As March Madness kicks off, the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament formally starts today, Thursday, March 20, 2025, featuring a much-anticipated matchup between the eighth-seeded Louisville Cardinals and the ninth-seeded Creighton Blue Jays. The game is set to tip-off at 12:15 p.m. ET, promising thrilling action on CBS and available for streaming on platforms such as FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.
The Louisville Cardinals come into the tournament with a solid 27-7 record and closed out the regular season as one of the hottest teams in college basketball, boasting an impressive streak of 11 consecutive wins. This success has seen them soar to the ACC championship game, where they narrowly fell to the number one seed, Duke. Louisville’s offensive and defensive stats reveal their prowess: they rank 67th in scoring offense, averaging 78.6 points per game and 86th in scoring defense, allowing 68.9 points per game. Their top scorer is guard Terrence Edwards Jr., who nets an average of 16.6 points per game.
On the other side, the Creighton Blue Jays enter with a record of 24-10. The Big East team has shown significant resilience throughout the season, particularly in non-conference play where they achieved remarkable victories against teams like then-No. 1 Kansas and then-No. 14 UConn. Their offensive game ranks 135th nationally, with an average of 75.2 points, while their defense ranks 97th, allowing 69.5 points in games. The standout player for Creighton is center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who leads the team with an average of 19.4 points per game. The challenge of today’s game will reveal which team can capitalize on their strengths to advance in the tournament.
The competition doesn’t stop with this game; the first round of the 2025 tournament features a total of 16 games. Following the Cardinals and Blue Jays matchup, the action shifts to other key games including Purdue against High Point at 12:40 p.m., and Wisconsin versus Montana at 1:30 p.m., through to marquis matchups like defending champions Houston facing SIU Edwardsville and Auburn playing the First Four winner later in the day. For avid fans, these games promise intense drama, upsets, and the hallmark excitement of March Madness.
Streaming options abound for fans wanting to catch all the action. FuboTV offers a free trial that could provide access to the games, along with DirecTV Stream, which has a comprehensive streaming package complete with a week-long free trial as well. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME is another option, offering not just game access but a blend of original programming post-trial.
As the tournament unfolds, teams like the Louisville Cardinals and Creighton Blue Jays are keenly aware that every game is critical. For Louisville, their remarkable resurgence this season signifies their hone to not just make it past this round, but to aim for the final stages of the tournament. Meanwhile, Creighton hopes to leverage their underdog status to craft a path of upset and surprise this March.
Wednesday’s First Four games set the stage leading into the Round of 64. Notably, Mount St. Mary’s secured a victory over American, winning 83-72, thereby earning the right to face powerful Duke. Xavier, overcoming an early deficit, defeated Texas 86-80 in an edge-of-the-seat contest that exemplified resilience—key quotes from their coach Sean Miller reflect the determination of his team: “Resilience ... it’s the badge of this group.” However, the loss has ramifications for Texas, with speculation mounting regarding coach Rodney Terry’s position post-defeat.
The predicted favorites are already beginning to form; for example, analytics experts at Dimers have tagged Duke with a 27.1% chance of winning the entire national championship. Such metrics create interesting narratives for fans as brackets are filled during this pivotal time in college basketball. As teams gear up for their respective matchups, the unpredictable nature of the NCAA tournament means fans and analysts alike are on the edge of their seats, waiting to see how these initial games pan out.
With continuous updates and analysis, the day becomes increasingly pivotal for teams. By the end of it, more stories will emerge, legends may be born, and potentially thrilling upsets will capture the essence of March Madness. Whether through emotional victories or heartbreaking losses, this is the time of year that defines college basketball.
As the first rounds of March Madness are on everyone’s minds, the world watches closely, eager to see how the journey to the Final Four begins in earnest.
