NCAA Tournament 2015: Upset Picks for Key Friday Games and Full Weekend Schedule

NCAA tournament upsets reared their ugly heads during the first day of second-round action, tarnishing brackets across the nation.

Of the day's 16 games, four were won by lower-seeded teams, including No. 14 Georgia State knocking off No. 3 Baylor in the West and No. 14 UAB downing No. 3 Iowa State in the South. Those contests quickly reminded us why it's called March Madness.

We should expect to see more of the same on Friday, as a few underdog squads match up well against their supposed superior opponents. So, that leads us to this burning question: Which of Friday's games will ultimately produce surprising and possibly bracket-busting results?

Before we glance at a trio of contests that are likely candidates, here's the tournament's updated bracket and a look ahead to the weekend's schedule for round-of-32 action.

Updated Bracket

Weekend Schedule

Date	Midwest	Time (ET)	TV
Date	West	Time (ET)	TV
Date	East	Time (ET)	TV
Date	South	Time (ET)	TV
Mar 21	No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 8 Cincinnati	2:40 p.m.	CBS
Mar 22	West Virginia/Buffalo vs. Maryland/Valparaiso	TBD	TBD
Mar 21	No. 6 Butler vs. No. 3 Notre Dame	7:40 p.m.	TBS
Mar 22	Wichita State/Indiana vs. Kansas/New Mexico St.	TBD	TBD
Mar 22	Wisconsin/Coastal Carolina vs. Oregon/Oklahoma St.	TBD	TBD
Mar 21	No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Arizona	5:15 p.m.	CBS
Mar 21	No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 14 Georgia State	6:10 p.m.	TNT
Mar 21	No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 4 North Carolina	8:40 p.m.	TNT
Mar 21	No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 8 NC State	7:10 p.m.	TBS
Mar 22	UNI/Wyoming vs. Louisville/UC Irvine	TBD	TBD
Mar 22	Providence/Dayton vs. Oklahoma/Albany	TBD	TBD
Mar 22	Michigan State/Georgia/ vs. Virginia/Belmont	TBD	TBD
Mar 21	No. 11 UCLA vs. No. 14 UAB	12:10 p.m.	CBS
Mar 21	No. 5 Utah vs. No. 4 Georgetown	7:45 p.m.	CBS
Mar 22	Duke/Robert Morris vs. San Diego St./St. John's	TBD	TBD
Mar 22	Iowa/Davidson vs. Gonzaga/North Dakota St.	TBD	TBD

Updated tournament schedule can be viewed at NCAA.com.

Friday's Upset Picks

No. 12 Buffalo over No. 5 West Virginia

The Bulls may be a little undersized, but they boast a very athletic starting five that have the athleticism to drive to the basket and the accuracy to drain buckets from a distance. This fast-paced squad is ranked 28th in the nation in points per game due to a blend of solid shooting and the ability to create more scoring opportunities by winning on the boards.

In Buffalo's win over Central Michigan in the MAC tournament final, the Bulls shot 49.2 percent from the floor, 45.5 percent from downtown, racked up 13 offensive rebounds and had just nine turnovers while all five starters scored double-digit points. That kind of efficiency is key to making a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Despite having decent size, West Virginia is only an average rebounding team and lacks accuracy, shooting just 41.2 percent from the floor on the season. If the Mountaineers can't force numerous turnovers, they'll struggle to keep pace with the Bulls. Considering Buffalo's ability to maintain possession, that's a likely scenario.

Prediction: Buffalo 73, West Virginia 67

No. 10 Davidson over No. 7 Iowa

Don't sleep on Davidson here. While the Wildcats suffered a loss to VCU in the Atlantic 10 tournament, they were playing extremely well down the final stretch of the season, racking up a 10-game winning streak thanks to an offense that really started clicking. Meanwhile, Iowa limps into the Big Dance on the heels of a terrible showing against Penn State in the Big Ten tournament.

The reason to like Davidson in this matchup is due to its ability to create scoring opportunities. This is a very good rebounding team due to aggressive guard play and a large rotation at forward. The Wildcats boast a smaller starting five, but all four guards are snipers from long range, as the team is shooting 39.7 percent from downtown this season.

Iowa does boast a very nice frontcourt featuring forwards Jarrod Uthoff and Aaron White, but it lacks perimeter shooting, making its one-dimensional offense easier to defend. Expect Davidson's versatility to be the deciding factor in this matchup as the Wildcats advance to the round of 32.

Prediction: Davidson 71, Iowa 66

No. 13 Valparaiso over No. 4 Maryland

Here's a perfect example of an upset due to a team's depth. Valparaiso features an extremely well-rounded squad comprised of solid perimeter shooters and big men capable of dominating the interior. As a team, the Crusaders shoot 45.9 percent from the floor, and they are one of the nation's better defensive and rebounding squads. That's a dangerous combination.

Valparaiso has the 6'10" Vashil Fernandez and 6'9" Alec Peters on the inside along with some great size off the bench as well. A trio of very capable guards comprise the backcourt, with Tevonn and Darien Walker and Keith Carter getting it done from behind the arc. While that lineup makes for a solid offense, this team wins games on the defensive end of the court, holding up nicely both on the inside and the perimeter.

That's not good news for a Maryland team that severely lacks depth. While Melo Trimble is one of the nation's best players and Dez Wells is a great complement, the Terrapins' inconsistent supporting cast will cause problems in this matchup, as Valparaiso's solid defense will blanket Trimble and force other Maryland players to step up. That gives the Crusaders the advantage here.

Prediction: Valparaiso 63, Maryland 59