NCAA Tournament Schedule 2015: Picks, Live Stream for Sunday's Elite Eight

In a year when chalk has generally ruled, the cream of the NCAA tournament crop has risen to the top. A pair of No. 1 seeds has already reached the Final Four, and the two teams that join Kentucky and Wisconsin will form a quartet of national heavyweights.

The trio of Michigan State, Louisville and Duke has won four championships since 2000, while Gonzaga has been the nation's premier mid-major in that time span.

Indeed, even though the Cardinals and Spartans are the two highest-seeded teams in the entire Elite Eight, no one is truly surprised by the remaining squads.

So who will join the Wildcats and Badgers in Indianapolis next weekend? Let's dissect the round's last two matchups with predictions as well as TV and streaming info for the conclusion of the Elite Eight.

Time (ET)	Matchup	TV Info	Live Stream
2:20 p.m.	No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 4 Louisville	CBS	March Madness Live
5:05 p.m.	No. 2 Gonzaga vs. No. 1 Duke	CBS	March Madness Live

Sunday's Elite Eight Predictions

(No. 2) Gonzaga over (No. 1) Duke

The public has labeled the Zags as tournament chokers after five consecutive round-of-32 exits between 2010-14, but this year's Bulldogs are poised to shed that label and reach the program's first Final Four.

Head coach Mark Few's squad is the first Bulldogs team since the original Cinderella Gonzaga back in 1999 to reach the Elite Eight, and despite the discrepancy in program history between the Bulldogs and Blue Devils, there are reasons to believe the former could pull off the upset.

Duke is likely the most talented team outside of Lexington, Kentucky, led by the nation's best post scorer in Jahlil Okafor.

While most of its opponents defend Okafor by sending waves of double- and triple-teams, leaving the Devils' deadly wing scorers open, the Zags are the rare team with enough beef and depth in the frontcourt to counter the sensational freshman without compromising their defensive integrity, per SI.com's Michael Rosenberg:

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Duke has the nation's best post player in 6'11" freshman Jahlil Okafor but does not have much depth behind him. And while Okafor’s defensive deficiencies have been overblown, he is always at risk of getting into foul trouble. With the 7'1" Karnowski and 6'10" Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga can make Okafor work on defense, and may be able to send him to the bench.

“That’s where I think our team’s deadly,” said Zags star Kyle Wiltjer, who was speaking generally, not about Duke specifically. “We have that depth and we can put really big foul pressure on other team’s bigs. Sometimes we get easy baskets because they are scared they’re gonna foul.”

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If Gonzaga can play Okafor to a draw, the veteran backcourt duo of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell possesses the defensive and shooting capabilities to harass Duke freshman point guard Tyus Jones.

Moreover, Gonzaga's sure ball-handling could prove advantageous against a susceptible Blue Devils defense.

The key could be Byron Wesley, who will likely draw the matchup against Justise Winslow. The Zags are a disproportionate team in terms of size, alternating between towering big men and an undersized backcourt. Wesley is probably the best matchup against the 6'6" Winslow, who has averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds on 14-of-23 shooting over the past two rounds.

Winslow took over the Sweet 16 game against Utah when the Utes sold out to stop Okafor.

Duke's talent throughout its starting five will give it an edge at times, but don't be surprised if Gonzaga's depth allows the Bulldogs to finally break through to the Final Four.

(7) Michigan State over (4) Louisville

The Spartans and Cardinals are remarkably similar programs, reaching seven out of eight possible combined Sweet 16s over the past four years.

This game feels like a toss-up, for while neither team is as deep as it typically is, the top-level talent is still the same.

From Michigan State's perspective, Denzel Valentine was the difference in the last round against Oklahoma. Valentine pops out on the court, as the 6'5", 220-pound guard is a true bruiser with the ability to rebound and guard frontcourt players.

Consequently, it might be wise for head coach Tom Izzo to put Valentine instead of the defensively challenged Travis Trice on Louisville guard Terry Rozier.

At times, Rozier has been Louisville's only reliable offensive weapon in this tournament:

Indeed, the Cards are thinner than usual, especially after Chris Jones' demise (off-court issues). Quentin Snider has improved in Jones' stead, but if Valentine can reasonably check Rozier, that would put a tremendous amount of pressure on Montrezl Harrell and erratic shooter Wayne Blackshear.  

Louisville's strength lies on defense, as kenpom.com indicates that head coach Rick Pitino's squad ranks fifth in adjusted defensive efficiency.

Cardinals opponents have cracked the 70-point barrier just twice in the past 10 games, both losses against Notre Dame and North Carolina.  

But while the Spartans were an offense-oriented team for much of the regular season, they've clamped down into a more deliberate team in the tournament, playing slower and holding each of their opponents to 63 or fewer points.

Offensively, Michigan State has instead turned to its top trio to handle most of the scoring workload.

Michigan State's eight-man rotation gives it more depth than the paper-thin Cardinals, but look for Izzo to shorten his bench in this contest.

Valentine gives the team a weapon better than most to contain Rozier, so look for Trice's hot shooting and Branden Dawson's indefatigable work on the boards to allow the Spartans to complete an unlikely Final Four run.