By Ryan Bisesi, WRAL multiplatform producer

Raleigh, N.C. — It’s that time of year again. March Madness is sweeping the country — and the Triangle is at the heart of the fun.

The Triangle is the epicenter of the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments this weekend, with all three anchor cities hosting first- and second-round games. Twenty-one teams are in the area.

In the men’s competition, top-seeded Duke and freshman sensation Cooper Flagg are starting their run at Lenovo Center, a short drive from Duke’s campus.

For the women, all three Triangle teams are hosting first and second-round games at their home gyms. That’s the first time that’s happened since 1998. NC State is looking to reach another Final Four, Duke aims to build on its ACC championship and UNC is well-positioned to make noise.

The men’s Final Four is in San Antonio while the women’s Final Four is set for Tampa. Both will be played the weekend of April 4 – 7.

Duke men stay in the Triangle

The Duke men’s basketball team is again a popular pick to win the national championship and hoping to wind up in San Antoino. But before any long-distance travels are made, the Blue Devils’ journey keeps them nearby.

Duke won the ACC Tournament, finished first in the ACC regular season and is the current No. 1 in the nation. Lots of eyes are on Duke and All-American Flagg as he tries to bounce back from an ankle injury he suffered in the ACC Tournament. The Blue Devils routed many of their opponents in conference play and stomped Big Ten foe Illinois in February. Aside from a slip-up at Clemson, Duke has been dismantling opponents consistently since November.

Duke is scheduled to play the winner of the play-in game between American and Mount St. Mary’s on Friday at 2:50 p.m. at Lenovo Center. The game will be televised on CBS.

Duke and all teams playing at Lenovo Center will have an open practice on Thursday. Parking and admission is free and doors open at 10 a.m. Duke’s practice will be held at 1:15 p.m. Here’s a complete open practice schedule for Thursday.

• 11 a.m.: (8) Baylor
• 11:45 a.m.: (9) Mississippi State
• 12:30 p.m.: (16) Mount St. Mary’s or American
• 1:15 p.m.: (1) Duke
• 2 p.m.: (16) Norfolk State
• 2:45 p.m.: (1) Florida
• 3:30 p.m.: (9) Oklahoma
• 4:15 p.m.: (8) UConn

If you’re headed to the games at Lenovo Center, here is more information on bag policies, parking information and the Hoops and Hops Fan Zone. There is no ticket required to access the fan zone, which includes a beer garden, food trucks and a DJ.

For more information about available tickets, click here. Tickets are sold in blocks of two-game sessions.

Should Duke win its first-round game, the Blue Devils would play the winner of 8-seed Mississippi State and 9-seed Baylor on Sunday. The time of that game is yet to be determined.

Blue Devils fans aren’t the only strong fanbase coming to Lenovo Center. Defending back-to-back champ UConn and No. 1 seed Florida are in town as well and figure to bring tons of supporters.

Lenovo Center also hosted the NCAA Tournament in 2016, 2014 and 2008. It will host the 2028 East Regional.

Duke women look to keep ball rolling

The Duke women are seeded second in their region (Birmingham 2) and will play No. 15 seed Lehigh on Friday at 8 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium. If Duke wins, it will play the winner of No. 7 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Oregon at a yet-to-be-determined time on Sunday. Oregon is led by former UNC star Deja Kelly.

Duke is trying to build on an ACC championship and a 26-7 regular season. The Blue Devils were 13-1 at home this season. Should Duke and North Carolina each win their first and second-round games, they would meet in the Sweet 16 in Birmingham.

Here’s what to know if you’re headed to the games in Durham.

More information on tickets can be found here.

UNC women hosting for first time since 2015

No. 3 seed North Carolina will face No. 14 seed Oregon State at Carmichael Auditorium on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The Tar Heels’ prospective second-round game would be on Monday.

The Tar Heels finished the season 27-7. Historically, UNC is 22-1 when playing NCAA Tournament games in Chapel Hill. This is the first time the Tar Heels have hosted NCAA Tournament games since 2015.

No. 11 seeds Columbia and Washington will play a First Four game in Chapel Hill on Thursday night. The winner takes on No. 6 seed West Virginia.

More information on tickets can be found here.

NC State women seek return to Final Four

No. 2 seed NC State (26-6) is hosting No. 15 Vermont at Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Wolfpack were a perfect 16-0 at home this season, which bodes well for their postseason fate. Should they beat Vermont, they’ll play the winner of No. 7 Michigan State and No. 10 Harvard on Monday. State is 19-2 in NCAA Tournament play at Reynolds Coliseum and has not lost a tournament game there since 1983.

State is trying to reach the Final Four for the second straight season. The Wolfpack lost to South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals last season.

As of Tuesday, a limited number of tickets were available for the second round.

Source: wralsportsfan.com