NCAA Tournament Schedule 2013: Where to Catch Round of 32's Top Games

After a wild and entertaining round of 64, the NCAA tournament will feature a few intriguing matchups in the round of 32.

Despite what history says, this year's No. 1 seeds are in for a tough test to advance to the Sweet 16. Some of those teams are in jeopardy of not advancing past the first weekend.

The round of 32 always features great matchups, and this year will be no different. However, there will be more top teams in danger of being upset.

Let's check out where and when to catch the most compelling matchups of the round of 32.

No. 12 Oregon vs. No. 4 St. Louis (San Jose, CA)

When: Saturday at 7:10 p.m. EDT 

Where: TBS

The Oregon Ducks are playing with something to prove. They somehow fell all the way down to No. 12, and they made a statement by handling Oklahoma State in the round of 64.

St. Louis, meanwhile, is gaining a lot of respect by the experts on television. The Billikens were sleeper picks by many, but now they will have to play a team that is on a mission.

Oregon had a chance to win the Pac-12 in the regular season, but it had to settle for the tournament title. The Ducks were disrespected by dropping so low, and they have a chance to reach the Sweet 16.

The Billikens have lost one game since the middle of January and only three since the beginning of December. 

Both teams can put up points. Oregon comes in averaging nearly 72 points per game, and St. Louis isn't far behind at 68 points per game.

Oregon passed a test in its last game, but the Billikens were able to coast. The Ducks are playing some of their best basketball of the season, and St. Louis has yet to cool down. This matchup could be the best of the round.

No. 9 Wichita State vs. No. 1 Gonzaga (Salt Lake City, Utah)

When: Saturday at 8:40 p.m. EDT

Where: TNT

The West region is up for grabs, but Gonzaga needs to turn it around quickly in order to get past Wichita State.

Gonzaga squeaked past Southern University on Thursday. It wasn't pretty at all and showed how vulnerable the Bulldogs are. They shot over 40 percent from the floor, but they couldn't pull away from the Jaguars.

On the other side, Wichita State took it to the Pittsburgh Panthers in the round of 64. Neither team shot above 40 percent from the floor, and the defenses made it tough to get good looks. However, the Shockers had over twice as many free-throw attempts. They shot 33-of-41 from the line.

Wichita State showed that it can still put up points without relying on three-pointers. And Gonzaga made eight three-pointers in its game against Southern but couldn't put the Jaguars away. 

Gonzaga is the most vulnerable No. 1 seed after barely winning its first game. The Bulldogs are also 1-2 against ranked teams this season, with the one victory coming by a single point. Wichita State has experience on its roster, so this has the makings of an upset.

No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 1 Kansas (Kansas City, MO)

When: Sunday at 5:15 p.m. EDT

Where: CBS

Like Oregon, North Carolina got robbed by getting such a low seed. The Tar Heels finished third in the ACC and made it to the finals of the conference tournament. Ever since they gave P.J. Hairston more minutes, the offense has been clicking.

Kansas, like Gonzaga, survived against No. 16 Western Kentucky (game recap via ESPN.com). Jeff Withey had a monster game against the Hilltoppers, and the Jayhawks needed every bit of it. He finished with 17 points, six rebounds and seven blocks.

The NCAA saw a chance to get good ratings for a game this early and took advantage of it. The Tar Heels, who should have been a higher seed, could have been in any other region. Instead, coach Roy Williams will get another chance to beat his former team. He is 0-2 against Kansas since joining North Carolina, including last year's loss in the Elite 8.

Withey should have a great game against an undersized North Carolina team. James Michael McAdoo will need to come up big and grab some rebounds, but Withey's size will give the Tar Heels problems.

Since the middle of February, the Tar Heels have been held under 70 points only twice. The Jayhawks will need to be ready from the start in order to avoid an upset. North Carolina loves to shoot the three, so a hot streak early will put pressure on the home (close enough) team.

*All stats are from ESPN.com

 

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