7 Must-Watch NCAA Tournament First Round Games for Hawks Fans

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ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 11: The Cincinnati Bearcats celebrate their championship after the final game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship against the Houston Cougars at Amway Center on March 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

No. 2 Cincinnati vs. No. 15 Georgia State

Finally, the hometown Georgia State Panthers were able to nose into the tournament as a 15-seed against the American Conference champion Cincinnati Bearcats.

Though Georgia State will certainly be a titanic underdog against the 2-seed Bearcats, D’Marcus Simonds is a talented volume scorer for the Panthers, averaging 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 34.8 minutes.

The defensive front provided by Cincinnati will be spearheaded by the top prospect in this matchup, Jacob Evans. Evans is an athletic, talented defender who will employ good instincts to try and stop Simonds’s one-man offensive attack.

In terms of Hawks viewers, it’s always good to have a rooting interest in a hometown team that plays its games about 5 minutes away from Philips Arena.

Next: How Did Current Hawks Fare in March Madness?

Also, Georgia State already notched an incredible upset in 2015 as a 14-seed against the 3-seed Baylor Bears, so you never know – maybe the Panthers and coach Ron Hunter have another March Madness miracle up their sleeves.