NCAA Tournament First Four: Expert Predicts UMBC and Texas Will Advance to Round of 64 The NCAA Tournament’s First Four begins in Dayton on Tuesday, featuring two high-stakes matchups: No. 16 seed UMBC of the America East faces No. 16 seed Howard of the MEAC at 6:40 ET, while No. 11 seed Texas of the SEC takes on No. 11 seed NC State of the ACC at 9:15 ET. CBS Sports and SportsLine analyst Matt Severance breaks down the games, offering insights into each team’s strengths and potential outcomes. UMBC, the Retrievers, enters the tournament with a strong record, having won 12 consecutive games—the second-longest active streak in the nation. The team, led by graduate guard DJ Armstrong, who scored a career-high 33 points in the America East tournament title game, has a history of upsets. In 2018, UMBC stunned No. 1 seed Virginia, marking its only NCAA Tournament victory in three attempts. The Retrievers’ 3-point shooting prowess, with Armstrong averaging 2.6 made threes per game and a 40.4% shooting rate, gives them an edge against the MEAC’s Howard. Howard, the MEAC regular-season champions, brings a formidable 1-2 punch in Bryce Harris and Cedric Taylor III, both averaging over 17 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. However, the Bison have struggled in past First Four appearances, going 0-4 in their previous four trips. Despite their offensive firepower, MEAC teams have a 4-7 record in the First Four, and Howard’s 0-1 mark in the round adds to the challenge. If UMBC advances, it will face Big Ten runner-up Michigan, a Midwest No. 1 seed, in the Round of 64. The America East has a 2-0 record in the First Four, but teams from the league have struggled in the next round, going 1-18 all-time.#texas_longhorns #umbc_retrievers #ncaa_tournament_first_four #nc_state_wolfpack #matt_severance
