March Madness 2012 Bracket: 3 Must-See Matchups in Round of 64

While some NCAA Tournament games end up being one-sided duds, that will not happen with these contests. We're not looking at the best teams playing, but the ones that will give us the most interesting contests. 

Consider this a cheat sheat as you're planning Friday out trying to figure out what games to watch and what ones are best left for the DVR. 

No. 11 North Carolina State vs. No. 6 San Diego State. 12:40 p.m. EDT, tru TV

These matchups are normally really intriguing in the tournament, and this will be no different. It is a lot of fun to see a team that was somewhere in the upper-middle of the standings go against a top team from a small conference. Even though San Diego State didn't win their conference, they are a top MWC team. 

The Wolf Pack battled consistency issues all year, but got hot at the absolute right moment, giving North Carolina everything they could handle in the ACC Tournament. Unfortunately, they last played on Saturday, which will stall their momentum. 

Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapley give the Aztecs a top of the line 1-2 punch, and that's what will put them over the edge in this one. NC State rides too much on momentum, which a nearly one-week layoff will squash. 

Still, this will be a good game. If either Franklin or Tapley are even slightly off, the Wolf Pack will pull the upset. That is just not going to happen.

Prediction: San Diego State 67, North Carolina State 63

No. 14 Belmont vs. No. 3 Georgetown. 3:10 p.m. EDT, tru TV.

I don't have one team seeded as a 1-4 losing in the first round but if someone were to come up to me and say that I would get one of those games wrong, this would be the one I would pick.

You have to do things well to pull off this kind of upset.

One is to control the action, limiting the bad turnovers. Belmont is fifth in the country in assists, which tells me that they are a good team at moving the ball around. 

The second thing that you have to do is take advantage of the opportunities that come. The Bruins are the fourth highest team in the country and are Top-20 in shooting percentage. That all plays into their hands. 

Fortunately for Georgetown, they have three double-digit scorers while playing in a league that emphasizes defense. 

Jason Clark, Hollis Thompson and Henry Sims will do enough to limit the Belmont runs, which will put the Hoyas into the Round of 32. Still, this one will be very much in doubt until the final seconds. 

Prediction: Georgetown 78, Belmont 75

No. 10 Purdue vs. No. 7 Saint Mary's. 7:27 p.m. EDT, tru TV.

Of all the games here, this is the one I see being the most one-sided. Still, it will be a good one. 

Teams with heavy senior leadership are scary opponents in the tournament. That is exactly what Purdue has in Robbie Hummel. This is also a team that's had some close losses against Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin. 

On the Saint Mary's side, you have one of the more complete teams in the country. Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones will supply the offense. If they can get through Hummel and company, this is a team you'll be hearing a lot of for the remainder of the tournament. 

But the Big Ten was a tough league this season that Purdue did relatively well in. On paper, this should go to the Gaels, but early in the tournament, teams tend to come out flatter than expected. One hiccup and the Boilermakers will roll.

Prediction: Saint Mary's 74, Purdue 67

For your printable NCAA Bracket, click here

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