NCAA Bracket 2015: Smart Predictions for Round 2's Most Intriguing Matchups

Some things in life, such as Kentucky's continued dominance, are obvious. Others, such as how Round 2 of the 2015 NCAA bracket plays out, not so much.

Hence the "madness" tag.

Call it unpredictable, intrigue or something else, but the round of 64 is a whirlwind of upsets, star performances and storylines rife with epic conclusions and new chapters.

It's a fitting breakdown considering this is the tournament in which parity earns its definition, as ESPN Stats & Info points out:

Before Thursday ambushes would-be bracketologists, let's nail down projections for some of Round 2's most volatile matchups—a good thing, by the way.

Key Tournament Information

Dates: March 17–April 6

Channels: CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV

Live Stream: March Madness Live

All Your Bracket Essentials: 

• Download the Printable Bracket

• Play the Free Bracket Challenge

Most Intriguing Matchups

No. 7 VCU vs. No. 10 Ohio State 

This one will be loads of fun.

VCU ranks 14th in ESPN's RPI rankings with a 6-5 mark against the RPI Top 50. Ohio State lags behind at 39th with a rough 1-7 mark in the same category.

The encounter out of the West part of the bracket will prove to be a war of wills, and an entertaining one.

VCU is a great feel-good story, going to the Big Dance for the fifth straight year and winning its first Atlantic 10 crown in the process, after a recent win against Dayton. As MSG Network's Wally Szczerbiak points out, the Rams continue to fight adversity:

Call it a chess match on the hardwood when the Rams encounter the Buckeyes.

VCU ranks 23rd in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com, meaning the Rams are one of the best defensive teams in the land. Ohio State will counter with freshman D'Angelo Russell, one of the nation's top scorers, who averages 19.3 points per contest. 

Were it not for an injury to senior guard Briante Weber, this one would look more favorable for the Rams. But with Russell able to run around unchecked, the safe bet is for Ohio State to pull off the slight upset.

Prediction: Ohio State 76, VCU 73

No. 6 Butler vs. No. 11 Texas

Two surefire sleeper favorites throw down out of the Midwest in Round 2.

One is Butler out of the Big East, a team that ranks 31st in RPI, with notable wins against North Carolina, Georgetown, Xavier and St. John's twice.

The other is Texas of the Big 12, 42nd in RPI with wins against Iowa, West Virginia and Baylor, not to mention immense upside at one point worthy of Final Four hype.

The hype surrounding the Longhorns is gone after a disappointing campaign and just eight wins in the conference, but the reason remains—freshman Myles Turner, who averages 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field.

As RJ Bell of Pregame.com points out, Las Vegas appears to disagree with both teams' seeds:

Butler isn't a bad team by any means, but in a game perhaps decided by defense (both teams rank among the top 20 in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com), it is hard to see how the Bulldogs can counteract Texas' size down low.

The Longhorns rank eighth in the nation with 39.7 boards per game, a number sure to go up if Turner sees the court more than the questionable 10 minutes he saw in a recent loss to Iowa State.

Turner is the reason many were hot for the Longhorns before the season. Dwindling hype will reignite in a hurry if Turner plays large minutes when it matters most.

Prediction: Texas 68, Butler 65

No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 13 UC Irvine

On paper, a showdown between Louisville and UC Irvine should be ugly. 

Should.

Louisville ranks 14th in RPI with a 9-8 mark against the RPI Top 100. UC Irvine is 89th and 3-6 in the same categories, respectively. To make matters worse, the Cardinals did their damage in the competitive ACC, while the Anteaters played in the Big West.

Games are played on the hardwood, though, and it's mismatch city when these two teams collide.

Mamadou Ndiaye leads the Anteaters. For those outside of the loop, he averages 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Oh, and he stands at a colossal 7'6" and 300 pounds. As CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie notes, it will pose a few problems for the Cardinals:

"

I’m picking UC-Irvine against Louisville. That’s a disaster matchup for the Cardinals.

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 15, 2015"

Ndiaye and the Anteaters will have a chip on their shoulder, too, considering it is the first time the program will make an appearance in the Big Dance. Guard Luke Nelson's words after a victory against Hawaii says it all, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com):

"

That was one of the things that really drew me to coming here, the fact that I could be a part of school history and doing something special at Irvine that no other team has done here before. I came here with that as my goal. That was something that Coach pushed to me. We came close to it last year, my freshman year.

"

Other than a tournament debut and a one-of-a-kind player, what makes this such an intriguing matchup is the war of wills between Ndiaye and Louisville's Montrezl Harrell.

Now, Harrell comes in at just 6'8" and 240 pounds, but averages 15.7 points and 9.5 boards per game. As far as one-on-one matchups go, this takes the proverbial cake.

Make no mistake, Louisville is the better team. Just don't expect Ndiaye and the Anteaters to come out and function like a deer in the headlights—it's going to be a lot closer than most think.

Prediction: Louisville 71, UC Irvine 69

Stats and info are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.