Olympic Basketball TV Schedule: Where to Watch Day 12's Best Quarterfinal Games

The men's basketball pool play has officially come to an end, and with eight teams remaining in the tournament, every single contest now matters. Things now shift to a single-elimination format, meaning basketball fans won't want to miss a second of the action, which begins on Wednesday with the quarterfinal round.

There are several intriguing matchups worth keeping an eye on since they can go either way and be a big factor in what happens later on in the tournament. Team USA remains the heavy favorite to win it all and is likely to move past the quarters, but some of the other results aren't so certain, and that should make for some desperate and entertaining basketball.

Here are the three most intriguing quarterfinal games that you won't want to miss, including when and where you can catch them on television on Day 12.

France vs. Spain (11:15 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network)

Spain was heavily favored to win Group B and ultimately face the United States in the gold-medal match as it did in Beijing, but the Spaniards shockingly dropped close to decisions to Russia and Brazil, which resulted in them finishing third in the group.

As punishment, Spain will meet a French team that lost only one game in pool play and that was to the United States. Of all the quarterfinal tilts, this is the most interesting one.

Both teams feature plenty of NBA talent. Spain will lean heavily on the interior duo of Pau and Marc Gasol, but it also features another quality big in Serge Ibaka and a solid point guard in Jose Calderon.

France has depended on point guard Tony Parker and he has gotten the job done to this point with Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum lending a helping hand. Spain is the more talented team, but France has played better, and if Parker is on his game, then La Roja may be dealt a surprising early exit.

Brazil vs. Argentina (3 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network)

It's only fitting that the top two South American teams play each other and that will be the case when Brazil and Argentina take the floor on Wednesday. Brazil took second in Group B while Argentina was third in Group A after a second-half thrashing by the United States.

These squads will play for the unenviable right to play Team USA in the semifinals, and although they may ultimate wind up playing for bronze, both Brazil and Argentina were pesky in exhibition games against the Americans.

This is a game that will be determined largely by interior play as the Brazilians like to involve Nene, Anderson Varejao and Tiago Splitter, while one of Argentina's key players is Luis Scola.

There is no doubt that the key figure in this game, though, is Argentinian guard Manu Ginobili. He has tasted Olympic glory before and would love to get his hands on another medal. Ginobili is a guy who can score in bunches, and Canarinho must be very cognizant of that.

USA vs. Australia (5:15 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network)

If Australia beats the United States it will be considered one of the biggest upsets in Olympic basketball history, so let's proceed with the assumption that it won't happen.

Even if the Aussies aren't a threat to take down the Americans, though, every Team USA game is must-see TV. You never know for sure what you're going to get out of the red, white and blue as it followed up an 83-point thrashing of Nigeria with a narrow five-point win over Lithuania. The United States' skill level and volatility makes it both incredible and maddening to watch at the same time.

Australia isn't a team that should be taken lightly as it features several capable outside shooters that can keep things close for a while, but the Americans' edge in athleticism is obvious.

The main thing to watch for in this game is how well Team USA's first unit plays. It hasn't been great to this point, but that hasn't been an issue either. Those guys will be of the utmost importance moving forward, though, so watching how Mike Krzyzewski manipulates the lineup will say a lot about Team USA's prospects moving forward.

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