Elite 8 Bracket: Schedule and Keys to Victory for Sunday's NCAA Tournament Games

Saturday kicked off the 2015 NCAA tournament's Elite Eight action with a pair of compelling contests that produced awe-inspiring moments and nail-biting conclusions.

Wisconsin defeated Arizona after Sam Dekker downed some cold-blooded threes late in the game to help propel the Badgers to a seven-point victory. Kentucky remained unbeaten following a back-and-forth contest with Notre Dame, as Karl-Anthony Towns dominated the interior and led the Wildcats to a two-point win and a spot in the Final Four.

Luckily for us, that was only half the fun.

Sunday boasts two more captivating games, as No. 4 Louisville battles No. 7 Michigan State and No. 1 Duke meets No. 2 Gonzaga to decide the Final Four's last two competitors. Before the action takes flight, let's take one last glance at the day's schedule and look at the keys to victory for each team.

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

Keys to Victory

No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 7 Michigan State

The Cardinals have a rather simple key to the game: Get Montrezl Harrell going early. The forward isn't just the team's second-leading scorer, but he's been its inspirational leader and motivator as well. His tough, physical play down low on both ends of the court has been the primary reason for Louisville's success during the postseason.

Harrell is coming off a phenomenal performance in the Sweet 16 against NC State in which he bucketed 9-of-12 attempts from the floor for 24 points and added seven rebounds and four assists. He demands attention on the inside, and when defenses begin to gravitate toward him, shots begin to open up for Terry Rozier and Co. on the perimeter.

Due to the versatility of Louisville's offense, the Cardinals have shot 45.8 and 50.0 percent from the floor in their last two games, respectively. If they can keep up that pace, combined with their stout defense, they shouldn't have trouble getting past the Spartans.

Michigan State's key to the game is finding a way to control the interior on both ends of the court. The Spartans have been a solid rebounding team this season, but they are coming off a game in which they lost the battle in the boards to Oklahoma and allowed the Sooners to come away with 14 offensive rebounds. That won't fly against Louisville.

That isn't to say Michigan State was completely ineffective in that department, as the Spartans did accrue 15 offensive boards of their own—they simply need to limit the amount hauled in by their opponents. This will be a tall order against the Cardinals, as Michigan State features a small starting five. The team must get Branden Dawson involved here, as the 6'6" forward lacks size but has the athleticism to excel here.

Both Michigan State and Louisville have great defenses, so shooting struggles for each team should be expected to some degree. The Spartans are already a great ball-handling team that limits turnovers, so if they can also win in the boards, they'll generate more scoring opportunities and come away with the win.

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Gonzaga

Duke's key to the game is similar to that of Michigan State. The Blue Devils must control the interior on both ends of the court against a much larger Gonzaga team. While Duke does boast the immensely talented Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow, the team still allowed Utah to come away with 18 offensive rebounds in the Sweet 16.

Since offensive boards lead to second-chance opportunities, that's not a good sign with the nation's most accurate shooting team next on the slate. It won't be easy for Okafor and Winslow to flourish down low against the Bulldogs, as Gonzaga features 7'1" center Przemek Karnowski and 6'10" forward Kyle Wiltjer. That duo was the driving force behind the Bulldogs hauling in 50 rebounds against UCLA in the Sweet 16.

Gonzaga's Achilles' heel is its defense. The Bulldogs have been winning games by outscoring opponents in shootouts. Duke has the necessary firepower to win an offensive battle; however, the team with the most chances to score will most likely emerge victorious.

The Bulldogs will need some good looks on offense to take Duke down, and while collecting offensive boards is also very important, ball movement is the key to Gonzaga's victory. Every member of the team's starting five is capable of facilitating—each accumulated at least two assists against UCLA—and moving the ball around to create open looks will be necessary against a very athletic Duke team.

Keeping the Blue Devils off-balance on defense will help propel the Bulldogs to victory. Gonzaga is a tremendous shooting team, but it's coming off a down performance after shooting just 40.3 percent from the floor against the Bruins. That number won't cut it in this impending Elite Eight matchup, but good ball distribution will help catch Duke out of position to make a play.

If Gonzaga can get Karnowski going on the inside and pick its spots from the perimeter to help Kevin Pangos get back into a groove after hitting just 1-of-7 from downtown against UCLA, the Bulldogs will emerge victorious and earn a berth in the Final Four.