PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — College basketball fans from all over were in Rhode Island's capital city on Wednesday to catch their favorite teams in action. Eight teams took the court at the AMP to get one last practice in before the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament gets underway. The practice sessions were free and open to the public, giving people a chance to see their favorite players up close, even if they don't have tickets to Thursday's sold-out games. Some fans traveled more than 1,500 miles for the event, while for others it was short drive downtown. In the video above, 12 News reporter Hannah Cotter chats with fans from near and far. MAP: Street closures for NCAA Tournament games Don't get scammed For those who don't have tickets to the games, experts are warning to be on the lookout for potential scams. It's best to stick to trusted vendors, experts say, since they offer guarantees against fraudulent listings. Anyone going through a third-party vendor is advised to check multiple sites or apps to compare prices. If a deal seems too good to be true, that's probably the case. Experts also say to use a protected payment method and avoid clicking on any suspicious emails or texts offering tickets. Who's playing in Providence? Some big-name programs will play in Providence on Thursday, including St. John's University, a 2-seed that has former Providence College and Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino at the helm. Here’s the schedule of games: 12:40 p.m. (4) Purdue vs. (13) High Point 3:15 p.m. (5) Clemson vs. (12) McNeese 7:10 p.m. (7) Kansas vs. (10) Arkansas 9:45 p.m. (2) St. John’s vs. (15) Omaha The winner of those games will advance to the second round of the single-elimination tournament and play again at the AMP on Saturday. The schedule has not yet been announced for those games. THE BRACKET: Breaking down the NCAA Tournament field Stay with 12 News for coverage of the NCAA Tournament in Providence on-air and online. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Follow us on social media:                     Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 12 Sports this Week SIGN UP NOW ...read more read less