March Madness 2015: Updated Bracket and Bold Predictions for the Round of 32

March Madness is a bit more condensed now that there are only 32 teams vying for a national championship, but that doesn't mean that the action will get any less frenetic or more predictable.

With a great mix of massive underdogs and dominant favorites remaining in the field, the NCAA tournament offers everything a college basketball fan could possibly want. Sweet 16 spots will be on the line Saturday and Sunday, and that should create some incredible moments.

As teams prepare for their clashes in the round of 32, here is a look at the upcoming slate of games, including some bold predictions regarding how they will play out.

Round-of-32 Schedule and Picks

Date	Time (ET)	Team 1	Team 2	Predicted Winner
Saturday, March 21	12:10 p.m.	UAB	UCLA	UCLA
Saturday, March 21	2:40 p.m.	Cincinnati	Kentucky	Kentucky
Saturday, March 21	5:15 p.m.	Ohio State	Arizona	Arizona
Saturday, March 21	6:10 p.m.	Georgia State	Xavier	Xavier
Saturday, March 21	7:10 p.m.	NC State	Villanova	Villanova
Saturday, March 21	7:45 p.m.	Utah	Georgetown	Utah
Saturday, March 21	8:40 p.m.	Arkansas	North Carolina	North Carolina
Saturday, March 21	9:40 p.m.	Butler	Notre Dame	Notre Dame
Sunday, March 22	12:10 p.m.	Michigan State	Virginia	Michigan State
Sunday, March 22	2:40 p.m.	San Diego State	Duke	Duke
Sunday, March 22	5:15 p.m.	Wichita State	Kansas	Wichita State
Sunday, March 22	6:10 p.m.	Dayton	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
Sunday, March 22	7:10 p.m.	Iowa	Gonzaga	Gonzaga
Sunday, March 22	7:45 p.m.	Oregon	Wisconsin	Wisconsin
Sunday, March 22	8:40 p.m.	West Virginia	Maryland	Maryland
Sunday, March 22	9:40 p.m.	Northern Iowa	Louisville	Northern Iowa

Updated Bracket

Bold Predictions

Michigan State over Virginia

Perhaps no third-round contest has more intrigue surrounding it than the battle between No. 7 Michigan State and No. 2 Virginia. That is due largely to the fact that the Spartans knocked off the Cavaliers in the Sweet 16 last year.

Now these two teams will duke it out for a Sweet 16 berth, and there is little doubt that it will be another tightly contested affair. Despite what happened last year, though, Virginia forward Anthony Gill insists that the Cavs are focused on moving on rather than revenge, according to Kyle Austin of MLive.com.

"This isn't going to be a revenge game, just us going out there and do what we do," Gill said. "I think everybody's hungry to go to the next round and wants to keep moving on, so I think we're ready for the challenge, and we're going to go out there and do it."

Avoiding a fate similar to last year won't be easy for Virginia. The Spartans always seem to raise their level of play under head coach Tom Izzo in March, and that was apparent during their run to the Big Ten tournament final and near victory over Wisconsin.

As pointed out by Mark Titus of Grantland, the Cavaliers may have gotten a raw deal by being seeded No. 2 and having to face Michigan State this early despite sporting a 30-3 record:

Neither team is especially flashy on the court, but they both scratch, claw and battle, which is an extension of their head coaches. Per ESPN.com's Andy Katz, that will be the case throughout Sunday's matchup:

The Spartans' key players were at their best in the win over Georgia in the round of 64, as Travis Trice, Denzel Valentine and Branden Dawson all had strong showings. They have to do the same in order to beat the tough-minded Cavaliers.

Virginia has a chance if guard Justin Anderson is able to prove he is all the way back from injury, but Michigan State's talent and March magic will ultimately be too much.

Wichita State over Kansas

College basketball fans get excited about certain matchups, and one can argue that the possibility of No. 7 Wichita State facing No. 2 Kansas in the round of 32 topped the list when the bracket was revealed.

With the Shockers beating Indiana and the Jayhawks taking down New Mexico State, this dream contest will become reality. Although the selection committee isn't necessarily supposed to pay attention to geographical rivalries when creating the bracket, Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated has a feeling that it knew what it was doing:

Despite being so close in proximity, Wichita State and Kansas playing each other is a rarity. In fact, it hasn't happened in 22 years, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

The Shockers have been among the best teams in college basketball in recent years, but they are often disrespected. Being seeded seventh is evidence of that, as is the fact that Kansas won't give them the time of day.

Wichita State has a chance to take its frustrations out on the Jayhawks, and Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com points out that the Shockers will have the benefit of playing without pressure against favored Kansas:

Kansas may be the more talented and athletic team, but Wichita State is no pushover. It has lost just four games this season, and it has several excellent, all-around players such as Ron Baker, Fred VanVleet, Darius Carter and Tekele Cotton.

The Jayhawks have the best player between the two teams in Perry Ellis, but he doesn't appear to be 100 percent due to a knee injury. That should create an opening for the Shockers, and they'll take it.

Northern Iowa over Louisville

Much like Wichita State, Northern Iowa was dominant in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. It lost only three games, but it was given a somewhat disappointing No. 5 seed, which means it must face No. 4 Louisville in the round of 32.

The Cardinals have the leg up in terms of big-game experience and coaching with Rick Pitino on the sidelines, but the Panthers might have the better team. Look no further than the round of 64, which saw Northern Iowa obliterate Wyoming, while Louisville barely survived UC Irvine.

After the Cardinals struggled so mightily, Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal suggested that they would have some major issues against Northern Iowa:

The Panthers' greatest strength is their depth, as they have eight players who play at least 17 minutes per night. Seth Tuttle is the only player on their roster who averages double-digit scoring at 15 points per night, but they get contributions from everyone.

That was apparent in the round of 64 against the Cowboys, as Northern Iowa's bench was the clear difference in the game, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

Louisville is a tough team coming out of a competitive ACC conference, but it doesn't appear to have the firepower needed to handle a team like Northern Iowa.

If the Cardinals play anything like they did against UC Irvine, then the Panthers stand to run them out of the building.

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