The best sporting event in all the world is here. The most random, the most fun, the most frustrating championship spread across a month started tonight for the play-in, Thursday officially.

And the Red Raiders are back in the dance. They open the tournament as a six seed, taking on the hottest team in America. The eleventh seeded Wolfpack are fresh off their stunning five straight wins to claim the ACC tournament title. As NCSU comes to play with all the momentum, Texas Tech hopes that getting shelled against Houston shorthanded lights a fire for a deep tournament run. Can Texas Tech get hot and make a run? How favorable, or not, is the draw? And what was the committee doing with some of their decisions this year? All that and more in the March Madness Primer you need to get ready for Thursday night at 8:40PM (CT). WRECK NC-STATE!