2022 First Four: Four Anecdotes to Know for Each Game

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There are a lot of teams to know now that the bracket is out. Here are a few things to know about the eight teams playing in the First Four. You can print your bracket here, via Sports Illustrated.

First Four: March 15

No. 16 Texas Southern vs. No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – 6:40 p.m.; truTV

  • Texas Southern head coach Johnny Jones has been a D-1 head coach since the 1990s while Islanders coach Steve Lutz is in his first D-1 season with the big whistle. 
  • Jones has taken three different teams to the Big Dance: North Texas, LSU, and Texas Southern.
  • He earned his first NCAA Tournament win last year in the First Four with Texas Southern.
  • Texas Southern ranks No. 1 in the nation in bench minutes.

No. 12 Wyoming vs. No. 12 Indiana – 9:10 p.m.; truTV

  • A longtime NBA head coach, this is Mike Woodson’s first-ever season as a D-1 head coach and he broke Indiana’s five-year NCAA Tournament drought. 
  • Indiana star Trayce Jackson-Davis is the son of former NBA All-Star Dale Davis.
  • Wyoming was the last team in the tournament, per Joe Lunardi.
  • Wyoming ranks No. 9 in the nation in average height (78.7″).

First Four: March 16

No. 16 Wright State vs. No. 16 Bryant – 6:40 p.m.; truTV

  • Bryant is led by the nation’s leading scorer, Peter Kiss, who averaged 25.1 points per game and had 10 different 30-point games.
  • Kiss played at Rutgers before Bryant, and Quinnipiac before Rutgers. At Rutgers, he was initially a starter before seeing his minutes gradually decrease. “I guess I just didn’t fit what they did,” he told NJ.com earlier this month.
  • Wright State ranks No. 356 in the nation in bench minutes.
  • Wright State beat NC State by 14 points on the road this year.

No. 11 Rutgers vs. No. 11 Notre Dame – 9:10 p.m.; truTV

  • Notre Dame has “one of thinnest benches in this tournament,” per CBS.
  • Despite some truly head-scratching losses, Rutgers won eight games against the KenPom Top 40, including four in a row between February 5th to February 16th.
  • Rutgers’ best player is Ron Harper Jr., son of NBA champion Ron Harper. Harper Jr. has been all-conference in back-to-back seasons.
  • Rutgers gave head coach Steve Pikiell a monster contract extension on Friday. “The deal includes an initial $15 million buyout,” NJ.com wrote, “which makes him virtually unattainable for any potential suitors.”