NCAA Tournament 2017: Upset Picks for Key Friday Games and Full Weekend Schedule

The start of the NCAA tournament is arguably the best weekend on the sports calendar, and so far, the first round hasn't disappointed. 

Despite the lack of upsets on the first day, we were still treated to plenty of thrilling finishes and exciting action. 

The rest of the weekend is sure to be just as drama-filled, and hopefully, it will bring a few more shocking upsets. Here's a look at the updated bracket and the schedule that lies ahead, followed by a closer examination of potential bracket-busting games on Friday's schedule:

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Spread
Friday Games
No. 10 Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 Michigan	12:15 p.m.	CBS	MICH -2.5
No. 14 New Mexico State vs. No. 3 Baylor	12:40 p.m.	truTV	BAY -12.5
No. 9 Seton Hall vs No. 8 Arkansas	1:30 p.m.	TNT	ARK -1
No. 14 Iona vs. No. 3 Oregon	2 p.m.	TBS	ORE -14.5
No. 15 Jacksonville State vs. No. 2 Louisville	2:45 p.m.	CBS	LOU -19.5
No. 11 USC vs. No. 6 SMU	3:10 p.m.	truTV	SMU -6.5
No. 16 Texas Southern vs. No. 1 North Carolina	4 p.m.	TNT	UNC -26.5
No. 11 Rhode Island vs. No. 6 Creighton	4:30 p.m.	TBS	Even
No. 16 UC Davis vs. No. 1 Kansas	6:50 p.m.	TNT	KAN -24
No. 10 Wichita State vs. No. 7 Dayton	7:10 p.m.	CBS	WICH -6
No. 15 Troy vs. No. 2 Duke	7:20 p.m.	TBS	DUKE -20
No. 11 Kansas State vs. No. 6 Cincinnati	7:27 p.m.	truTV	CIN -3.5
No. 9 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Miami FL	9:20 p.m.	TNT	MIA -2
No. 15 Northern Kentucky vs. No. 2 Kentucky	9:40 p.m.	CBS	UK -20
No. 10 Marquette vs. No. 7 South Carolina	9:50 p.m.	TBS	SC -1.5
No. 14 Kent State vs. No. 3 UCLA	9:57 p.m.	truTV	UCLA -18.5
Saturday Games
No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 West Virginia	12 p.m.	CBS	TBD
No. 8 Wisconsin vs No. 1 Villanova	2:30 p.m.	CBS	TBD
No. 8 Northwestern vs. No. 1 Gonzaga	5 p.m.	CBS	TBD
No. 11 Xavier vs. No. 3 Florida State	6 p.m.	TNT	TBD
No. 12 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 4 Butler	7 p.m.	TBS	TBD
No. 7 Saint Mary's vs. No. 2 Arizona	7:30 p.m.	CBS	TBD
No. 5 Virginia vs. No. 4 Florida	8: 30 p.m.	TNT	TBD
No. 5 Iowa State vs No. 4 Purdue	9:30 p.m.	TBS	TBD

No. 11 Rhode Island over No. 6 Creighton

The selection committee apparently thinks a victory by the Rhode Island Rams would be an upset, but the oddsmakers know better. Despite the higher seed, the Creighton Blue Jays aren't even favored in this matchup, with the spread set at even. 

The seeding process for Creighton was complicated by an injury to senior guard Maurice Watson Jr., who was lost for the year with a knee injury in January. Prior to Watson's injury, the Blue Jays were 18-1 but stumbled to a 7-8 record down the stretch. 

Despite not playing like a tournament team late in the season, Creighton's overall resume was worthy of a tournament bid and set the table for this potential "upset."

One of the areas where Rhode Island holds a clear advantage is in the rebounding game. The Rams ranked 93rd in the country in rebounding rate. That's not an elite ranking, but Creighton consistently struggled on the boards this year, managing to place just 235th in the same category. 

If Rhode Island can control the boards, they should be able to also control the pace of the game, which will help them slow down Creighton's fast-paced offense. 

The biggest obstacle for Rhode Island in this matchup may be overcoming their inexperience in the tournament. This is the Rams' first tournament appearance since Lamar Odom led them to the dance in 1999. It's also the first tournament bid for head coach Dan Hurley, who is in his seventh season as a D-I head coach. 

Creighton, however, is making its fourth tournament appearance in the last six years and is led by head coach Greg McDermott, coaching in his seventh tournament. 

No. 11 Kansas State over No. 6 Cincinnati

The First Four is theoretically supposed to put the last few teams to sneak into the field at a disadvantage. But the winners of those games seem to benefit from shaking off the tournament jitters in the early game. 

Since the field expanded to 68 teams in 2011, one of the First Four winners has also won its first-round game every year, and three of the six teams have advanced as far as the Sweet 16.

Year	Seed/School	Advanced to Round
2016	11 Wichita State	Second Round
2015	11 Dayton	Second Round
2014	11 Tennessee	Sweet 16
2013	13 La Salle	Sweet 16
2012	12 South Florida	Second Round
2011	11 VCU	Final Four

The Kansas State Wildcats have an excellent opportunity to extend that streak against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Friday. 

Cincinnati is known for its defense, holding opponents to an effective field-goal percentage of just 44.8 percent, which ranks 12th in the country. But the Wildcats have proved capable of winning tight, low-scoring games.

One of Kansas State's signature wins this season was a 56-54 victory at Baylor, which was ranked No. 2 in the country at the time. It was one of two victories for Kansas State over Baylor, which ranks 17th in the nation in effective field-goal percentage. 

The Wildcats' experience—and success—against a similar team should give them confidence heading into Friday's tournament game. 

No. 14 Iona over No 3. Oregon

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

The Oregon Ducks are another team limping into the tournament and on upset alert as a result. 

A season-ending knee injury to sophomore forward Chris Boucher dealt a devastating blow to Oregon's depth. Without Boucher, Oregon enters the tournament with just six players averaging more than 10 minutes per game and will likely need to rely on their starters to play big minutes in any close games. 

Oregon's lack of depth plays perfectly into the Iona Gaels' strength, which is pushing the ball up the court and creating a fast-paced game. 

Iona ranks 52nd in the nation in pace of play, averaging 72.4 possessions per 40 minutes. The Gaels also ranked 13th in the nation in field goals attempted this year. 

Oregon has the athletes to play a fast-paced game, but their lack of depth could become an issue late in the game if Iona is able to push the pace and wear down the Ducks. 

Stats from Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.