It’s not a holiday, but it is.

Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament hits differently than any day of the year. I say that as someone who loves college football more than any sport on this planet, but March Madness is a beast unlike any other.

Today, we’ll all watch more basketball than any doctor would recommend. At least we should.

Here are my 7 questions for Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament:

1. Which “underdog” looks scariest and why is it Mississippi State?

I’m a Bulldogs believer. I feel like outside of Starkville, I’m alone in that. Mississippi State is being dismissed as a scary team for a few reasons. One of those is because Chris Jans’ squad was a bubble team entering the SEC Tournament, and it fell just short of reaching the conference title game. But another reason is because of Tom Izzo, who has won more games in March than most of us can count. It’s easy to slot Michigan State as the winner of a coin-flip matchup (DraftKings has the Spartans as a 1-point favorite).

But there’s a scenario in which the Bulldogs win by 20 and look every bit like a team that can go toe-to-toe with UNC. Go ask Tennessee, which lost to Jans’ squad twice after having their worst first halves of the season at the hands of the Bulldogs. Don’t sleep on that first team in action Thursday.

2. Dan Monson can’t possibly continue this … right?

If you don’t know the story, here it is. The Long Beach State coach found out on Monday ahead of conference championship week that he was getting fired, but he could stay on to coach the Big West Tournament … which he won. So now, a coach who is no longer employed by the school, is leading Long Beach State in its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years. Could history repeat itself with Arizona losing to a 15-seed in the first round for the second consecutive year? That’s the only way this story gets any crazier.

Speaking of those potential upsets …

3. Is there a 1, 2 or 3 seed that’s ripe for an upset?

Here are your options for a 1-3 seed going down on Thursday:

  • No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 14 Akron
  • No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Long Beach State
  • No. 1 UNC vs. No. 16 seed
  • No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Morehead State
  • No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Oakland
  • No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 South Dakota State
  • No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s

I already mapped out the Long Beach State path, so we’ll move past that one. Obviously, Saint Peter’s is the one that’ll have a ton of eyes on them. They took down Kentucky and Purdue to reach the second weekend in 2022. They have a different coach in Bashir Mason. That would be a new low for Rick Barnes’ March woes.

Speaking of Kentucky, the Saint Peter’s loss — and the fact that John Calipari has 1 NCAA Tournament win in the 2020s — will always loom. But I won’t go with the Cats because that offense is too versatile.

Not enough people talk about Illinois not having a single Sweet 16 trip since the 2005 national runner-up team with Dee Brown. Sure, that’s not all Brad Underwood. But he’s had 3 consecutive opening weekend exits. As respected of a coach as he is dating to his time at Stephen F. Austin, he has been knocked out of the NCAA Tournament on opening weekend in all 7 of his appearances. Keep an eye on a Morehead State team that plays at a Virginia-like pace and has a “take over a game” guy in Riley Minix.

It’s worth noting that at least 1 top-3 seed fell in the Round of 64 in each of the past 3 NCAA Tournaments.

March Madness is here! Get in on the action with top sign-up offers from the best sports betting apps!

4. Will Will Wade’s resurgence continue with a win?

Wade, AKA the former LSU coach and noted NCAA outlaw, is back in March. Of course he is. He’s a popular pick to take down a Gonzaga team that finally doesn’t have Drew Timme to inevitably score 25 points from point-blank range. The question is if McNeese, which has just 1 loss since the calendar turned to 2024, can get enough quality looks to keep pace with Mark Few’s potent offense. Shahada Wells just feels like a March hero … and Wade feels like a great March villain. Perhaps both things will be true by day’s end.

5. Will Kansas star Hunter Dickinson play? And if so, what should we expect?

The All-American transfer is a major question mark after suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the Big 12 Tournament … where Kansas was 1-and-done. That’s not ideal, even if he does end up playing. Also not ideal is first-team All-Big 12 selection Kevin McCullar was ruled out for the NCAA Tournament. It’s a bad time of year to be less than full strength.

Samford isn’t shy about lighting up the scoreboard. One of the nation’s best offenses could give Kansas everything that it can handle, especially if the Jayhawks’ 2 best players are unavailable.

6. Do surprise conference tournament winners Oregon and NC State keep that momentum?

Neither team was supposed to be here. Bid-stealers, they were. Can both teams continue to roll after they each knocked off legitimate national title contenders en route to conference titles? It’s the old “momentum” question. Is Oregon just healthy at the right time and now playing up to its potential with an elite March coach in Dana Altman? And is NC State, which came out of nowhere to win the ACC, about to go all “survive and advance” mode with DJ Burns and DJ Horne? Like, even as a 5.5-point underdog, via DraftKings? Both are double-digit seeds who won’t surprise anyone if they move on to the Round of 32.

The longer they last, the more those “team of destiny” vibes will grow.

7. Can BYU dial it up from deep?

Nobody in the NCAA Tournament field takes (32.2) or makes more 3-pointers per game than BYU (11.2). I’m fascinated if BYU can shoot its way past Duquesne, which ranks No. 28 in adjusted defensive efficiency, and is playing in its first NCAA Tournament game since the Jimmy Carter administration. When BYU hits 9 3-pointer in a game, it’s 20-4. When it doesn’t hit 8 3-pointers, BYU is 3-6. Live by the 3, die by the 3 will be the mantra for a team in pursuit of its first Round of 32 appearance in 13 years.