While the men’s NCAA Tournament may have been light on first-round upsets, the upshot is the second round is filled with matchups between top teams. All the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds playing Sunday are still alive as schools battle for a spot in the Sweet 16.
Here’s a rundown of the upcoming second-round action.
No. 8 Connecticut vs. No. 1 Florida (12:10 p.m. ET)
The Gators (-9.5 spread according to BetMGM) are a considerable favorite against the Huskies. Both of these teams excel at slowing down opposing offenses, in particular Florida, which held opponents to only 40% shooting in the regular season. Connecticut will also have to find an answer for Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr., a Naismith Trophy semifinalist who can rack up points in a hurry.
No. 9 Baylor vs. No. 1 Duke (2:40 p.m. ET)
This will be an exciting matchup for fans who also have an eye on the NBA Draft. There are several players in this game who are projected to be selected as high as the top 10 come June, including Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, and Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe. The showdown between Flagg and Edgecombe is especially tantalizing, as Flagg is the consensus top player in college while Edgecombe is widely considered to be the fourth-best pro prospect. Will the Bears have enough firepower outside of Edgecombe to keep up with the Blue Devils?
No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 3 Kentucky (5:15 p.m. ET)
The Fighting Illini are slightly favored in this contest despite entering as the lower seed. This projects to be a close game, as the teams are pretty evenly matched, specifically on the offensive end. The Wildcats finished the regular season ranked 12th in adjusted offensive efficiency, while Illinois finished 13th. Both squads are coming off double-digit wins in the opening round.
No. 7 St. Mary’s vs. No. 2 Alabama (6:10 p.m. ET)
Are the Crimson Tide primed for an upset? Or did they learn their lesson after the first round? Alabama was on upset watch against No. 15 Robert Morris in the first round, trailing deep in the second half before ultimately pulling away. St. Mary’s, to be fair, had its own challenges to start the tournament, eeking out a three-point win against Vanderbilt. The big challenge for the Gaels in this one will be trying to slow down Crimson Tide senior guard Mark Sears, an experienced scorer who won’t be afraid of the moment.
No. 12 Colorado State vs. No. 4 Maryland (7:10 p.m. ET)
The Rams upset the Memphis Tigers to tip off the tourney, and now face a Terrapins team that was 11-1 in non-conference play in the regular season. The tension point in this matchup will be if Colorado State can drag Maryland down into the mud. The Terrapins were much better offensively this season, averaging 81.6 points per game compared to the Rams’ 67.2.
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Iowa State (7:45 p.m. ET)
The Cyclones enter this game coming off a truly dominant performance in the Round of 64, defeating Lipscomb 82-55, where as the Rebels had to hold off a late comeback attempt from North Carolina. Iowa State lost only once to a non-conference opponent this season, and its offense is more finely tuned operation compared to Ole Miss. The Cyclones scored more, assisted more, and were more efficient than the Rebels leading up to the tournament.
No. 10 New Mexico vs. No. 2 Michigan State (8:40 p.m. ET)
This will be a clash of styles in the second round. The Lobos want to play fast and force opponents into a shootout. The Spartans, conversely, bring almost a Big Ten-football mentality to the court, trying to stilt the flow of the game by defending and rebounding well. Michigan State is the more talented team and will be significantly favored, but New Mexico will have a chance if it can ratchet up the pace of the game.
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Arizona (9:40 p.m. ET)
The former Pac-12 foes (RIP) will face off Sunday as non-conference opponents, with the Ducks now members of the Big Ten and the Wildcats representing the Big 12. Both teams are coming off big wins in the opening round. Arizona is slightly favored in this one, thanks largely to its one-two punch of Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley in the backcourt. Oregon will likely need a varied, balanced offensive attack to pull off the upset.
