NCAA Bracket 2015: Schedule and Updated Predictions Before Sunday's Elite 8

The Kentucky Wildcats and Wisconsin Badgers reached the Final Four following a pair of thrilling contests to kick off the weekend's NCAA tournament action.

Wisconsin and Arizona produced plenty of offensive fireworks during a game in which the two squads showcased their athleticism, running the floor and draining buckets in transition. A brilliant performance by Sam Dekker proved to be the difference-maker, as the forward showed nerves of steel, knocking down some late three-pointers as the Badgers pulled away.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame gave Kentucky a run for its money. Zach Auguste hung tough with the Wildcats big men on the inside, allowing the Fighting Irish to hang around. However, an impressive 25-point effort from Karl-Anthony Towns proved to be just enough to allow Kentucky to remain unbeaten and continue on to the Final Four.

The action continues Sunday, as No. 4 Louisville takes on No. 7 Michigan State and No. 1 Duke meets No. 2 Gonzaga. Before another pair of compelling March Madness contests kick off, let's take a look at the updated tournament bracket, the day's schedule and predictions for each game.

Updated Bracket

Sunday's Elite Eight Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	TV
March 29	2:20 p.m.	No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 7 Michigan State	CBS
March 29	5:05 p.m.	No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Gonzaga	CBS

Live Stream: NCAA March Madness Live

Predictions

No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 7 Michigan State

Louisville enters this contest on the heels of a big win over NC State. Forward Montrezl Harrell continues to inspire the team with physical play on the inside, and he came away with 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists against the Wolfpack. He's complemented nicely by a trio of guards led by Terry Rozier, who can shoot from and defend the perimeter.

The Cardinals are strong on both ends of the court. They move the ball around nicely while limiting turnovers on offense and can generate blocks and steals with frequency on the defensive end of the court. If Louisville can keep up its current shooting accuracy—the team has shot better than 45.0 percent from the floor in its last two contests—it will move past the Spartans.

Michigan State continues to play phenomenal postseason basketball for head coach Tom Izzo. The Spartans have come alive on defense, recently holding the dangerous Oklahoma Sooners to shoot just 36.4 percent from the floor and 23.5 percent from downtown in the Sweet 16. They've now allowed fewer than 60 points in two of their three NCAA tournament contests.

Guards Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine have been terrific for Michigan State of late. The duo combined for 42 points, 10 rebounds and four assists against Oklahoma. However, if the Spartans are going to advance beyond Louisville, they will need a bigger offensive effort from Branden Dawson, who is coming off a six-point showing.

While Michigan State's defense will attempt to cool off Louisville's hot hand, the versatile Cardinals are extremely difficult to control due to their ability to score from the perimeter and control the inside. Expect Louisville to win a close one here.

Prediction: Louisville 64, Michigan State 62

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Gonzaga

Duke has been one of the tournament's most well-rounded offensive teams, with Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow controlling the frontcourt and Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook playing well from the perimeter. With so many capable scorers, the Blue Devils have the privilege of riding the player who has the hot hand in any given game. In the Sweet 16, that happened to be Winslow, who scored 21 points against Utah.

A good rebounding team, Duke's big men compete for boards; however, one concern going forward was Utah's ability to generate 18 offensive rebounds in the Sweet 16, leading to 15 more shooting attempts than the Blue Devils. Duke can't afford for that to happen against the nation's best shooting team in Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 74-point performance against UCLA thanks, in part, to great work down low by 7'1" center Przemek Karnowski and 6'10" forward Kyle Wiltjer. The frontcourt duo combined for 26 points and 19 rebounds during Gonzaga's winning effort. They were complemented nicely by guards Byron Wesley and Kevin Pangos, who combined to score 24 points.

Gonzaga managed to put up some gaudy numbers against the Bruins despite having an off shooting day by its standards, hitting 40.3 percent from the floor. Although, good ball control led to just five turnovers, and great interior play saw the team finish with 50 rebounds—two aspects that led to increased shooting attempts for the Bulldogs.

This impending contest may all come down to which team controls the inside. While Duke has a far more exciting interior player in Okafor, he may have a difficult time competing with the sheer size Gonzaga brings to the table. Expect the Bulldogs to win in the boards, generate plenty of additional shooting attempts and outscore the Blue Devils as a result.

Prediction: Gonzaga 74, Duke 71