Sports

March Madness, Virginia Style

Want to see Virginia teams in NCAA Tournament action? Act quickly, as two of them are No. 16 seeds. Plus, where to watch games in Ashburn.

March Madness is upon us! Have you filled out your bracket yet?

Virginia flavor

James Madison, the No. 16 seed in the East Region, opens play Wednesday. The Dukes, who have not made the NCAA Tournament since 1994, got there by winning the Colonial Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, will play No. 16 seed Long Island University in a first-round game in Dayton at 6:45 p.m.

Find out what's happening in Ashburnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The winner of that game goes on to a matchup with No. 1 seed Indiana on Friday.

Virginia Commonwealth — which two years ago became only the third No. 11 seed ever to make it to the Final Four — enters this year's NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed. The Rams (26-8), who got in with an at-large bid, will play No. 12 seed Akron - winner of the Mid-American Conference Tourney - in the late game (9:45 p.m.) Thursday in Auburn Hills, Mich. [Editor's Note: Go Rams! das]

Find out what's happening in Ashburnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

No. 16 seed Liberty (winner of the Big South Tournament) also has a first-round game. It faces North Carolina A &T at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday in Dayton. Winner  plays No. 1 seed Louisville Thursday in Lexington, Ky.

Georgetown, meanwhile, is the No. 2 seed in the South  Region. The Hoyas play Florida Gulf Coast at 6:50 p.m. Friday in Philadelphia.

FULL BRACKET HERE

Interested in playing hooky from work and watching wall-to-wall basketball later in the week? Some Ashburn sports bar spots ready for you:

  • The All-American Steakhouse
  • The Ashburn Pub
  • Broadlands Sports Bar & Grill
  • Buffalo Wing Factory
  • Clyde's Willow Creek Farm
  • Finnegan's Irish Pub
  • Ford's Fish Shack
  • The V Eatery and Brewhouse

[Did we miss any? Make suggestions in the comments below.]

Who do you have picked to win the 2013 NCAA Tournament? Tell us in the comments.


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