NCAA Bracket 2015: Schedule and Updated Predictions Before Saturday's 3rd Round

The unpredictability of the NCAA tournament was quite apparent throughout the round of 64, and there is no sign of that changing when the round of 32 tips off Saturday.

With teams now just three victories away from a Final Four berth, the importance of turning in a strong performance is even greater. There were some fantastic matchups in the second round, but it can be argued that the third round features more intriguing clashes now that some of the lesser teams have been weeded out.

Before teams attempt to punch their tickets to the Sweet 16, here is a look at Saturday's March Madness schedule, including predictions for how every game will play out.

Saturday's Round-of-32 Schedule and Picks

Date	Time (ET)	Round	Team 1	Team 2	Predicted Winner	Watch
Saturday, March 21	12:10 p.m.	Round of 32	UAB	UCLA	UCLA	CBS
Saturday, March 21	2:40 p.m.	Round of 32	Cincinnati	Kentucky	Kentucky	CBS
Saturday, March 21	5:15 p.m.	Round of 32	Ohio State	Arizona	Arizona	CBS
Saturday, March 21	6:10 p.m.	Round of 32	Georgia State	Xavier	Xavier	TNT
Saturday, March 21	7:10 p.m.	Round of 32	NC State	Villanova	Villanova	TBS
Saturday, March 21	7:45 p.m.	Round of 32	Utah	Georgetown	Utah	CBS
Saturday, March 21	8:40 p.m.	Round of 32	Arkansas	North Carolina	North Carolina	TNT
Saturday, March 21	9:40 p.m.	Round of 32	Butler	Notre Dame	Notre Dame	TBS

Updated Bracket

Top Games to Watch

Ohio State vs. Arizona

It isn't often that two powerful programs meet in the round of 32, but that will be the case when No. 2 Arizona takes on No. 10 Ohio State with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.

The Buckeyes have had their ups and downs this season, but they are a supremely talented team. That was obvious in the round of 64 as they got past VCU in overtime by virtue of freshman guard D'Angelo Russell's spectacular, 28-point performance.

OSU has potential, but the Wildcats have unquestionably been among the best teams in college basketball all season long. They boast an excellent starting five, and Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl views them as one of the few teams that can hang with Kentucky, according to "Mike & Mike" on Twitter:

Arizona is especially strong on the interior, which is something that Ohio State head coach Thad Matta will be heavily focused on, per Paul Myerberg of USA Today.

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"I think in terms of Arizona, you know, they are probably completely different in terms of how VCU plays," Matta said. "You know, the big guys, (Brandon) Ashley, (Kaleb) Tarczewski, are definitely monsters down there. We've got to come up with something."

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How Matta game-plans will be one of the most interesting parts of the contest. The same can be said on the other side with Sean Miller in what promises to be a marquee coaching matchup, according to Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com:

If the Wildcats are able to funnel the ball to Ashley, Tarczewski and Stanley Johnson, it will be very difficult for the perimeter-based Buckeyes to hang in there.

With that said, Ohio State has a puncher's chance due to the presence of Russell, and Arizona certainly can't feel 100 percent confident due to his ability to fill up the basket.

Arkansas vs. North Carolina

While defensive basketball tends to win championships, there is something special about watching two offensive juggernauts slug it out in a fast-paced affair.

That will be the case Saturday when No. 5 Arkansas and No. 4 North Carolina go at it. Both teams are stacked with athletic talent from top to bottom, and they aren't shy about running the floor or jacking up as many shots as they can.

Rothstein is among those who are looking forward to what should be a highly entertaining affair:

The Razorbacks and Tar Heels almost failed to reach the round of 32 as they faced stiff challenges from Wofford and Harvard, respectively. Now that they are each a win away from the Sweet 16, though, it is likely that they will throw everything they have at one another.

Arkansas and UNC mirror each other quite well, and that is evidenced by the fact that they have a quicker offensive tempo based on Ken Pomeroy of KenPom.com's formula than anyone else in the tourney, according to Andrew Mason of DenverBroncos.com:

Guard Marcus Paige activates the Tar Heels' attack with talented bigs such as Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks providing much of the scoring. As for the Razorbacks, SEC Player of the Year Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls provide a one-two punch that rivals any in college basketball.

Both these teams can light up the scoreboard when they are clicking on all cylinders, which means this could potentially be the game of the tournament.

Butler vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame is among the most exciting teams in college basketball, while Butler seemingly always finds a way to get the job done in March. Due to that dynamic, the round-of-32 meeting between these two Indiana-based teams promises to be a good one.

The Fighting Irish entered the tourney with a ton of momentum on their side as they won the ACC tournament and beat the likes of Duke and UNC along the way. Even so, Notre Dame barely survived a scare against Northeastern in the second round, and it is somewhat lucky to still be playing, according to Rothstein:

Despite ND's struggles, it still has all the pieces needed to make a deep run. Point guard Jerian Grant is undoubtedly one of the best players in the country, while big man Zach Auguste flexed his muscles against the Huskies to the tune of 25 points.

The Irish will meet another gritty team in the form of Butler, but the Bulldogs could be compromised to some degree. Second-leading scorer Roosevelt Jones was hobbled by an injury in the second round against Texas, and it unclear how healthy he'll be, per Patrick Netherton of SiriusXM College Sports Nation:

If Jones is unable to move fluidly, then Butler will be without one of its biggest weapons. The Bulldogs still have some quality players in Kellen Dunham and Andrew Chrabascz, but they need all the help they can get to keep pace with the Irish.

Butler is resilient, though, which is why this will be an intriguing matchup regardless.