4 Things You Need to Know About Wednesday's First Four

There are only two more games until the Big Dance completely unleashes the Madness Thursday afternoon. Dayton is giving us a delightful Wednesday appetizer in the First Four. Indiana and Texas Southern were the first to advance. Tonight Bryant and Wright State get things started at 6:40 pm ET, followed by Notre Dame and Rutgers at approximately 9:40 pm ET on truTV. Here’s what you need to know before the action begins.

Peter Kiss Leads the NCAA in Scoring

You cannot miss a chance to witness a Certified Electric Factory™ in the NCAA Tournament. Bryant’s Peter Kiss, a 6-foot-5 senior guard, is the nation’s leading scorer, averaging just north of 25 points per game. He is a bucket and lets the other team know it, celebrating scores with push-ups, hand signals and profanities for doubting media members. Even if the Bulldogs don’t win, you better believe Kiss will make it entertaining.

Friendly reminder that Peter Kiss plays tonight pic.twitter.com/oQpKO5A10b

— Pickswise (@Pickswise) March 16, 2022

Peter Kiss is the cockiest player in America pic.twitter.com/gwTJ0cujHG

— Viral Hoops (@HoopsClips) March 9, 2022

A Home First Four Game for Wright State

“Wright State, Wong College.”

That classic one-liner is thrown around quite often in Southwest Ohio. This week the joke’s on the Dayton fans because the Raiders will be playing in the NCAA Tournament in the Flyers’ arena while they are forced to play out of their home at Toledo in the NIT. Wright State will take a short 11-mile trip from its campus to UD Arena, making tonight’s matchup a home away from home. The unexpected Horizon League Champs, a four-seed in the conference tournament, have three players averaging 14+ points per game, led 6’6″ junior Tanner Holden’s 19.8 ppg.

Rutgers’ Revenge

In 2021 Rutgers won its first NCAA Tournament game in 38 years. They were on the verge of clinching their first Sweet 16 berth since 1979, but ultimately their upset bid against Houston fell short. Leading by a bucket with less than 30 seconds remaining, Tramon Mark finished an ‘and one’ to propel the Cougs ahead, ultimately clinching a win on the way to the Final Four. Most of the key pieces of last year’s team return for the Scarlet Knights, including Ron Harper Jr. A First Four win could be the beginning of a magical run for Steve Pikiell’s squad.

First Four to the Final Four?

Mike Brey has 470 career wins, the ninth-most of any active NCAA D-I head coaches. In 22 seasons, Brey has taken Notre Dame to the NCAA Tournament 12 times. He’s advanced to the second weekend only three times, but did knock on the Final Four’s door, falling in the Elite Eight in 2015 (to Kentucky) and 2016. The Fighting Irish have snapped a four-year NCAA Tournament drought. Maybe this is the year a third team goes from the First Four to the Final Four and ends Brey’s drought? (Let’s be honest, it’s probably not. Rutgers +1 all day.)