KENNESAW, Ga. — Kennesaw State is ready to bust more brackets as they get set to make their March Madness debut in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
As the Owls get prepared to try and make some early-round noise, here's everything you need to know about their first game of The Big Dance.
What time does KSU play today?
The Owls tip off their first round matchup on Friday, March 17 at 12:40 p.m. on Tru TV.
Who Kennesaw State plays
No. 14 seed Kennesaw State will take on No. 3 seed Xavier in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament bracket. The Musketeers hail from Cincinnati, Ohio, and are a member of the Big East Conference. They finished in second place in the Big East regular season standings, and made it all the way to the conference championship where they lost to current No. 2 seed Marquette by a final of 65-51.
Where is the game being played at
It wasn't too far of a drive for Kennesaw State fans, as the game is being played in the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. It's a roughly five hour drive from Kennesaw.
Who would Kennesaw State play if they win
If the Owls can pull off the major upset, they would meet the winner of the 6-11 game between six-seeded Iowa State Cyclones and eleventh-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers. That game takes place immediately after KSU's game concludes.
What else to know about the game
Xavier is currently favored by 12.5 points, but that shouldn't strike any fear into Owl fans. On Thursday, both 13-seed Furman and 15-seed Princeton upset the respective likes of No. 4 Virginia and No. 2 Arizona to move onto the second round. It seems the a 14-seed upsetting a No. 3 might be next on the docket for the craziness that is March Madness.
The most recent win by a 14 seed came in 2021, Abilene Christian knocked off Texas. Georgia State even produced some of their own magic as a No. 14 seed when they upset the Baylor Bears under head coach Ron Hunter.
The Mercer Bears were another team out of the state of Georgia to beat a No. 3 seed -- they did so in 2014 with a massive upset over blueblood Duke and Coach K.