Over the next nine days we’ll fill out the majority of our dance card for the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments. On the men’s side there are 38 automatic qualifiers (AQs) at stake out of 59 total and the women have 39 AQs out of 63 total. (The GSAC gives the women’s side one more AQ than the men). Click here for more general info on the tourneys.

We’ll also get a much better sense which teams can rest relatively easily that they’ll get an at-large bid and which ones will be furiously pacing their dorm rooms, drinking green tea and listening to Enya in a futile attempt to ease their bubble anxiety.

Time permitting, we’ll highlight a couple key games each day along with the links to follow those games if you can’t make it there in person.

The fun kicks off in New York City where the CUNYAC hands out its AQs in a doubleheader at CCNY. The Conference is usually one of the first to play its title game, but I’m not sure it’s ever been this far in advance of the bracket announcement. So the winner will have a long (but happy) wait after they cut down the nets.

On the women’s side Baruch will try to erase bad memories of last year’s painful collapse against Lehman. In 2008 the Bearcats went colder than a can of frozen peas down the stretch in a 52-51 loss. Like last year, it’s win or else since neither team was listed in the second regional rankings.

Then the men will crown a champion with top-seeded York (N.Y.) battling John Jay. The Cardinals aim for their third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. The Bloodhounds have certainly worn Cinderella’s slipper on their paw so far, standing one win away from the tournament despite a seven-game losing streak earlier this year.

Our bud Seth Kantor has the call for both games.

Though it’s not a playoff game per se, the ubertight UAA races should get a little more clarity. The No. 4 Washington U. men will try to defend their one game lead over No. 6 Brandeis, winners of six straight. The women’s race is even tighter with half the conference tied for first at 8-3. Two of the four tied teams (say that five times fast) – Brandeis and Wash U. – meet in St. Louis while No. 19 Rochester and Chicago host Case Western and NYU respectively.

All times are EST

5:30 pm – CUNYAC Women’s Championship: Baruch versus Lehman (Audio // Live Stats)

6:00 pm – Women: Case Western @ No. 19 Rochester (Audio // Video)

7:00 pm – Women: NYU @ Chicago (Audio // Live Stats)

7:00 pm – Women: Brandeis @ Wash U. (Audio // Live Stats)

7:45 pm – CUNYAC Men’s Championship: York (N.Y.) versus John Jay (Audio // Live Stats)

9:00 pm – Men: No. 6 Brandeis @ No. 4 Wash U. (Audio // Live Stats)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download