I know everyone loves the NCAA tournament because of the propensity for upsets—the system breeds upsets—and I love seeing them too ... so long as KU isn’t the one being foiled (not this year, again!). Beyond those early upsets, and before the big-time matchups in the Final Four, though, are some intriguing Round of 32, Sweet 16, and Elite Eight possibilities. Here are the 10 best, in order of intrigue:
1. Kansas/Wichita State; Midwest Region Round of 32—Wichita State wants to play Kansas. Too bad, though, because Kansas doesn’t want to play Wichita State—at least not outside of Allen Fieldhouse. The two teams haven’t met since 1993 after meeting nine times in a 10-year-span—Kansas owns a commanding 12–2 advantage in the series and won the final five by an average of 32 points—the last one being a 103–54 whipping. But things are different now as the Shockers are no longer the pushover they once were. It’s a long-simmering rivalry ready to explode, should the two teams win their openers.
2. Wisconsin/Arizona; West Region Elite Eight—These two combined for a classic Elite Eight matchup last season as Frank Kaminsky (in his coming-out party) put up 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the second-seeded Badgers’ 64–63 overtime win over top-seeded Arizona. The seeds are reversed this year, though there’s little separation between the two teams, and the Wildcats would love some redemption.
