March Madness first round: What to know, how to watch Colorado State vs Memphis

[ASFN Admin]

March Madness is here!

The Colorado State men's basketball team is back in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons after the Rams won the Mountain West tournament to secure a bid to the Big Dance.

CSU is set to face Memphis, winners of the American Athletic Conference.

Here's a look at everything to know about Friday's CSU men's basketball game against Memphis:

What time does Memphis vs Colorado State basketball start in first-round NCAA Tournament game?​

• Date: Friday, March 21
• Start time: 11 a.m. Pacific/noon Mountain/1 p.m. Central/2 p.m. Eastern

Friday's CSU men's basketball game against Memphis in the NCAA Tournament will tip at 11 a.m. PT/noon MT in Seattle.

What channel is the Colorado State vs Memphis basketball game on?​

Memphis and CSU's game will be broadcast nationally on TBS.

TBS in Colorado can be found at:

• DirecTV/DirecTV Stream channel 247
• Dish channel 139
• Xfinity channel 678 (HD)
• Fort Collins Connexion channel 193

How can you listen to the game on the radio?​

• The CSU broadcast is available on the Colorado State Sports Network on 99.1 FM or on the Varsity Network app.
• CSU's radio team will be Brian Roth (play-by-play) and Adam Nigon (analyst).

What are the records?​

Colorado State is 25-9, winners of 10 games in a row and into the NCAA Tournament as the Mountain West's tournament champion. Memphis is 29-5, winners of eight games in a row and the regular season and tournament champions of the American Athletic Conference.

NCAA Tournament bracket​

Memphis and Colorado State are in the west region. Memphis is the No. 5 seed and Colorado State is the No. 12. The winner of Friday's game advances to Sunday's second round to face the winner of No. 4 Maryland and No. 13 Grand Canyon.

What are the betting odds for Memphis vs Colorado State basketball?​

Colorado State is favored by 2.5 points by a number of sites, including ESPN BET, Bet365, BetMGM, Draft Kings, BetNow and FanDuel.

Who are the coaches?​

CSU is led by Niko Medved, who is in his seventh season as head coach of the Rams. He's 142-84 at CSU and 221-171 overall in his career. Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway is in his seventh season as Memphis coach. He's 162-67 and in the NCAA Tournament for the third time.

Stadium information​

The game will be at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Climate Pledge Arena has a basketball capacity of 18,300.

What do the metrics say?​

Colorado State is No. 42 in KenPom and Memphis is No. 51. KenPom projects a one-point win (74-73) for the Rams.

Colorado State is No. 27 and Boise State is No. 49 in the NCAA's NET rankings.

Who are the top players to watch?​

Here are some players for each team who will be key to the game:

COLORADO STATE

• Nique Clifford: The 6-foot-6 wing is coming off a Mountain West tournament MVP performance as he averaged 25 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game over three wins. He was named honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press this week.
• Kyan Evans: The sophomore point guard is averaging 10.2 points and 3.1 assists per game this season and shooting 43% from 3-point range. Those numbers in conference play only jump up to 12 points, 3.4 assists and 45% 3-point shooting.
• Rashaan Mbemba: The numbers of the 6-foot-7 big man aren't flashy at 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, but he brings a key physicality to the inside for CSU that will be necessary against Memphis.

MEMPHIS

• PJ Haggerty: The 6-foot-3 guard was named second-team All-American this week by the Associated Press. He is averaging 21.8 points per game this season, third-most in the country.
• Dain Dainja: The 6-foot-9 forward averages 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and is coming off a 22-point, 12-rebound game in the AAC title game.
• Tyrese Hunter: The 6-foot guard went down injured in the AAC semifinals and missed the title game, but has not been ruled out by Hardaway. His status could have an important role in Friday's game. Hunter is third on the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game, hits 40% of his 3-pointers and averages 3.6 assists per game.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: What to know, how to watch Colorado State vs Memphis basketball game

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