Elite 8 2017: Last-Minute Picks and Updated Odds for March Madness Round 5

After a fantastic Sweet 16 round, the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament has moved on to the Elite Eight.

Here's a look at the latest bracket and tournament schedule as well as picks for the four Elite Eight games.

Bracket

Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	Television	Odds
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 Xavier	Saturday, March 25	6:09 p.m.	TBS	Gonzaga (-8)
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 3 Oregon	Saturday, March 25	8:49 p.m.	TBS	Kansas (-7)
No. 4 Florida vs. No. 7 South Carolina	Sunday, March 26	2:20 p.m.	CBS	Florida (-3.5)
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Kentucky	Sunday, March 26	5:50 p.m.	CBS	UNC (-2.5)

Gonzaga vs. Xavier

Both of these teams have come close to the Final Four over the years, but neither team has made it.

That won't be the case anymore for the winner of this game. On paper, the victor looks to be Gonzaga, but if this tournament has proved anything over the years, pretty much anything (except a No. 16 seed beating a No. 1 seed) can happen.

Gonzaga can take games in a variety of ways. The Bulldogs can win tough, defensive slugfests, as they did in a 61-58 win over West Virginia in the Sweet 16. They can also win higher-scoring contests, as they did by fending off Northwestern, 79-73.

That's because Gonzaga is efficient on both sides of the floor, ranking 15th in adjusted offensive efficiency and first in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.com.

The Bulldogs will likely be too tough for Xavier, a team that has made an incredible run to the Elite Eight but will likely see its postseason campaign end on Saturday.

Pick: Gonzaga

Kansas vs. Oregon

Kansas' four-guard attack is proving impossible to stop in the NCAA tournament.

Against Purdue, senior Frank Mason III and junior Devonte' Graham each scored 26. Against Michigan State, freshman Josh Jackson poured in 23, including 14 in the second half. And against UC Davis, the three aforementioned players plus Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk combined for 71 points.

Kansas has also won its games by an average of 30 points in this tournament, with its closest margin of victory being 20.

As if Kansas didn't have enough of an advantage having four sharpshooting guards, the Jayhawks will also play in Kansas City, Missouri, a 45-minute drive from its campus in Lawrence, Kansas.

Given these facts, it's hard seeing Oregon winning this game. KU should move on to the Final Four.

Pick: Kansas

South Carolina vs. Florida

South Carolina's swarming defense put on a show against Baylor in the Sweet 16. It seemed like a South Carolina defender was immediately on the ball every time it moved during Baylor possessions. Even when Baylor scored, the points never came easy, as almost every shot was contested.

As great as the Gamecocks defense has been, the play of senior guard Sindarius Thornwell may be more impressive. Thornwell has averaged 25.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game during the NCAA tournament. He's typically the most aggressive player on the court in every game he plays, as he crashes the boards from the backcourt and outhustles opponents to the ball.

Florida is a great defensive team as well, ranking fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.com. In its two meetings with South Carolina this year, Florida held the Gamecocks to 34.5-percent shooting.

South Carolina and Florida split their games this season, with each team winning on its home floor. On a neutral court in New York City, take the Gators to win a close contest behind a deep offensive team in which eight players average at least six points per game.

Pick: Florida

UNC vs. Kentucky

Don't expect both teams to score at least 100 points again, which was the case when UK beat UNC 103-100 behind 47 points from freshman guard Malik Monk.

North Carolina and Kentucky each average 85.2 points per game, which ranks top 10 in Division I. However, both teams are also pretty stout defensively, as the Wildcats and Tar Heels rank seventh and 19th in adjusted defensive efficiency, respectively, per KenPom.com.

Kentucky has won 14 straight games after laying an egg at Florida, and it's clear that the freshmen stars (Monk, De'Aaron Fox and Bam Adebayo) have developed their games immensely over the course of the season.

However, take UNC to win a close game to advance to the Final Four, simply because it is the best rebounding team in the nation. The Tar Heels have used their skill on the boards to win NCAA tournament games, and that has been the case all season.

Pick: UNC