The women’s N.C.A.A. basketball tournament finally gets going, while we’re on our second day of first-round action for the men. Follow along with the bracket and live scores, and check out our picks for the Friday games we don’t want to miss (all times Eastern):
Women’s Tournament
No. 8 South Florida vs. No. 9 Marquette
11:30 a.m., ESPN2
The opening game of the women’s tournament features South Florida and Marquette, who played together in Conference USA and the Big East for 18 seasons but haven’t met since 2013. Marquette went 21-10 on the season, including a win over UConn in February. South Florida went 15-1 in the American Athletic Conference and won the regular-season title for the second time. On the line in this game: A date against undefeated South Carolina.
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Norfolk State
2 p.m., ESPN
Norfolk State is led by forward Kierra Wheeler and guards Camille Downs and Deja Francis. The Spartans are in the tournament for the first time in 21 years after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Their reward? A matchup with defending champion South Carolina, owners of a perfect 32-0 record and led by reigning national player of the year Aliyah Boston and coached by Dawn Staley. South Carolina needs six wins to repeat as champs.
