March Madness continues Sunday with the men completing the NCAA tournament’s second round and the women starting it.
Will we at last start to see more upsets, or will the heavyweights continue to dominate? Below is a look at the schedule of games and which are must-see and which can be skipped.
Must-see matchup: Two-time reigning national champion UConn doesn’t seem to be a serious threat to three-peat, but the Huskies summoned enough pride to stave off Oklahoma in the first round on Friday night. Now they find themselves in the unfamiliar role of March underdog against a juggernaut Florida team peaking at the ideal time. This will be Florida’s first real test of the NCAA tournament. The Huskies are well-coached and loaded with perimeter shooting.
Game to skip: There’s a reason Iowa State-Ole Miss was Sunday’s lone game relegated to TruTV. The matchup between the Cyclones and Rebels lacks All-American candidates, top-tier NBA prospects or big-brand appeal. This isn’t the game to watch from start to finish. It’s a good one to check in on if it’s close with 10 minutes to go.
Most likely potential upset: The biggest criticism when Kentucky hired Mark Pope was that he’d never won an NCAA tournament game. One year later, Pope has the Wildcats on the precipice of the Sweet 16. Standing in Kentucky’s way is an Illinois team that’s talented but volatile. The range of possibilities is wide whenever the Illini take the floor, which means this could be anything from a Kentucky rout to a high-scoring, free-flowing Illinois upset.
Player to watch: Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe came on strong in the second half Friday against Mississippi State, attacking the rim, drawing fouls down the stretch and coming up with key defensive stops. He also had the NCAA tournament’s most audacious missed dunk. Now the celebrated Baylor freshman will play on an even bigger stage as the ninth-seeded Bears get their crack at Cooper Flagg and Duke. This is Edgecombe’s best chance to solidify himself as a top-five pick and perhaps even climb higher.
