The college basketball season is quickly headed toward the end of February, which means only one thing: March Madness is not that far away. The anticipation and excitement aren’t here just yet, but people are waiting to get at those brackets once they are announced on Selection Sunday, March 12. When we get to the NCAA Tournament, what are the matchups everyone (or at least a large majority of fans) will be happy to see on television? Here are just a few to consider:
Villanova Cavaliers-North Carolina Tar Heels
The natural first choice is a repeat of last year’s thrilling national championship game. Everybody remembers Kris Jenkins’ winning shot at the buzzer, but don’t forget that North Carolina’s Marcus Paige hit a leaping, off-balance three-pointer with just a few seconds left to set up the classic final play. The great thing about this game is that the two teams are almost certain to be set up in different regions of the bracket, meaning that if they do meet, it will be in the Final Four, either in the semifinals or the national championship game. Fans of college basketball obviously want their team to win, but in terms of getting an entertaining Final Four game, no one would feel cheated by seeing these two teams play again.
The Tar Heels have somewhat struggled of late. They started the regular season 19-3 but have since gone 4-2 in their last six games .They have a tough schedule ahead as three of their final four opponents are currently ranked No. 18 or better – including the No. 18 Cavaliers.
Dayton Flyers-Arizona Wildcats
The Miller Bowl would put younger brother Archie and his Dayton Flyers against older brother Sean and his Wildcats from Arizona. Sean Miller has his dream job and doesn’t need to go anywhere else. Archie has stayed at Dayton when other coaches might have left already. It’s clear that Archie is being very selective about his next job, whenever and wherever he gets an interview and an opening. If the two brothers met in the NCAA Tournament, it would instantly provide one of the feel-good storylines of the whole event.
Gonzaga Bulldogs-Oregon Ducks
The Gonzaga Bulldogs played Arizona earlier this season. Gonzaga played UCLA in the 2006 NCAA Tournament and then in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, both times in the Sweet 16. These matchups between Gonzaga and a Pac-12 national contender have already been witnessed. The matchup which hasn’t been tested is Gonzaga-Oregon. The Ducks were the top seed in the West Region last year, and Gonzaga is the likely top seed in the West Region this year. If the two teams played, it would represent a Pacific Northwest bragging rights battle as well as a possible Elite Eight game. Oregon could get the second seed in the West behind Gonzaga. Many people would be stoked for a clash this good and this new. The newness is a big and underrated factor.
The Bulldogs have just two games left in their regular season, which includes a visit to San Diego on Thursday and a visit from BYU on Saturday. San Diego is a very winnable game for the Zags as the Toreros are just 12-16. BYU will serve as a tougher test but they’ll be at home for that one. BYU is 19-10 on the year and is third in the WCC.
Virginia Cavaliers-UCLA Bruins
This is the perfect match of opposites. Virginia loves to slow the game down and play defense, while UCLA wants to speed things up, run the open floor, and use its offense to score over 90 if not 100 points. Virginia wants to play a game in the 50s. This would be a great test to see if Virginia coach Tony Bennett or UCLA coach Steve Alford could make adjustments that will help their team win.
Virginia has really hit the skids of late. They started their season 16-4 but have stumbled in the face of a very challenging schedule of late. They have lost four straight and six of their last eight games. Their offense has completely disappeared as they’ve averaged just 48 points per game over their last three contests. Their defense has also disappeared as they have given up 61 points or more in five of their last eight games.
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