Skip to Search Skip to Live Player Skip to Content Skip to Footer

Boston: NCAA Tournament At TD Garden: What To Know

Author Jeff Gorra

It’s not as easy as it sounds to bring the NCAA tournament to Boston. The schedule Gods need to arrange for both the Bruins and Celtics to be out of town. This year, it worked out and we have the tournament for the first time since 2018.

TD Garden will play host to Sweet 16 and Elite 8 matchups later this week, and one lucky team will get to cut down the nets on Saturday night, CBS News explained.

In fact, the tip-off action begins on Thursday. Appropriately, this east region of the bracket will feature New England’s own, and defending champion, UConn.

NCAA Basketball At TD Garden Here’s What You Need To Know

How about starting off the Boston March Madness action in Boston with a rematch of last year’s championship game? The UConn Huskies will take on the San Diego State Aztecs on Thursday night. Iowa State then takes on Illinois directly afterward on Thursday.

If you recall, the 2023 final saw the Huskies defeat the Aztecs handily by a score of 76-59. Now, in the Sweet 16, this East Coast vs. West Coast matchup will occur again.

So, how did we get to this point? Let’s recap the journeys of each team that we will see at TD Garden this week.

East #1 seed, UConn, has looked absolutely dominate. They first beat #16 Stetson by a score of 91-52. Then, a convincing 17 point win over #9 Northwestern booked the Huskies their trip up to Boston.

As for #5 San Diego State, their opening game was not as convincing. They only beat #12 UAB by four points in their first game. Yesterday, however, they crushed #13 Yale by almost a 30-point margin. This, perhaps, will heighten the mood of the crowd Thursday night, as we could have had UConn vs. Yale to start off March Madness in Boston.

Game two features two midwestern-based schools that have been playing some great basketball. #2 Iowa State is scheduled to play #3 Illinois in game two of day one.

So far, Iowa State has defeated #15 South Dakota State and #7 Washington State, both by double digits.

The same holds true for Illinois, which has scored 85 and 89 points in its two games, respectively. It defeated #14 Moorhead State and #11 Duquesne.

In short, Boston will feature four of the five top-seeded teams in the East region, with #1, #2, #3, and #5 all coming to to town. Yale knocked off #4 Auburn in round one.

Here Is The Official Boston Tournament Schedule Details

Game One: #1 UConn vs. #5 San Diego State, Thursday March 28. Tipoff is slated for 7:39 pm at TD Garden. Yes, 7:39 pm.

Game Two: #2 Iowa State vs. #3 Illinois, Thursday March 28. Tipoff will be at 10:09 pm at TD Garden. Once again, yes, 10:09 pm.

The winners of each game will then square off in the Eastern region final (Elite Eight) on Saturday, March 30. This game will have a trip to the Final Four on the line. So, one of the aforementioned teams will be cutting down a TD Garden net.

MLB Power Rankings: Top Teams to Start 2024

Spring is coming, and that means baseball is on the way. So, why not get into some early MLB Power Rankings?

If you weren’t happy with how last season ended, then you’re in luck. That’s because you have a million new games up ahead in the 2024 season. Okay, maybe not a million. But, a lot. The Major League Baseball season schedule packs a whopping 162 games for each of the 30 teams in the American League (AL) and National League (NL). Those games take place over about six months. That means baseball fans, in theory, could watch 2,430 games in the regular season alone.

Don’t do that. You have more of a life than to sit around watching 2,430 baseball games. But, I should talk. During football season, I watch all the games I can get my eyes on.

Let’s not leave out the minor leagues, by the way. It’s always really fun to go to a minor league baseball game, because it’s much more chill than a major league game. It’s also cheaper, both tickets and parking. So, don’t just support your major league team this year. Cheer for the minor league guys, too. You won’t have quite as many games to catch in the minor league, though, as a full, regular season in Triple-A is 150 games, Double-A is 138 games and High-A and Single-A are 132 games. Still, that’s lots and lots of baseball to attend.

With the official start of baseball season getting closer, it’s a good time to get into my initial Power Rankings for 2024. Sure, this is a bit premature, since players will shift going into the season. But, the biggest players are with their respective teams now, so we have a good picture and idea of which teams will pop in 2024. Frankly, deciding between No. 1 and 2 was very difficult, because both teams are so, so solid right now. Who are your picks for the 2024 season? Reach out to me here and let me know, and find the full MLB schedule here.

MLB Power Rankings: Top Teams to Begin 2024

Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.
Author Jeff Gorra
Category:
Tags:
,

More Entertainment

Load More