Sweet 16 Bracket: Updated Picks and Predictions for NCAA Tournament

The NCAA tournament featured plenty of surprises in the first weekend, but that doesn't mean all top seeds will remain in trouble going forward.

While Villanova, Virginia and Kansas were all eliminated before the Sweet 16, there are still three No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 seeds remaining, and all of them have a good chance of moving forward into the Elite Eight.

Kentucky might face a relatively tough battle thanks to West Virginia's pressure defense, but a number of other top seeds should be safe. Here is a look at full predictions with an overview of what should be some relatively easy wins Thursday and Friday.

	Thursday
	Friday
Time (ET)	Matchup	TV	Pick
7:15 p.m.	No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Wichita State	CBS	Notre Dame
7:47 p.m.	No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina	TBS	Wisconsin
9:45 p.m.	No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 5 West Virginia	CBS	Kentucky
10:17 p.m.	No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Xavier	TBS	Arizona
7:15 p.m.	No. 2 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 UCLA	CBS	Gonzaga
7:37 p.m.	No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 8 North Carolina State	TBS	NC State
9:45 p.m.	No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 Utah	CBS	Duke
10:07 p.m.	No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Michigan State	TBS	Michigan St

No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

North Carolina is certainly a tough team to play for the first time. The squad pushes the tempo and loves to score in transition, which could be a problem for a slower team like Wisconsin. Add in the great offensive rebounding ability, and the Tar Heels seem like a potential upset pick on paper.

However, this is a terrible matchup for Roy Williams' team.

Wisconsin has a great frontcourt in Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes, but all three of them can step out and hit a three-pointer. As Notre Dame showed in the ACC tournament championship game, the Tar Heels struggle to defend teams that can spread the floor.

The Badgers also do a great job of preventing second-chance opportunities on the other end of the floor.

Most importantly, however, Wisconsin doesn't beat itself, as Sam Dekker summed up to Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated:

Wisconsin always seems to make the right play and will control the game until it leaves with a win. 

No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Xavier

Xavier had two methodical victories in the opening rounds. The Musketeers won the rebounding battles in each matchup and had some great performances from point guard Dee Davis as well as Matt Stainbrook in the post.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports was impressed by the big man in the win over Ole Miss:

Unfortunately, it will be much tougher to put up good numbers against Arizona. The Wildcats have an elite front line of Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, each capable of using his length and athleticism to make every shot tough.

In the backcourt, T.J. McConnell will frustrate Davis on the ball and will prevent him from setting up the offense.

With Xavier struggling to get points, Arizona will only need average offensive games from Stanley Johnson, Ashley or even Gabe York to earn a win.

No. 2 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 UCLA

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

UCLA likely didn't deserve a spot in the NCAA tournament, but the squad took advantage of the opportunity and is now competing in the Sweet 16.

Based on talent alone, the Bruins are a tough matchup for anyone. The starting lineup is as good as any in the nation with tough frontcourt players who can rebound and guards who know how to score. At the very least, the squad has what it takes to keep this game close throughout.

Still, Gonzaga showed in its first few games (as well as the rest of the season) that this year's team is better than previous versions. Seth Davis of CBS Sports discussed one important difference in the win over Iowa:

The Bulldogs have a lot of size in the post as well as willing defenders all over the floor.

Most importantly, Gonzaga has a lot more depth in this matchup. The team will wear its opponent down before Kevin Pangos and Kyle Wiltjer play the role of closers to secure the win and move into the Elite Eight.

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