NCAA Bracket 2017: Smart Predictions for Round 2's Most Intriguing Matchups

Selection Sunday trimmed the fat, and the best teams in the nation will do the rest over the course of March Madness. 

Syracuse and Illinois State, along with a few others team sporting burst bubbles, would probably like a word with the above. But there will always be so-called snubs with flawed resumes sifted out of the filter, imperfect process or not.

What's left is a must-see bracket promising big things. Gonzaga has what looks like the toughest path for a No. 1 seed and the South Region could produce North Carolina-Kentucky, while the East Region could make Villanova-Duke a reality.

Those are just the highlights, too. Before things get underway, let's take a look at the full field and break down a few of the second round's more interesting matchups.

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Bracket

Middle Tennessee vs. Minnesota

When it comes time to make a bracket, at least one No. 12 seed needs to upset a No. 5 each year.

Sorry, Minnesota.

It's the harsh reality of the bracket, where the fifth seed is usually a fringe team from a power conference. Said fringe usually needs to deal with a beast of a mid-major ready to make a run at the title of Cinderella.

Not that Minnesota isn't a great team on its own. The Golden Gophers rank 20th in RPI and cruised through a strength of schedule ranked 17th. Nate Mason (15.5 points per game) leads an efficient offense, but the program makes its headway via a suffocating defense this year, which ranks 18th in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com.

But as CBS reporter Jamie Erdahl pointed out, the Blue Raiders aren't an easy out:

Middle Tennessee isn't far behind in RPI at No. 35 and boasts two players averaging more than 15 points per game—JaCorey Williams and Giddy Potts—and a resume boasting wins against UNC-Wilmington and Vanderbilt, not to mention winning 11 of their last 12 outings.

The Blue Raiders are simply too hot right now, and the Golden Gophers will have a hard time putting the clamps down on Williams and Potts. A record just one game above .500 against the RPI top 50 says it all—Minnesota is ripe for an upset against a foe capable of exploiting its lapses.

Prediction: Middle Tennessee 64, Minnesota 60

Miami vs. Michigan State 

A meeting between the Miami Hurricanes and Michigan State Spartans is great in any sport, ranging from football right on to the Big Dance itself. 

Good luck separating the two much on paper this year.

Michigan State ranks 51st in RPI after bruising through a top-10 strength of schedule. Miami had it a little easier against a 41st-ranked strength of schedule, slotting 42nd in RPI.

The Spartans have Miles Bridges leading the way at 16.7 points per game; he'll be the man charged with overcoming a Hurricanes team ranked 20th in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.

Observant fans tasked with filling out a bracket will notice a theme surrounding this matchup, though. As good as it looks, one gets the sense the Spartans are just relived to make the field at all. Just look at the reaction by Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, according to the Detroit News' Matt Charboneau.

"I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I wasn't ecstatic to get in. I told my players that everyone thinks it's my time of year when it really is the program's time of year. The program has done this year after year after year with different players, and that was important," Izzo said.

The cracks start to appear when looking closer at RPI numbers. Tough schedule or not, the Spartans dropped games to teams sitting 88th, 104th and 137th. Izzo's side also couldn't best a team in the RPI top 20 despite six chances. Miami only lost once to a team outside the top 80 and beat RPI teams ranked fifth, sixth and 18th.

Long story short: strength of schedule doesn't tell the whole story. The Hurricanes have a better defense and came up bigger when it mattered, which will translate to this second-round encounter.

Prediction: Miami 66, Michigan State 64

Northwestern vs. Vanderbilt

The Northwestern Wildcats are one of the bracket's best stories with the program making its first appearance in the Big Dance.

But it's hard to imagine a rougher debut scenario.

The Wildcards have to deal with the Vanderbilt Commodores out of the SEC, a team slotted 38th in RPI after battling for the toughest strength of schedule in the land. Behind four players averaging double-digit points and adjusted offense and defense efficiency ratings ranked among the top 48 at KenPom, the Commodores went 4-4 against the RPI top 25 and 6-8 against the top 50.

By comparison, Northwestern went 1-5 and 5-8, respectively. The Wildcats finished 49th in RPI on a 64th-ranked strength of schedule. The Wildcats strive on balance and hearty defense, two traits the Commodores will strain right out of the gates.

As Sports Illustrated's Brian Hamilton recorded, off-court storylines reign supreme in this matchup as well:

On the court, it is important to look past simple numbers, too.

Northwestern is a great story, but tournament-debut sluggishness might make for an ugly showing. Look for Vanderbilt to get hot from the field as usual and keep the Wildcats at an arm's length. 

Prediction: Vanderbilt 59, Northwestern 54

Stats and information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. Advanced metrics courtesy of ESPN.com.