Max Rice remembers the excitement he saw watching Northwestern win its first NCAA Tournament game six years ago. Now, Rice wants to do the same for his Boise State team that is looking for its first tournament win when the 10th-seeded Broncos take on the seventh-seeded Wildcats. In a West Region filled with powerhouses like defending champion Kansas, UCLA, Connecticut and Gonzaga, the Wildcats and Broncos are clearly lacking. Northwestern has made it to this stage for just the second time, advancing to the second round in 2017. Boise State is 0-8 all-time in the tournament.

The Texas Longhorns have team chemistry as strong as any in this NCAA Tournament. The bonds they formed over the summer were tested when former coach Chris Beard was fired in December. Now the Longhorns have the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region with the talent and depth to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2003. They face Colgate in the first round on Thursday. The other game in Des Moines, Iowa, is Texas A&M against Penn State. Midwest No. 1 seed Houston plays Northern Kentucky in Birmingham, Alabama. Iowa faces Auburn in the other game.

Want to start your St. Patrick's Day off right? Try these bright and delicious banana pancakes from Being Nutritious. They get the green color from mint rather than food coloring.

Rice crispy treats are always a favorite with kids and adults alike. Try this colorful green version for St. Patrick's Day. They're vegan too!

This grown-up caramel recipe from Sous Chef gets some added depth and flavor from the famous Irish beer Guinness. 

Hearty, comforting Irish stew is the perfect thing to serve for St. Patrick's Day dinner. Try this recipe from Robust Recipes. 

This tasty shepherd's pie recipe from Ahead of Thyme is packed with hearty vegetables, ground beef, and flavorful spices. It reheats well so you'll love the leftovers just as much as the first bite.

We never need another excuse for brunch, but we'll use St. Patrick's Day as one. This loaded baked potato frittata from Fountain Avenue Kitchen adds a festive touch with green bell pepper shamrocks.

This traditional Irish dish from How to Make Recipes turns a humble bowl of mashed potatoes into a hearty healthy meal with kale and bacon.

These authentic Irish scones from Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking are about to be your weekend breakfast go-to. 

 A season removed from reaching the Final Four for a 13th time under Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski, Duke not only is in the NCAA Tournament again, but appears to be peaking at the right time with first-year coach Jon Scheyer at the helm. The fifth-seeded Blue Devils face No. 12 seed Oral Roberts in the opening round of the East Regional on Thursday night in Orlando, Florida, eager to build on a rich March Madness legacy Krzyzewski fashioned over nearly four decades.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton handed Mitch Keller the opening day assignment and a celebratory bottle of bubbly. Shelton broke the news to the 26-year-old right-hander that he'll get the nod when Pittsburgh begins the season at Cincinnati on March 30. In a video posted on the Pirates' Twitter feed, Shelton and Keller sat down in the manager's office and began discussing the right-hander's side session. Shelton asked how many pitches he threw, and then asked Keller how many he thinks he'll throw on the 30th. Keller asked what the 30th was and the manager replied, "opening day."

Alabama has the No. 1 overall NCAA Tournament seed, one of the best players in college basketball and likely a couple of games in its own backyard. For a Crimson Tide team that's been an easy target for opposing fans over the past two months, playing less than an hour from campus is no small matter. It means most of the taunts will be replaced by cheers in Birmingham, Alabama, especially for All-America freshman Brandon Miller. It will be an overwhelmingly crimson and white crowd at Thursday's South Region game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.