2011 NCAA Tournament: 5 Best Games Left in the Opening Round

The NCAA Opening Round is already half over and some great games have been played. Richmond and Morehead State’s respective upsets were among some of the best opening round games in recent memory. Plus, it is always great fun to watch nearly everyone’s bracket get torn to shreds on the first day.

Butler moving on, despite not being a popular choice, even as a higher seed than Old Dominion and Gonzaga jumped up to a battle with soon-to-be WCC conference rival BYU. To cap off the night, UCLA snuffed out Michigan State’s comeback in the closing minutes of a 78-76 win that now pits the Bruins against a strong Florida team that is only a few years removed from their last National Championship.

However, there are still 16 games to be played and there are plenty of good ones left. True, three of the No. 1 seeds still need to play and those games are usually a boring cakewalk, but there are plenty of other great games left on the docket.

Here then—as Opening Friday gets underway—are the five best games still yet to be played this round. These are mostly similar seeded tilts that should go down to the wire, but there is an upset or two possible in these games, with two No. 11 vs. No. 6 games kicking off the list.

5. No. 11 Marquette at No. 6 Xavier

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NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: The Marquette Golden Eagles mascot walks on the court during the game against the Louisville Cardinals during the quarterfinals of the 2011 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament presented by American Eagle Outfitters at Madison S

At first glance, this seems to be all but a sure thing for the Musketeers from Xavier, but the Marquette Golden Eagles could pull off an upset here. True, Xavier’s averages in PPG and PPG allowed are separated by eight points—one more than Marquette’s— but the Musketeers will have their hands full on defense with the Golden Eagles’ offense.

Ranked 32nd overall in the nation in scoring, Marquette could look to kick off their tournament with a bang and start a comeback from a rough 9-9 season in the talent-heavy Big East Conference. They also rank high in shooting percentage and assists, which exemplifies their selfless style of offense-by-committee, but are 104th in rebounds per game with 36.2.

On the flip side, Xavier took the top spot in the A-10 conference after the regular season, losing only one conference game all year to Charlotte. Two other A-10 teams have already moved on in Temple and Richmond, with their upset over Vanderbilt last night.

In the end, this has the potential of an overtime thriller, so expect this to be a good one.

Prediction: Marquette upsets Xavier 80-77 in OT

4. No. 11 VCU at No. 6 Georgetown

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NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: The mascot for the Georgetown Hoyas performs during the game the Connecticut Huskies during the second round of the 2011 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament presented by American Eagle Outfitters at Madison Square Garden on March

This is another big game in the middle of the bracket, but this time, it's in the Southwest Regional bracket between Georgetown and Virginia Commonwealth.

No one will doubt that Georgetown should win this game with point guard Chris Wright back in the lineup, but this could be tight late in the game at the United Center in Chicago.

These teams are very evenly matched by the numbers and this is another game with a chance for extra time. However, I think in this case, the Hoyas build off the momentum of their returning star and finish this game off in the closing seconds. Still, it should be a fun, back-and-forth game to watch ,with lots of lead changes and a big, last-minute winning shot in the dying seconds.

Prediction: Georgetown wins 70-68

3. No. 10 Georgia at No. 7 Washington

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 12: Head coach Lorenzo Romar of the Washington Huskies celebrates by cutting down the net after the Huskies defeated the Arizona Wildcats 77-75 in the championship game of the 2011 Pacific Life Pac-10 Men's Basketball Tournament a

Great games seem to happen when the Pac-10 and SEC square off, no matter who is playing. The Washington Huskies have to travel a long way to play this game, but they hope to roll past Georgia in this one to face North Carolina in a virtual home game for the Tar Heels.

Washington will look to rebound well and pass the ball around to find the open man. The Huskies rank third in PPG, 12th in rebounds and eighth in assists per game. The move the ball well and get great production from starters and players off the bench alike.

Georgia, however, is a bit of a sleeper. They are one of the weaker offenses in the nation, but they have only allowed an average of 64.3 PPG on defense, much lower than most other teams and they won 21 games this season on the shoulders of their defense.

If the Bulldog defense can stand strong, they’ll stay in this one until late, but Washington’s offense will help them seal this one in the final two minutes.

Prediction: Washington wins 75-70

2. No. 9 Villanova at No. 8 George Mason

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NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 08: Jawanza Poland #5 of the South Florida Bulls shoots against Corey Stokes #24 of the Villanova Wildcats during the first round of the 2011 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament presented by American Eagle Outfitters at Madison Squar

The Colonial Conference regular season champions, the George Mason Patriots have a tall order here. Villanova is the lower seed of the two, but was another team who earned a lower seed due to struggles in the very strong Big East. In a conference where everyone—except for a few really good and really bad teams—beats up on each other, RPI isn’t as accurate of an indicator of a team’s talent.

Both teams have strong defenses and this one will be lower scoring than most of the games played Friday. Even though George Mason is better in both PPG and PPG allowed, Villanova is healthier now than they have been through most of the season, since they were given extra rest after being knocked out of the Big East Tournament early on.

The Patriots are no strangers to playing the role of bracket busters, but in this case, Villanova’s offense will shine and put this one away fairly early and keep it there. They will be a different team than they have been most of the year and that will make the difference and send George Mason home early.

Prediction: Villanova pulls off the upset 71-62

1. No. 10 Florida State at No. 7 Texas A&M

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 11: Dash Harris #5 and David Loubeau #10 of the Texas A&M Aggies walk on the court during their semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns in the 2011 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 11, 20

The Aggies from Texas A&M are only two games away from playing what will be essentially home games for the rest of the tournament. That road won’t be easy and it starts Friday afternoon against Florida State in Chicago.

The Seminoles finished the year unranked and third in the ACC behind the perennial favorites in the conference, North Carolina and Duke. The Aggies were ranked 24th in the nation and finished third in the Big 12 behind Kansas and Texas.

This will be such a great game because it will be a back-and-forth struggle where every shot will matter and the crowd will be a major factor in the mood and momentum swings of the matchup. Both teams average less than 70 points per game, but they both also allow an average of less than 62.3 PPG.

Both teams will need crisp passing, accurate shooting and efficiency at the free throw line to have a chance at winning this one. In the end, though, the experience of the Aggies playing in the very strong Big 12 this year will make the shots drop for them when they matter in the final minute and they will take this one, but barely. A drawn foul and subsequent free throw could easily be the difference here.

Leave work early, because this one is worth seeing.

Prediction: Texas A&M squeaks by FSU 66-65