The first round of women’s March Madness features some tantalizing matchups

The GIST: Welcome to hoops heaven! With the women’s First Four games in the rearview mirror, their first round of full mayhem tips off this morning. In a weekend of wall-to-wall basketball, here are four not-to-miss matchups.

No. 8 UNC Tar Heels (19-12) vs. No. 9 Michigan State Spartans (22-8), 11:30 a.m. ET today (ESPN2): The now-sluggish UNC’s feisty start fizzled out in the season’s back half, while Michigan State finished strong. However, these Spartans lack March Madness experience: Only three players have played in the natty before, and even their head coach (HC) is in her first season with MSU.

No. 5 Colorado Buffaloes (22-9) vs. No. 12 Drake Bulldogs (29-5), 7 p.m. ET today (ESPNews): These teams also have opposite momentum. Drake’s won 14 straight, but Colorado dropped five of their last six regular-season games. If the Buffs’ conference, the Pac-12, wasn’t so brutally tough, this would have upset written all over it.

No. 6 Nebraska Cornhuskers (22-11) vs. No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies (19-12), 10:30 p.m. ET today (ESPNU): These squads meet just hours after their men’s teams face off in a No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup. Both games are especially tense because Nebraska's athletic director, a Husker alum, bailed for A&M on March 13th. Judging by the guys’ reactions, there’s quite a bit of pride on the line.

No. 8 West Virginia Mountaineers (24-7) vs. No. 9 Princeton Tigers (25-4), 5:30 p.m. ET tomorrow (ESPN2): West Virginia takes care of the ball better than anyone in the country, which will prove an interesting challenge for the Tigers’ feisty defense. Keep an eye out for Princeton senior forward Ellie Mitchell, who’s been tearing up the Ivy League all season.