NCAA Tournament Bracket 2015: Updated Elite 8 Schedule and Odds

Those early-round upsets are great, but the cream has risen to the top in the 2015 NCAA tournament.

Marquee programs Kentucky, Duke, Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan State, Louisville, Notre Dame and Gonzaga populate the Elite Eight field in what should be some of the most thrilling games of basketball fans have seen in years. There will be All-Americans on the floor, legendary coaches prowling the sidelines and raucous fanbases packing the arenas.

This is the true March Madness.

Here is a look at some of the essential Elite Eight information, as well as some matchups to watch during the games.

Bracket

Elite Eight Odds and Schedule

Matchup	Date	Time	Point Spread	Predicted Winner
Arizona vs. Wisconsin	Saturday, March 28	6:09 p.m. ET	Arizona -1.5	Wisconsin
Kentucky vs. Notre Dame	Saturday, March 28	8:49 p.m. ET	Kentucky -11	Kentucky
Michigan State vs. Louisville	Sunday, March 29	2:20 p.m. ET	Michigan State -2.5	Michigan State
Duke vs. Gonzaga	Sunday, March 29	5:05 p.m. ET	Duke -2.5	Duke

Odds are courtesy of Odds Shark, as of Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.

Matchups to Watch

Kentucky’s Defense vs. Notre Dame’s Offense

Kentucky was downright scary against West Virginia in the Sweet 16. There’s really no other way to put it, as the Wildcats not only beat the Mountaineers, they eviscerated them to the tune of 78-39.

It would be easy to look at that result, the undefeated record, the countless NBA prospects and everything else and assume every other team is playing for second place in this tournament. Truthfully, that is probably the correct response.

Still, Notre Dame does have a ruthlessly efficient offense that will at least put up a fight against the Wildcats' suffocating defense. The Fighting Irish are No. 2 in Ken Pomeroy’s pace-adjusted offensive efficiency rankings (as of Friday night), while the Wildcats are a clear-cut No. 1 in the corresponding defensive rankings.

That is a classic “something has to give” showdown, although there is a bit more to it than the raw numbers when looking at the size and personnel of Kentucky’s defense.

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey didn’t seem to be afraid of the moment in his comments, via Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune: "Weren't we two-point underdogs to Wichita State (on Thursday)? That's kind of driven this crew the whole year. They love it. They relish it. Maybe it helps us play loose and attack more. If that's the case, I love being 12-point underdogs (against Kentucky)."

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The Fighting Irish space the floor and will oftentimes have five players who can shoot the three on the court at once. In theory, that can neutralize Kentucky’s size a bit and force the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein away from the paint to open up lanes for penetration from superstar Jerian Grant. 

However, we have heard all season about different teams that can beat the Wildcats in different ways (including West Virginia’s press before the Sweet 16). It’s just hard to believe it until we actually see it develop on the floor on this big of a stage.

Jahlil Okafor vs. Przemek Karnowski

Nell Redmond/Associated Press

Duke big man Jahlil Okafor could very well be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft and has the chance to become the star of this tournament if he leads the Blue Devils to the national title. However, he won’t be the only impact center on the floor Sunday when his team plays Gonzaga.

Przemek Karnowski may not be the apple in the eye of NBA scouts like Okafor is, but he dominated Gonzaga’s Sweet 16 victory over UCLA with 18 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and two assists. He was a magician with the basketball and made the Bruins look silly on defense all night. 

He certainly earned some high praise from ESPN’s Jeff Goodman in the process:

The big 7’1” center will be tasked with using his brute strength to keep Okafor from going off against the Bulldogs. Interestingly, he may have received something of a blueprint from Utah during Duke’s Sweet 16 victory, as Bleacher Report’s CJ Moore noted:

In all, Okafor only scored six points in 32 minutes of action Friday. That is a stat line that Gonzaga coach Mark Few would undoubtedly live with in the Elite Eight, especially if Karnowski can expose Okafor’s sometimes lackluster defense on the other side. 

Okafor is the future lottery pick and the brightest star this side of Kentucky or Frank Kaminsky remaining in the tournament, but he will have his hands full Sunday. Don’t overlook the Gonzaga big man.

Tom Izzo vs. Rick Pitino

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

On the surface, an Elite Eight matchup between Michigan State and Louisville isn’t really all that surprising considering the history of the two programs and their statuses as elite basketball teams. However, anyone who watched these squads at various points in the season knows this is something of a stunner. 

The respective turnarounds should be credited to the two brilliant head coaches, Tom Izzo and Rick Pitino.

ESPN Stats & Info pointed out that Michigan State’s run to the Elite Eight as a No. 7 seed is really no surprise given Izzo’s history, while Matt Norlander of CBS Sports noted that this is business as usual for these two titans in the sport:

In today’s era of one-and-done superstars, coaches are the one relative constant in the college basketball world (at least the ones who are successful enough to hold onto their jobs). Sure, witnessing the physically tough defenses of Louisville and Michigan State will be something of a treat Sunday, but the real show will be watching these two conductors put together yet another symphony. 

The one who does it best will be playing in the Final Four.

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