March Madness Bracket 2015: Latest Schedule, Best Sweet 16 Tournament Scenarios

The Kentucky Wildcats continue to be the top storyline of March Madness.

Already off to the best start in history at 36-0, coach John Calipari's juggernaut has been minimally tested through two 2015 NCAA tournament games.

Bearing in mind this particular team's deep roots of success, it's a rather sturdy limb to presume Kentucky will make it through the Sweet 16. Other than the Wildcats' archrivals, most want to see if this squad can pull off the perfect record.

Rather than further beating into the ground how great Kentucky is, let's take a look at some other subplots entering the regional semifinals that tip off Thursday. Also take a look at the updated bracket and schedule.

Thursday, March 26	Time (ET)	TV
Friday, March 27	Time (ET)	TV
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Wichita State	7:15 p.m.	CBS
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina	7:47 p.m.	TBS
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 5 West Virginia	9:45 p.m.	CBS
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Xavier	10:17 p.m.	TBS
No. 2 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 UCLA	7:15 p.m.	CBS
No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 8 NC State	7:37 p.m.	TBS
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 Utah	9:45 p.m.	CBS
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Michigan State	10:07 p.m.	TBS

Best Sweet 16 Scenarios

Wichita State Upsets Notre Dame

The Shockers have the goods to knock off the Fighting Irish and proceed to the Elite Eight. If that happens, Wichita will face Kentucky in the Midwest regional final, provided the Wildcats get past West Virginia.

In terms of a tantalizing matchup and giving Kentucky the best possible test, such an outcome couldn't be better. Point guard Fred VanVleet would provide the Shockers with an edge over erratic, inefficient Kentucky counterpart Andrew Harrison and cause problems for the diminutive Tyler Ulis.

VanVleet is the emotional and offensive catalyst for Wichita, evident in his heartfelt postgame tweet following the win over Kansas:

Few have an answer for the Wildcats' size, but Wichita State executes well enough from the perimeter with VanVleet and Ron Baker to keep Kentucky honest. Senior guard Tekele Cotton is also a lockdown defender who'd present a serious challenge to a slumping Devin Booker.

Cotton figures to be the foil for Notre Dame's Jerian Grant, and a big reason why the Shockers have such a strong chance to advance.

Bleacher Report's Jason King observed how Cotton, who actually wound up with 19 points, took Kansas' Wayne Selden Jr. out of the equation in the third round:

"

Tekele Cotton 17 points; Wayne Selden 0. Guess we know who won that matchup

— Jason King (@JasonKingBR) March 22, 2015"

When Wichita State was working on a perfect record last year, a Kentucky team that couldn't find synergy all season put everything together at the best possible time to top the Shockers in the round of 32. That rematch angle presents storylines galore.

The possibility of the mid-major from Wichita exacting vengeance on the country's biggest powerhouse is fascinating. Kentucky figures to be heavily favored no matter who it plays, but the Shockers are a great prospective adversary.

Rematch 2.0: Wisconsin vs. Arizona in the Wild West

Harry How/Getty Images

Speaking of take twos, the probability is high for the top two seeds in the West region to reconvene just as they did for 2014's thrilling regional final.

The Badgers got past Arizona 65-64 in overtime during last year's Big Dance. Most of the key contributors on both sides have returned, and several new notables have stepped up.

Arizona coach Sean Miller is facing his former team in Xavier for the Sweet 16. With a superior collection of talent and stout defense, the Wildcats ought not to have too much trouble pacing past the Musketeers.

Led by big man Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin has to be keen to return to the Final Four and prove to Arizona that it is superior. North Carolina presents an interesting Sweet 16 test, though, as ESPN College BBall highlights:

"

It'll be an interesting matchup between Frank Kaminsky and UNC's frontcourt. Who's your pick to advance? pic.twitter.com/1HAi36hJzG

— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) March 24, 2015"

But between forwards Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes, who can stretch the floor to the three-point line, the Tar Heels' paint-centric frontcourt rotation will have a hard time accounting for that type of spacing.

Freshman scorer Stanley Johnson gives the Wildcats an added weapon to throw at the Badgers, and Brandon Ashley is back after missing out on last year's NCAA tourney run with a foot injury.

CBS Sports' Seth Davis alluded to how Johnson's poor outing against Ohio State didn't cost Arizona much of anything in a 73-58 victory:

With a bit of a retooled and healthier roster, Arizona seems to have the edge on paper. However, Wisconsin never beats itself, always hangs tough and has arguably the best go-to guy in Kaminsky to lean on when the game comes down to the wire.

What a barn burner it would be to see the Badgers and Wildcats duke it out for a trip to Indianapolis.

Gonzaga Maintains Momentum, Rolls to Elite Eight

For all the clout Gonzaga has deservedly garnered during coach Mark Few's tenure, the Bulldogs haven't made it past the Sweet 16 since Few took over in 1999.

This is the first time Gonzaga has gotten to this stage of the Big Dance since 2009, which shows the progress Few has made with this season's squad. The Zags have averaged 86.6 points per contest thus far, so they're firing on all cylinders.

ESPN's Dick Vitale referenced how formidable the sharpshooting Bulldogs are in his analysis.

Up next for Few's bunch is a UCLA outfit that was heavily criticized for being in the NCAA tournament field in the first place. Now the Bruins are suddenly in the Sweet 16 despite garnering a mere 11th seed from the selection committee.

Despite the history that always follows UCLA's program, greater pressure is on Gonzaga in this instance because it has more to lose. Considering they're the favorites and are lighting up the March Madness scoreboard, it's time for the Bulldogs to take the next step.

Davis made a keen observation regarding Gonzaga's tendency to capitalize on opponents' mistakes, as it did in a most impressive 87-68 triumph over Iowa.

There may not be a better opportunity for Gonzaga to get to its first Final Four. Duke is the likely Elite Eight opponent. The Bulldogs could capitalize on the situation if they out-execute the Blue Devils on the offensive end.

But Few has to make sure his players focus on the task at hand. Sometimes being the apparent lock to win presents the greatest adversity. The combination of stud forward Kyle Wiltjer—a Kentucky transfer—and savvy floor general Kevin Pangos gives Gonzaga a great chance to advance in the South.