NCAA Bracket 2015: Schedule and Updated Predictions Before Friday's 2nd Round

Thursday reminded us why it's called March Madness.

Most brackets suffered setbacks due to a pair of massive upsets, as No. 14 Georgia State forged a miraculous comeback victory over No. 3 Baylor and No. 14 UAB shocked No. 3 Iowa State. The remaining games kept us on the edge of our seats, with seven finishing by a margin of four points or fewer.

Now, it's time to do it all over again on Friday.

Before another slate of tantalizing contests kick off—and another 16 teams are ousted from the NCAA tournament as a result—let's take a look at the full schedule of remaining Round 2 contests and predict a winner for each.

NCAA Tournament Round 2 Schedule

Time (ET)	Team 1	Team 2	TV	Pick
12:15 p.m.	New Mexico St.	Kansas	CBS	Kansas
12:40 p.m.	Georgia	Michigan State	truTV	Michigan State
1:40 p.m.	Wyoming	Northern Iowa	TBS	Wyoming
2:10 p.m.	Buffalo	West Virginia	TNT	Buffalo
2:45 p.m.	Indiana	Wichita State	CBS	Wichita State
3:10 p.m.	Belmont	Virginia	truTV	Virginia
4:10 p.m.	UC Irvine	Louisville	TBS	Louisville
4:40 p.m.	Valparaiso	Maryland	TNT	Valparaiso
6:50 p.m.	Oklahoma St.	Oregon	TBS	Oregon
7:10 p.m.	Robert Morris	Duke	CBS	Duke
7:20 p.m.	Davidson	Iowa	TNT	Davidson
7:27 p.m.	Albany	Oklahoma	truTV	Oklahoma
9:20 p.m.	Coastal Carolina	Wisconsin	TBS	Wisconsin
9:40 p.m.	St. John's	San Diego State	CBS	San Diego State
9:50 p.m.	North Dakota St.	Gonzaga	TNT	Gonzaga
9:57 p.m.	Dayton	Providence	truTV	Providence

Schedule courtesy of NCAA.com.

Updated Bracket

Friday's Game to Watch

No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Valparaiso

The Terrapins are officially on upset alert.

Maryland limped into the Big Dance following unspectacular showings to conclude the regular season and Big Ten tournament. The Terrapins may have put together an eight-game winning streak over that span, but they were pushed by inferior competition and won six of those contests by six points or fewer. That run was eventually snapped by Michigan State in the conference tournament.

Leon Halip/Getty Images

The Terrapins' biggest weakness was exposed by the Spartans in that game, as a severe lack of depth plagued Maryland. While guards Melo Trimble and Dez Wells are extremely talented and can put the team on their backs, they haven't been afforded much help by their supporting cast.

Due to a small rotation, Maryland tends to struggle to accumulate rebounds on the offensive end of the court, giving the team very few second-chance opportunities. Also, that lack of size doesn't allow the Terrapins to control the inside, forcing them to rely on jumpers and shots from the perimeter. Both of these weaknesses will come into play against a good-sized Valparaiso squad.

The Crusaders boast a frontcourt that contains 6'10" center Vashil Fernandez and 6'9" forward Alec Peters along with a very capable swingman off the bench in the 6'8" David Skara. These players have made Valparaiso one of the nation's better rebounding teams on both ends of the court, and they are poised to dominate the inside against a Maryland team that doesn't have the length to match up.

With Darien and Tevonn Walker residing in the backcourt, the Crusaders feature a very well-rounded offense, as both guards are more than capable of getting hot from the perimeter. This forces defenses to stay honest and allows Valparaiso's guards to either find an open look from outside or dish inside to one of their big men.

Valparaiso may have an advantage on the defensive side of the court as well. Ranked 17th in the nation in points allowed and 42nd in blocks per game, this isn't a team that allows opponents to dominate the interior. With Fernandez controlling the inside, the Crusaders will be able to focus on containing Trimble and force Maryland's supporting cast to step up.

Trimble is one of the nation's best players, and he certainly has the ability to win this game with a huge individual effort; however, this time of year is dominated by team wins. That's why the Crusaders get the upper hand here.

Prediction: Valparaiso 63, Maryland 59