NCAA Tournament Bracket 2015: Updated Predictions for Closest Round of 64 Games

If you weren't excited about the NCAA tournament before, Thursday's craziness likely made sure you'll tune in for the rest of the opening round.

Between dramatic upsets, huge shots and questionable decision-making down the stretch, there was plenty to watch in the first set of round of 64 games. With 16 more contests Friday, there is no reason to expect anything less.

While there will be some blowouts with the top teams in action, here is a breakdown of the top games to watch.

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No. 8 San Diego State vs. No. 9 St. John's

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St. John's excels with some quality guard play all over the court. D'Angelo Harrison and Sir'Dominic Pointer fill up the box score, while Rysheed Jordan and Phil Greene IV add plenty of points to help the offense.

However, the problem will be the defense, especially without the suspended center Chris Obekpa, which Adam Zagoria of SNY explained:

The talented player is the anchor of this unit, blocking shots and making just about everything difficult in the lane. Without him, Villanova turned the Red Storm defense into a layup line and scored 105 points. San Diego State doesn't quite have this good of an offense, but it should be able to take advantage of the undersized frontcourt.

With the way the Aztecs can defend the perimeter, they should be able to escape with the close win.

Prediction: San Diego State 67, St. John's 65

No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State

Oregon has been one of the hottest teams in the nation down the stretch. The squad won 11 out of 12 games to reach the Pac-12 tournament final before falling to Arizona.

This has not been the case for Oklahoma State, which lost six of seven games to close the year. Heading into the NCAA tournament, the squad now has an increased sense of urgency.

"You have to bring a different type of mindset to this one, because now it’s a one-game tournament," senior Michael Cobbins explained, per Berry Tramel and John Helsley of The Oklahoman. "If you win, you get another game. If you lose, it’s over with. Everybody’s just trying to stay alive right now and bring everything they’ve learned to the table."

Unfortunately, this is not the same team as earlier in the season. Phil Forte has struggled with his shooting, and it puts more pressure on Le'Bryan Nash to carry the offense.

Oregon has an elite scorer in Joseph Young, but he has more help around him and should be able to pull out a win.

Prediction: Oregon 75, Oklahoma State 68

No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Georgia

Michigan State is always a team to fear in March, but this year's team is now just as dangerous with a much lower seed.

Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight noted the squad should have been seeded higher:

"

The committee underseeded Michigan State again. That could cost Virginia again. http://t.co/wOzx0WperG pic.twitter.com/SbAsNl0Jxd

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) March 16, 2015"

The squad came within a few bounces of winning the Big Ten tournament before losing to Wisconsin in overtime and has played extremely well down the stretch. With Denzel Valentine and Travis Trice in the backcourt and Branden Dawson controlling the post, the Spartans will be a tough out for everyone.

This isn't good for Georgia, which has had a strong season despite dealing with a lot of injuries. When healthy, the group can play some excellent defense, although Michigan State's ability to share the ball will help on the offensive end.

The Spartans are well-coached with great rebounding ability and efficient offense. This will be enough to advance to the next round.

Prediction: Michigan State 64, Georgia 61

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter. If it's March, I'm talking about pretty much nothing but college basketball.