UD Arena has hosted the NCAA March Madness tipoff every year since 2001 and the First Four since the tournament field expanded in 2011.
Here is a look at all four teams that play Tuesday:
BRYANT (22-9) vs. WRIGHT STATE (21-13)
When: 6:40 p.m. Wednesday
What’s next: The winner advances as the South region’s No. 16 seed, set to meet top-seeded Arizona (31-3) in San Diego on Friday.
ABOUT BRYANT
Notable: Bryant, which transitioned from the Division II level in 2011, is making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs, led by fourth-year coach Jared Grasso, are coming off their winningest season at the Division I level after claiming their first regular-season conference title since 2004 and their first conference tournament title since 2005. Bryant is led by a pair of First-Team All-Northeast Conference performers in junior guard Charles Pride, the NEC’s leading rebounder, and senior Peter Kiss, the nation’s leading scorer with 25.1 points per game.
Scoring offense: 77.9 points per game
Scoring defense: 72.7 points per game
Last 10 games: 9-1 record
Key players: Peter Kiss (25.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists); Charles Pride (18.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg); Adham Eleeda (10.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Hall Elisias (8.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg), Chris Childs (7.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg), Greg Calixte (6.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg); Luis Hurtado (4.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
ABOUT WRIGHT STATE
Notable: The Raiders punched their ticket by winning the Horizon League title against Northern Kentucky, but now they are seeking their first NCAA tournament win in their fourth try. They last made an appearance in 2018, in sixth-year coach Scott Nagy’s second season, but they lost to Tennessee in the first round. Wright State avenged regular-season losses to Cleveland State and NKU en route to its league title. The Raiders get up and down the court well despite relying heavily on starters for minutes. KenPom.com has Wright State near the nation’s bottom in bench minutes.
Scoring offense: 75.5 points per game
Scoring defense: 71.1 points per game
Last 10 games: 7-3
Key players: Tanner Holden (19.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg); Grant Basile (18.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg); Trey Calvin (14.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg; 3.3 apg); Tim Finke (8.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg); AJ Braun (5.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
RUTGERS (18-13) vs. NOTRE DAME (22-10)
When: 9:10 p.m. Wednesday
What’s next? The winner advances as the No. 11 seed in the West and will face No. 6-seeded Alabama in San Diego on Friday.
ABOUT RUTGERS
Notable: The Scarlet Knights made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991 last season and made the most of the opportunity, notching the program’s first tournament win in 38 years, but they were on the bubble to get in this time as one of the last four at-large bids. With much of the core from last year returned, Rutgers overcame some bad nonconference losses with wins against the best teams in the Big Ten. The Knights went 5-4 against ranked opponents and went 8-6 against teams that made the tournament. Leading scorer Ron Harper Jr. is the son of former NBA player and Dayton native Ron Harper. Senior guard Caleb McConnell played at Dunbar before transferring to SPIRE Academy in Northeast Ohio.
Scoring offense: 67.9 points per game
Scoring defense: 65.8 points per game
Last 10 games: 6-4 record
Key players: Ron Harper Jr. (15.6 points, 5.9 rebounds); Geo Baker (12.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.8 assists); Clifford Omoruyi (11.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg); Paul Mulcahy (9.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.3 apg); Caleb McConnell (6.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
ABOUT NOTRE DAME
Notable: Notre Dame lost its first-round game in the ACC tournament against Virginia Tech, but earned its first NCAA tournament berth since 2017 thanks to a strong showing in conference play and a key win over Kentucky. The Fighting Irish, under coach Mike Brey, excel at sharing the ball, avoiding turnovers and shooting. Their 3-point shooting percentage of 38.0 percent ranks 15th best in the nation, and they are shooting 46.2 percent overall from the field. Freshman Blake Wesley leads the team with 14.6 points per game.
Scoring offense: 72.5 points per game
Scoring defense: 66.8 points per game
Last 10 games: 7-3 record
Key players: Blake Wesley (14.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg); Dane Goodwin (13.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Paul Atkinson Jr. (12.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg); Nate Laszewski (9.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg); Prentiss Hubb (9.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg); Cormac Ryan (8.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
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