NCAA Tournament 2017: Upset Picks for Round of 32 and Updated Sweet 16 Schedule

On Saturday, Wisconsin delivered the first monumental upset of the NCAA tournament with a victory over the No. 1 overall seed, Villanova. Furthermore, three No. 6 seeds lost in the round of 64. For bracket challengers, No. 11 should stand out as the lucky number. Will the magic continue on Sunday? 

Southern California remains as the only team from the First Four round. The Trojans mounted double-digit comebacks in both contests. Sophomore forward Bennie Boatwright led his group to avenge last year’s loss to Providence. Junior guard Elijah Stewart dropped six three-pointers on Southern Methodist, which helped propel his team to a 66-65 victory on Friday.

Michigan rode its Big Ten tournament momentum and edged a tough Oklahoma State team that fought until the final buzzer. As expected, Cowboys sophomore guard Jawun Evans left everything on the court, but the Wolverines' prominent players exploded on the offensive end. John Beilein's group shot 16-of-29 from beyond the arc. 

Which lower seeds escape the second round to advance to the Sweet 16? The graphic below illustrates up-to-date bracket matchups:

First Four to Sweet 16

The Trojans’ resurgence isn’t all about Boatwright, but he’s 6’10” with a smooth jumper from distance, which makes him the focal point on the offensive end. The sophomore forward started strong and took over the game against Providence:

Still, the Trojans had to erase a 17-point deficit to pull out the victory:

SMU’s Semi Ojeleye outplayed Boatwright in the 64-team round, but USC didn’t fall far behind on the scoreboard. Stewart hit a clutch three-pointer to put his team on top late in the fourth quarter:

The Mustangs failed to score on a final possession that took too long to develop.

After two exhilarating victories, the Trojans look for a second upset against Baylor. The Bears received significant help from their bench, particularly Terry Maston and Allerik Freeman. The juniors combined for 40 points and went 15-of-22 on field-goal attempts.

Bears junior guard Manu Lecomte has been inconsistent throughout the year. If the bench doesn’t put forth another productive performance, USC will find a way to steal the game. With forward Chimezie Metu’s ability to produce a double-double and defend the rim to go along with the offensive output, the Trojans pull off another victory.

Michigan Continues to Roll 

On Friday, the Wolverines shot with scorching hot hands from three-point land:

Zak Irvin, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Derrick Walton Jr. combined for 13 three-pointers during the contest—Michigan needed every basket in a one-point victory.

With two ball distributors on the court, the Wolverines have the ability to spread the floor and pick apart opposing defenses. Those floor generals, Irvin and Walton, also led the team in scoring throughout the season.

Over the past two games, junior forward D.J. Wilson has provided an extra lift on both ends of the court. He amassed a combined 36 points and five blocked shots between the Big Ten championship game and the first-round win over the Cowboys:

Louisville struggled early against Jacksonville State. Despite a 78-63 win, the players harped on their slow start:

Donovan Mitchell, the Cardinals’ scoring leader, went 3-of-15 from the field, which contributed to the team’s early issues. In consecutive games, he’s struggled with his shot. Another slow start against Michigan will send the No. 2-seeded Cardinals home.

Rhode Island Keeps Hope Alive

Don’t allow Oregon’s 16-point victory over Iona fool you in this second-round matchup. Rhode Island will continue to dance like it’s 1998:

The Rams won their ninth consecutive game over Creighton in the first round. Head coach Dan Hurley’s starting lineup did all the heavy lifting; the benched only scored four points.

Typically, heavy reliance on starters causes concern. However, Rhode Island’s prominent players know how to get to the line and tack on extra points. As a team, the Rams shot 28-of-31 from the free-throw line against Creighton. 

Hurley should urge his team to attack the rim due to forward Chris Boucher’s absence in the paint and for more scoring opportunities at the free-throw line. Expect the Rams to slow the game down and win the battle on the boards. Freshman guard Jeff Dowtin doesn’t need to match Friday’s season-high 23 points. However, if he's able to shoot around 50 percent on 10-12 attempts from the field, the Rams will stay alive in the tournament.

Stats provided by Sports Reference, unless otherwise noted.