NCAA Tournament 2015: Updated Bracket and Matchups to Watch in Final Four

The weekend's Elite Eight action may have produced the most exciting moments of the entire 2015 NCAA tournament.

On Saturday, Wisconsin defeated Arizona 85-78 after the two highly athletic teams fought hard in a high-octane, back-and-forth affair. That was followed by an intense contest between Kentucky and Notre Dame that came down to the final seconds, as some late free-throw shooting by the Wildcats was enough to earn them the victory.

Sunday provided more jaw-dropping action, as a close game between Louisville and Michigan State was finally decided in overtime after the Spartans hit some cold-blooded threes and held strong on defense. Duke became the last team to reach the Final Four after a decisive 14-point victory over a potent Gonzaga offense.

With two pivotal showdowns on the way and berths in the championship game on the line, let's take a look at the tournament's updated bracket and analyze the matchups to watch in each Final Four contest.

Updated Bracket

The full tournament bracket can be viewed at NCAA.com. 

Matchups to Watch

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 7 Michigan State

Both Duke and Michigan State are chock-full of stellar three-point shooters; however, the matchup to watch in this contest will happen on the inside.

The Blue Devils have the size advantage in this contest, as 6'11" center Jahlil Okafor resides in the paint; however, with opposing teams game-planning specifically to contain him, he's coming off a couple of down performances. Over Duke's last two games, Okafor has scored six and nine points, respectively, while accumulating eight rebounds in each contest.

What was the end result? Well, in the Sweet 16, Duke lost the rebound battle 36-31 while allowing Utah to come away with 18 offensive boards, leading to 15 more shooting attempts for the Utes. In the Elite Eight, the Blue Devils again lost the rebound battle, this time collecting 31 boards to Gonzaga's 35.

On the other hand, Michigan State has been a strong rebounding team this season; however, undersized 6'6" forward Branden Dawson has been doing all of the work. Dawson led the Spartans with an average of 9.1 rebounds per game during the regular season, and he's continued that trend in the NCAA tournament, as he's coming off an 11-rebound performance against Louisville.

While athletic guard Denzel Valentine does help Michigan State accumulate boards, the team could struggle mightily in that department against a larger Duke team.

Whichever team can win in the paint and accumulate rebounds on both ends of the court will emerge victorious in this contest. Since both teams feature excellent shooters, maximizing second-chance opportunities while limiting those of the opposing team will be a crucial element for both squads in this Final Four showdown.

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 1 Wisconsin

Kentucky and Wisconsin boast two of the nation's most exciting and athletic frontcourts; although, the name of the game in this contest is versatility, as ball distribution will be key.

The Badgers feature two exciting players in Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker. Kaminsky is one of the most dangerously consistent forwards in college basketball, as he's accumulated at least 16 points and six rebounds in all four of his NCAA tournament appearances and is coming off a 29-point showing against Arizona.

Dekker is a perfect complement to Kaminsky. He is an extremely versatile player who can get it done on the inside and the perimeter. Just as consistent, Dekker has scored at least 17 points in each of his March Madness contests and is coming off a 27-point performance against Arizona in which he hit 8-of-11 from the floor, including going 5-of-6 from downtown.

While both players have found consistent success, they have yet to face a dominating team like Kentucky. To compete with the Wildcats, the Badgers will need production from guards Josh Gasser and Bronson Koenig. They are capable shooters and facilitators and must get involved early to keep Kentucky from blanketing Kaminsky with its overwhelming size.

The Wildcats may have the size coming into this contest, but Wisconsin isn't undersized by any stretch of the imagination and boasts enough athleticism to make up for what it lacks in height. Needless to say, Kentucky won't be able to win on a repeat performance of its Elite Eight showing against Notre Dame. Karl-Anthony Towns did torch the Irish with 25 points, but a one-man show won't get the team past Wisconsin.

Involving a variety of players shouldn't be an issue for Kentucky, as that remains one of the biggest factors in the team's undefeated season. While Towns did work against Notre Dame, five Kentucky players scored double-digit points just one game prior against West Virginia—Towns wasn't one of them.

If Kentucky plays to its strengths, it shouldn't have trouble advancing. Containing Kaminsky and Dekker with Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Lyles while allowing Aaron and Andrew Harrison to take advantage from the perimeter will allow the Wildcats to exploit the Badgers' lack of depth.