March Madness 2015: Updated Bracket and Sweet 16 Picks

Every quadrant of the NCAA tournament bracket has a compelling storyline to watch during the Sweet 16 action.

While the Midwest features undefeated Kentucky, a clash between a pair of athletic teams in Notre Dame and Wichita State is sure to captivate audiences around the nation. It's all about the underdogs in the East, as both No. 1 Villanova and No. 2 Virginia are out—can No. 8 NC State and No. 7 Michigan State continue their brilliant runs?

All eyes will be on the West's top matchup between No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 4 North Carolina. The Tar Heels have been playing some extremely good basketball of late, but will it be enough to take down Frank Kaminsky and Co.? The South boasts the tournament's final Cinderella team, as No. 11 UCLA will aim to take down No. 2 Gonzaga and earn a berth in the Elite Eight.

Before these squads take to the hardwood once more, let's take a look at the tournament's updated bracket and predict the winner of each Sweet 16 contest.

Updated Tournament Bracket

Sweet 16 Predictions

Team 1	Team 2	Pick
No. 1 Wisconsin	No. 4 North Carolina	Wisconsin
No. 2 Arizona	No. 6 Xavier	Arizona
No. 1 Duke	No. 5 Utah	Utah
No. 2 Gonzaga	No. 11 UCLA	Gonzaga
No. 1 Kentucky	No. 5 West Virginia	Kentucky
No. 3 Notre Dame	No. 7 Wichita State	Wichita State
No. 4 Louisville	No. 8 NC State	NC State
No. 3 Oklahoma	No. 7 Michigan State	Michigan State

Top Game to Watch

No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Xavier

If you're yearning for some high-octane action, look no further than this impending clash between the Arizona Wildcats and Xavier Musketeers.

Xavier has been playing well on the offensive end of the court through two March Madness contests. The Musketeers began the tournament with a decisive 76-57 victory over Ole Miss before downing a surprising Georgia State team by a score of 75-67.

During Xavier's victory over the Panthers, not many shots were missed. The Musketeers shot an impressive 67.6 percent from the floor, hit seven of 13 attempts from downtown and went 22-of-25 from the line. The team excelled in the shooting department thanks in part to great ball movement, which resulted in 13 team assists.

Jalen Reynolds led the charge with a game-high 21 points after shooting 8-of-9 from the floor. Guard Dee Davis produced a well-rounded performance, scoring 15 points and adding three rebounds, five assists and two steals. Myles Davis showcased his skills from downtown, connecting on five of eight three-pointers to score 17 points on the day.

It's tough to beat an offense that is capable of producing those kind of numbers. Although, if any team is up for the task, it's the dangerous and highly athletic Wildcats.

After breezing through the Pac-12 tournament, Arizona dropped 93 points on Texas Southern to begin the Big Dance and followed that up with a 15-point margin of victory over Ohio State. There's one very scary takeaway from the Wildcats' win over the Buckeyes—they scored 73 points despite star freshman Stanley Johnson hitting just one of 12 attempts from the floor.

T.J. McConnell and Gabe York picked up the slack, as each posted 19 points on the game, and forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson produced the game's only double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Even though Arizona faced some shooting struggles, it gave itself plenty of scoring opportunities by hauling in 18 offensive rebounds, accumulating nine steals and forcing 12 turnovers.

A team that can defeat strong competition in decisive fashion despite an inaccurate shooting day from a couple of its top players is an absolute force to be reckoned with throughout the remainder of the NCAA tournament.

Xavier will need another shooting performance that borders the 67.6 percent it put up against Georgia State to take down Arizona here. Although, considering the Wildcats are known for dominating the interior, causing turnovers and forcing opposing shooters into bad looks, that doesn't seem likely.

Prediction: Arizona 78, Xavier 68