NCAA Tournament 2018: Upset Picks for Round of 32 and Updated Sweet 16 Schedule

Putting the first three days of the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament into words is a near-impossible task.

After witnessing everything you could imagine since Thursday afternoon, eight games conclude the chaotic weekend, as top programs like Xavier, North Carolina and Michigan State take the court.

At this point in the competition, we have come to expect upsets, and there's a long list of candidates lining up to fit into the glass slipper suited for Cinderella teams.

It's unlikely all four double-digit seeds playing Sunday advance to the Sweet 16, but there's a good chance more than one team in the quartet moves on to the second weekend of the tournament.

Sunday Schedule

All times ET.

No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 10 Butler (12:10 p.m., CBS)

No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 11 Syracuse (2:40 p.m., CBS)

No. 2 North Carolina vs. No. 7 Texas A&M (5:15 p.m., CBS)

No. 2 Cincinnati vs. No. 7 Nevada (6:10 p.m., TNT)

No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 5 Clemson (7:10 p.m., TBS)

No. 9 Kansas State vs. No. 16 UMBC (7:45 p.m., truTV)

No. 1 Xavier vs. No. 9 Florida State (8:40 p.m., TNT)

No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Marshall (9:40 p.m., TBS)

Sweet 16 Schedule

Times TBA

Thursday, March 22

No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 2 North Carolina or No. 7 Texas A&M

No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 1 Xavier or No. 9 Florida State

No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Kansas State or No. 16 UMBC

No. 11 Loyola-Chicago vs. No. 2 Cincinnati or No. 7 Nevada

Friday, March 23

No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 5 West Virginia or No. 13 Marshall

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Auburn or No. 5 Clemson

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 Michigan State or No. 11 Syracuse

No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 2 Purdue or No. 10 Butler

Upset Picks for Round of 32

No. 10 Butler over No. 2 Purdue

The opening game of Sunday's slate might be the most intriguing of the eight round-of-32 contests.

Both No. 2 Purdue and No. 10 Butler cruised into the round of 32, but the Boilermakers and Bulldogs go into Sunday's game in Detroit with differing levels of confidence.

One day after Purdue center Isaac Haas was ruled out of the NCAA tournament with a fractured elbow, CBS Sports' Allie LaForce reported Haas would at least go through warmups with a brace:

It remains to be seen how many minutes, if any, Haas plays Sunday, and once his status is clearer, we should know what type of game we will be watching.

If Haas, who averages 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, is unable to play, Purdue must turn to freshman Matt Haarms, who is an imposing force at 7'3".

However, Haarms hasn't played more than 20 minutes in a game since January 13, and he's been far from a consistent contributor in the scoring column, with three double-digit point performances in 35 games.

Even if Haas participates in some fashion, Butler should put an emphasis on driving into the lane, with Kelan Martin and Kamar Baldwin spearheading that effort.

In the 79-62 win over No, 7 Arkansas, Martin and Baldwin combined for 51 points, while Tyler Wideman contributed seven points and nine rebounds.

Elsa/Getty Images

With Martin and Baldwin occupying the Purdue defenders' attention, Wideman could play a big role, as he looks to take advantage of Haas' health and/or Haarms' inexperience.

If Butler finds a way to succeed in the paint and knocks down a few momentum-shifting shots from three-point range, it will be on its way to the Sweet 16.

Don't count out Purdue's experienced core, led by Carsen Edwards, Vincent Edwards and Dakota Mathias. But the trio won't be enough to make up for the production void left by Haas.

No. 13 Marshall over No. 5 West Virginia

While it would be understandable to pick No. 16 UMBC based off the electric first-round win over Virginia on Friday, there's another double-digit seed well-equipped to surprise us.

No. 13 Marshall bounced No. 4 Wichita State from the Big Dance behind a fantastic shooting display from Jon Elmore, who terrorized the Shockers for 27 points.

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

While Elmore's three-point shooting captivated viewers, three other Thundering Herd players worked their way into double digits.

Ajdin Penava is the other key asset on the Marshall roster, as he averages 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

In Elmore and Penava, Marshall possesses one of the top inside-out duos left in the competition, while C.J. Burks, and his 20.3 points-per-game average adds an extra element to the high-flying offense.

John Minchillo/Associated Press

The Mountaineers' press isn't going to be easy to solve, but Marshall has the weapons in place to send its in-state rival out of the tournament.

If Marshall breaks fast down the court and evades the pressure, it has the potential to strike quick through Elmore beyond the arc or with Penava in the lane before Sagaba Konate gets in position to block any of his shots.

One thing the Thundering Herd must be aware of is the savvy play of guards Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr.

If Marshall contains one or both of West Virginia's playmakers, it could end the startling four-day stretch with one final upset.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.