March Madness 2012 Bracket: Possible First-Round Matchups We Would Love to See

Two of the most exciting days in sports are the first two days of the NCAA tournament. There are usually upsets and big shots galore, and college basketball fans get to see fresh, new matchups that normally don't happen during the regular season.

With the addition of three teams last year to form a 68-team field, what used to be the first round is now called the second round, but the start of the 64-team field will always be known as the first round to the diehards.

There is obviously still a lot to sort out between now and the Selection Sunday show at 6 p.m. ET, but that won't stop us from speculating on possible matchups. Here are three first-round clashes that any college basketball fan would love to see.

Georgetown vs. Davidson

It's hard to forget the magical run that the Davidson Wildcats went on in the NCAA tournament four years ago when superstar guard Stephen Curry led the upstart team to the Elite Eight. The 10th-seeded Wildcats, who upset Gonzaga in the first round that year, were forced to play the No. 2-seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the second round. The Hoyas, who were anchored by Roy Hibbert, enjoyed a lead for much of the game, but were upended by Davidson in the biggest surprise of the tournament.

Flash forward a few years and there is potential for these teams to meet again, but this time in the first round. I currently project Georgetown as a No. 3 seed and Davidson as a No. 14 seed, so if all goes well, then a rematch is possible. There won't be as much star power, as Curry and Hibbert are now All-Star-caliber players in the NBA, but it would be great nonetheless. The Hoyas remain a Big East power, while Davidson continues to surprise, as it beat Kansas in the regular season.

Memphis vs. Connecticut

It isn't too often that two schools with rich NCAA tournament histories meet in the first round, but that could be the case this season if the Memphis Tigers and Connecticut Huskies are paired up. I have Memphis, the Conference USA champions, as a No. 7 seed and UConn as a No. 10. Both schools have achieved a ton of success in recent years, as the Tigers lost in the national championship game in 2008, and the Huskies won it all last season.

No matter what, the Tigers seem to have a talented and athletic team every single year, and 2011-12 has been no different. Memphis was clearly the class of the conference. Although UConn lost Kemba Walker to the NBA and has struggled through some rough stretches, they have quite a few returning players from last year's title team and will be a force to be reckoned with. This battle of youth versus experience would be a blast.

Wichita State vs. Xavier

First-round matchups in the NCAA tournament often pit power conference teams against against mid-majors or small-conference teams, but it isn't often that two strong teams from middling conferences get to face off early in the tourney. That could happen this year, though, if the Wichita State Shockers of the MWC and the Xavier Musketeers of the Atlantic 10 are matched up. I have Wichita State as a No. 5 seed and Xavier as a No. 12 seed, making it a distinct possibility.

There are a lot of solid mid-major teams that figure to make the tournament this season, but my pick for the one that is most likely to make a run like VCU or Butler is Wichita State. They have a great big in Garrett Stutz, fantastic guard play from Joe Ragland and are efficient on both ends of the floor. Xavier could certainly be a stumbling block, though, as the Musketeers scored big wins over tournament teams like Vanderbilt, Purdue and Cincinnati.