. He led the Vols in scoring and ranked fifth in the SEC in assists (4.6 APG), while also leading the league in steals (2.3 thefts per game). He's typically projected to land somewhere in the late first or early second round.

Game: No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 12 Richmond
Time: 3:10 p.m.
Channel: truTV
Players to watch: Keegan Murray (Iowa), Kris Murray (Iowa)

If you haven't watched Keegan Murray play basketball yet, you are in for a treat. The kid is super special. In my opinion, Murray is the best all-around player in the country. He's a three-level scorer who also gets after it on the defensive end. In the 14 games Iowa has played over the last six weeks, Murray is averaging a whopping 25.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.4 made three-pointers, 1.1 steals and 1.9 blocks, while shooting 55.9% from the floor and 49.3% (!!) from downtown. I think he has a chance to climb inside the top-5 overall by draft night… Kris Murray is Keegan's twin brother and is projected as a second-rounder at the moment, but will likely return to school. 

Game: No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 16 Georgia State
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Channel: TNT
Players to watch: Chet Holmgren, Drew Timme, Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)

Holmgren is an incredibly unique player and prospect. Not only is he shooting 61% from the floor and over 41% from downtown this season, but he also leads the West Coast Conference in rebounds (9.6 per game) and blocks (3.6). Over the final eight games of the regular season, Chet averaged more than four swats a night. He has a chance to become the first NCAA Division 1 player ever to average more than three blocks and one trey while also shooting over 40% from behind the arc over an entire campaign. Holmgren will look to prove he's strong enough to carry the Zags to a title over the next few weeks and will definitely be in the conversation for the top overall pick in June's draft... Nembhard and the mustachioed Timme are second-round prospects. 

Game: No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Marquette
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Channel: TBS
Players to watch: Justin Lewis (Marquette), Armando Bacot (North Carolina), Caleb Love (North Carolina) 

Lewis, a redshirt freshman, has surprisingly moved up draft boards this season. "Lewis is a guy that really intrigues me," Field of 68 Media Network founder Rob Dauster told the AP last month. "He's a strong, physical, 6-foot-7 wing that has a 7-foot-2 wingspan and has really flourished playing in Shaka Smart's open style this season. He's got all the hallmarks of being a guy that can follow in the mold of Marquette legends like Jae Crowder or Wesley Matthews."... Bacot was a strong contender for the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year award after averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds during the regular season. However, his game doesn't translate well to the next level. Both he and Love will likely return to UNC for another year of seasoning. 

Game: No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 15 Saint Peter's
Time: 7:10 p.m.
Channel: CBS
Players to watch: TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky), Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), Daimion Collins (Kentucky)

I'd consider Washington a player with a lot to prove in the Tourney. He played well early this year, but a pair of leg injuries limited his effectiveness as the season dragged on. His overall numbers aren't spectacular (12/4/3), and he's old for a freshman (he'll celebrate his 21st birthday in November). Still, he's played well in big games and will look to impress in what the Wildcats hope is a long run this month… Here's what The Athletic's Sam Vecenie has to say about Tshiebwe: "At the end of the day, in the second round, you're just looking for players who can stick. And it's exceptionally easy to imagine Tshiebwe sticking. He's the best rebounder college basketball has seen in at least a decade, and he plays exceptionally hard all the time. You know what you're getting every time he's out there, and he's going to make opposing players absolutely miserable on a random Wednesday night in February when he chases every single loose ball and rebound. I don't think I've seen someone who plays this hard all the time with this type of relentless motor and energy."

Game: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Texas Southern
Time: 9:47 p.m.
Channel: truTV
Players to watch: Ochai Agbaji (Kansas), Christian Braun (Kansas)

Agbaji is the rare senior that has a chance to land in the lottery. He'll be 22 on draft day, but he'll be ready to contribute right away in the league as a 3-and-D wing. Agbaji stuffed the stat sheet all year long for the Jayhawks, averaging a league-high 19.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting nearly 48% from the field and over 41% from deep, en route to being named the unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year… Braun could bolster his case as a late first-rounder with a strong showing in March. 

Game: No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Akron
Time: 9:50 p.m.
Channel: TBS
Players to watch: Jaime Jaquez, Peyton Watson, Johnny Juzang (UCLA)

Thursday's nightcap features a trio of Bruins looking to claw their way into the league. Juzang is a 6'7" sharpshooter who proved he can handle the bright lights of the Tonrmnetnt last year. Jaquez, a junior who also played well last March, averaged 23.4 points and 8.2 rebounds over UCLA's last five games heading into the Big Dance.