NCAA Tournament Scores, Live Updates: 2012 March Madness Begins With Full Thursday Schedule

EMBRACE THE MADNESS

Pencils down. Brackets to the front of the room. The 2012 NCAA men's basketball tournament is about to begin. No. 1 overall seed Kentucky and the suddenly un-Fab Syracuse Orange highlight the first full day of the tournament schedule.

While the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky, and the Vermont Catamounts, will assure us that the tournament opened earlier this week in Dayton (whereas Mississippi Valley State will insist those inexplicable comebacks were merely a fever dream of British Prime Minister David Cameron), the IT guy running your office pool likely determined that today is the day that we should all start paying attention.

OK, then let's get started.

We've got 16 games set to tip off on Thursday and the same number again on Friday. How much time does that leave you to get work done? Not much, according to business consultants Challenger Gray & Christmas Inc. The firm estimated the financial losses caused by distracted workers during the 2011 tournament at $192 million.

From the tip-off between No. 6 Murray State and No. 11 Colorado State in Louisville all the way though the Final Four in New Orleans, we'll be bringing you live updates on all the machinations of madness produced by the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

Click HERE for the complete schedule of the so-called Second Round (again, that "First Four" that certain teams may want to forget.. cough.. Iona) taking place on Thursday and Friday. And, please, go print out your bracket to keep track of your picks. Of course, you could also just check out our interactive tournament graphic to keep tabs on all the forthcoming matchups and latest results.

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