NCAA Bracket 2019: Smart Predictions for Round 1's Most Intriguing Matchups

The name of the game at the highest level of men's college basketball is all about the matchups. 

When it comes to the NCAA tournament, coaches look at their opponents and they have to find the individual advantages their team may have on the floor and exploit them.

Of course, when teams are facing each other for the first time, even the best coaches have to do a lot of speculation because they don't know their opponents the way they do when they are facing teams from their own conference.

Here's a look at two of the most intriguing first-round matchups in the NCAA tournament. Don't look for any No. 1 vs. No. 16 here, or games involving First Four teams.

No. 5 Marquette vs. No. 12 Murray State

When: Thursday, 4:30 p.m. ET

Region: West

This could be a delicious game, and not only because of the upset possibilities that come with the 5-12 matchup. (Actually, that's an overblown cliche at this point, because the No. 5 seeds are 13-3 against the No. 12 seeds in the last four NCAA tournaments.)

No, this could be a memorable game because Murray State's Ja Morant, a likely elite NBA draft pick, will be competing against Marquette's Markus Howard.

Morant is a brilliant athlete who can leap out of the gym, handle the ball and score at will. He is averaging 24.6 points per game and handing out 10 assists per night. Howard is a go-to gunner who is the leading scorer in the NCAA tournament with a mark of 25.0 points per game.

Howard is averaging 8.6 shots from beyond the arc per game, and the 5'11" point guard is connecting on 40.8 percent of those shots.

Morant is a more well-rounded player, even though he is a 33.6 percent three-point shooter. He can take the ball to the hole, and when he gets near the rim, he is capable of wrecking it with his power dunks. He is also a brilliant passer who sets up his teammates well.

This is a classic one-on-one battle that basketball fans have to watch.

Look for Morant and Murray State to get the best of Howard and Marquette.

No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Oregon

When: Friday, 4:30 p.m. ET

Region: South

The Badgers come into this game off a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten conference tournament semifinal round. Prior to that game, Wisconsin had won four games in a row. They finished the season as the fourth-place team in the conference behind Michigan State, Purdue and Michigan.

Wisconsin looks to forward Ethan Happ to lead the way. Happ averages 17.5 ppg and shoots 53.1 percent from the field. When the Badgers need a bucket, he is their first and best option.

This Wisconsin team plays the way nearly all of their predecessors have played in the past. The Badgers want to slow the game down and work for the best shot on every possession on offense, and hound their opponents with a harsh brand of defense. They allow 61.4 points per game, and that ranks ninth in the nation.

While Happ is the key to this team's long-term success, guard Brad Davison averages 10.9 points per game, and he is not afraid to take key shots when Happ is overpowered by opposing defenses. He is joined by fellow guard Khalil Iverson, who is a nasty defensive player and a difference-maker with his quick hands on key possessions.

This was not a great year for the Pac-12, and Oregon was a middle-of-the-pack 10-8 team in the regular season.

However, the Ducks got hot at the end of the season and have reeled off eight straight victories that included a 20-point triumph in the Pac-12 conference title game over Washington.

Head coach Dana Altman has his team playing at a peak level, and his team has overcome quite a bit since star freshman center Bol Bol went out with an injury in December. Forward Louis King is averaging 13.1 points per game and guard Payton Pritchard is right behind with a mark of 12.7 ppg.

The Ducks are similar to Wisconsin in that they play a choking defense, and they use their size as one of their primary weapons. They have four starters at 6'9", and they know how to choke off the passing lanes.

One of those starters is forward Kenny Wooten, who is a shot-blocker supreme (2.0 blocks per game) and will almost certainly cause problems for the Badgers.

Some may look at this game as one of the worst matchups because both teams are far better defensively than they are on offense.

However, this should be a nasty, physical game for 40 minutes that will almost certainly come down to the final minute and quite possibly the last possession.

Oregon comes up with the victory over its Big Ten opponent.