The Verizon Center is hosting four first round games of the 2011 NCAA Tournament on Thursday that will feature some of the best teams in the nation. You can find the schedule for Thursday's games here. We're going to preview each of the eight teams that will be playing on Thursday. Let's check out the only team that has won a game in the tournament thus far: UNC-Asheville.
Coach: Eddie Biedenbach
Conference: Big South (Champion)
Record: 20-13 (11-7)
Best Player And Why: Matt Dickey leads the team in points per game, but fellow guard J.P. Primm takes most of the shots and also leads the team in assists.
Strength: Defense. UNC-Asheville allowed the fewest points per 100 possessions in the Big South, despite playing at the second-fastest pace. Their big strength is forcing turnovers -- they're 12th in the entire nation in turnover ratio.
Weakness: Size, like most small schools. UNC-Asheville had a negative rebounding differential in conference play, and the Big South is not a strong conference.
Starting Lineup: J.P. Primm -- Matt Dickey -- Chris Stephenson -- John Williams -- Quinard Jackson
Prediction: There's no way they're beating Pittsburgh, but the one win on Tuesday was nice.
If you haven't filled out your bracket yet, it's not too late! We have a printable bracket that's been updated to reflect the results of the first-four wins.