The men’s NCAA tournament may have been lighter to the disruption of the first round, but the results are filled with the second round being matchups between the top teams. All the number one and second seeds that play on Sunday are still alive as the school fights for the Sweet 16 spot.
Here’s a summary of the upcoming second round action.
No. 8 Connecticut vs. No. 1 Florida (12:10pm ET)
The Gators (-9.5 according to BetMgm) are quite a favorite against the Husky. Both of these teams have excelled at slowing down the opposing crimes, especially Florida’s attacks, which has led to their opponents getting just 40% of their shootings in the regular season. Connecticut also needs to find the answer to Gators Guard Walter Clayton Jr., a Naismith Trophy semi-finalist who can quickly score points.
No. 9 Baylor vs. No. 1 Duke (2:40pm ET)
This will be an exciting matchup for fans who are also paying attention to the NBA Draft. The game features several players who are expected to be chosen as high as June’s Top 10, including Duke’s Cooper Flag, Conkpel, Kahaman Malhach, and Baylor’s VJ Edge.com. The showdown between Flag and Edgecombe is particularly intriguing, as Flag is a college consensus player and Edgecombe is widely considered the fourth-best professional outlook. Does the bear have enough firepower to catch up with the blue demon outside the edge comb?
No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 3 Kentucky (5:15pm ET)
Fighting Illini is a slightly preferred contest despite being entered as a low species in this contest. I expect this to be a close game, especially as the teams are matched fairly evenly, and as they are in the offensive ending. The Wildcats finished the regular season, ranked 12th in their adjusted offensive efficiency, and Illinois finished 13th. Both teams have double-digit wins in the opening round.
No. 7 St. Mary’s vs. No. 2 Alabama (6:10pm ET)
Are the crimson tides ready for agitation? Or did they learn the lesson after the first round? Alabama was upset against No. 15 Robert Morris in the first round. To be fair, St. Mary’s has its own challenge of starting the tournament, screaming for a three-point victory over Vanderbilt. A big challenge for this one Gale is trying to slow down Crimson Tide senior guard Mark Sears, an experienced scorer who doesn’t fear the moment.
No. 12 Colorado vs. No. 4 Maryland (7:10pm ET)
The Rams upset the Memphis Tigers and flipped the tournament over, and now face the 11-1 Terrapins team in a regular season non-conference play. The tension point of this matchup comes when Colorado can drag Maryland into the mud. The Terrapin has been far better off offensive this season, averaging 81.6 points per game compared to the Rams’ 67.2.
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Iowa (7:45 PM ET)
The Cyclone entered the game and gave a truly dominant performance in rounds of 64, beating Lipscom 82-55. Iowa has only lost one time to a non-conference opponent this season, and its offense is a more tweaked maneuver compared to Ole Miss. The Cyclone received more points, more support and was more efficient than the Rebels leading up to the tournament.
No. 10 New Mexico vs. No. 2 Michigan State (8:40pm ET)
This will be a second round style conflict. Robo plays fast and wants to push the enemy into a firefight. Conversely, the Spartans tried to boost the flow of the game by bringing almost ten football mentalities to the court, defending them and rebounding well. Michigan is a more talented team and is highly preferred, but New Mexico has a chance if they can speed up the pace of the game.
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Arizona (9:40pm ET)
The former Pac-12 enemy (RIP) faced off as a non-conference opponent on Sunday, and now has the Big Ten members and the Wildcats representing the Big 12. Both teams are removing big wins in the opening round. Arizona is a bit of a favourite for this one, thanks to Karevive in the backcourt and one punch from Jaden Bradley. Oregon may need a variety and balanced attacks to help separate the upset.
