NCAA Tournament 2015: Bracket Picks, Live Stream for Wednesday Round 1 Schedule

Before gorging on Thursday's loaded 16-game slate, the NCAA tournament field slims down to 64 with the final two Round 1 showdowns.

Cutting March Madness' ceremonial ribbon on Tuesday, Hampton and Ole Miss advanced to the second round. While poor Hampton must pull off the biggest tournament upset ever against undefeated Kentucky, the Rebels are now a potential bracket-buster.

A similar scenario unfolds during Wednesday's pair of matchups. One game features two underwhelming No. 16 seeds that captured an automatic bid, and the other pits two intriguing No. 11 candidates against one another.

Region	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
South (16)	Robert Morris vs. North Florida	6:40 p.m.	truTV
East (11)	Dayton vs. Boise State	9:10 p.m.	truTV

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Robert Morris vs. North Florida

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A date with Duke awaits Robert Morris or North Florida, either of whom would enter the second round an astronomical underdog. Yet the thrill of winning an NCAA tournament game and memories of Mercer shocking the Blue Devils in last year's round of 64 offer a glimmer of hope to the small-conference champions.

Carrying an eight-game winning streak into Wednesday, North Florida looks to become the second straight Atlantic Sun Conference champion to stun Duke. Meanwhile, Robert Morris put its name on the map five years ago by upending Villanova as a No. 15 seed. 

And hey, at least the winner doesn't have to face Kentucky.

As noted by The Associated Press' Rusty Miller, every player in this game will make his NCAA tournament debut. Forward Chris Davenport, who averages 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Ospreys, said the inexperience factor will evaporate early.

"It's human nature to have jitters," Davenport told Miller. "After the first couple of minutes of the game, me and my teammates will just treat it as any other game."

Both teams rely on crisp shooting, but North Florida does a better job of it. The club scores 75.7 points per game on 46.9 percent shooting. The Colonials notch 69.0 points per contest with a 44.6 field-goal percentage.

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According to KenPom.com, the Ospreys remain efficient despite functioning at a fast pace. They rank No. 61 in adjusted offensive tempo, giving them more possessions to compile points.

Robert Morris allowing more points per 100 possessions (102.4) than it scores (101.0), per KenPom.com, also sounds off the warning bells. Lafayette, Texas Southern and Hampton are the only other tournament participants with a negative net rating.

Don't count on North Florida respawning Duke's 2014 second-round exit, but at least the program won't go one-and-done during its first tournament appearance. 

Prediction: Northern Florida 79, Robert Morris 70

Dayton vs. Boise State

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Aren't these games usually played at a neutral location? Whether it was poor planning, a publicity stunt or an apology for sticking Dayton into the play-in round, the committee scheduled the Flyers to face Boise State in Ohio.

At University of Dayton Arena. Where Dayton plays.

Dayton has a rich history of hosting NCAA tournament action. According to USA Today's Rachel Axon, the town has housed 105 games, more than any other venue. Axon spoke to Mayor Nan Whaley about its significance. 

"It's part of who we are," Whaley said. "It's definitely given us much more, for the size of our community, a much larger national exposure because of the First Four. It's a sense of pride for the community, something the community values."

Cool, but couldn't this overlap have been avoided? CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd was among many onlookers confused by the curious booking.

Home-court advantage offers a major edge, especially to impressionable college minds. Just ask the Flyers, who went 25-8 overall and 16-0 at home. They gain a noteworthy upper hand in an otherwise even matchup.

KenPom.com places the Flyers and Broncos No. 40 and No. 41, respectively, in its team efficiency ratings. Boise State also boasts a 25-8 record heading into the must-win clash.

After losing four straight, Boise State won 14 of its final 16 games, ending with an overtime loss to Wyoming in the Mountain West tournament. Don't dig its grave just yet, but Dayton brandishes a superior defense, and forward Kendall Pollard is peaking at the right time with 14.9 points per game over his last nine outings.

Prediction: Dayton 72, Boise State 68