Potential Kansas-Wichita State Showdown and The Ten First Week NCAA Tournament Matchups We Want to See

The NCAA Selection Committee may say that they don’t worry about setting compelling matchups, and sometimes it just falls that way, but this year presents several must-see games, including a Sunflower Showdown possibility in the 2nd game in the Midwest that will have a state on fire.

Here are the 10 most compelling matchups, or potential matchups–if in the second game, that we want to see in the first week of the tournament. That is, until that #15 seed is leading a #2 seed with 5 minutes left.

10. 6 Butler vs. 11 Texas, Midwest, approx. 2:45 pm ET Thursday: I’ll say this about the Longhorns, they are not boring. The team that used to be coached by Brad Stephens and still prides itself on sound, smart play, versus Rick Barnes. The final minutes will be must-watch.

9. 7 VCU vs. 10 Ohio State, West, approx. 4:40 pm ET Thursday: VCU had been struggling, but turned it on again in the A-10 Tournament with their pressure. That pressure gets to go against freshman D’Angelo Russell, strength on strength.

8. 5 Utah vs. 12 Stephen F. Austin, South, 7:27 pm ET Thursday: Utah is a darkhorse to make a deep run with Delon Wright and company, though they have come up just short in key games of late. Stephen F. Austin, meanwhile, is a live underdog as a 12 seed at 29-4, with 3 of the losses coming to Northern Iowa, Baylor, and Xavier. Bonus points also that their two best players, Jacob Parker and Thomas Walkup, are on the all-hair tourney team. The result of this game could bust plenty of brackets, because Utah could lose here– or make a deep run and matchup with both Georgetown and Duke in this bracket.  

7. #4 Louisville vs. #5 Northern Iowa, East 2nd game, TBA Sunday: Did Northern Iowa get a little under seeded, after going 30-3? This is a legit top 15 team, and Louisville will be trying to still adapt without Chris Jones. Two very different styles, but Seth Tuttle versus Montrezl Harrell might be the most intriguing post matchup of the first weekend.

6. 4 North Carolina vs. 13 Harvard, West, 7:20 pm ET Thursday: Former Duke player Tommy Amaker versus the Tar Heels. Two schools that really focus on academics. Oh, and Harvard has been a pretty tough out the last two tournaments, and just survived a playoff to get in to this spot.

5. #5 West Virginia and #4 Maryland, Midwest 2nd Game, TBA Sunday: These teams have some tough games to get here, with West Virginia going against Bobby Hurley’s Buffalo and Maryland getting Valparaiso. Both winning would setup this regional rivalry from two teams that have changed conferences in recent years.

4. #6 SMU vs. #11 UCLA, South, approx. 3:10 Thursday: UCLA is catching a lot of heat for getting in. They will be motivated. Meanwhile, Larry Brown is finally back in the tournament, and goes against a school that once upon a time he took to the Final Four. SMU, finally returning to the Jon Koncak glory days of the 80’s, is looking for its first NCAA tourney win since 1988. That’s also the year Larry Brown won the title with Kansas.

3. #3 Notre Dame vs. #6 Butler/#11 Texas, Midwest 2nd Game, TBA Saturday: Notre Dame is just fun to watch. Then you throw in the survivor of the first round game, and this should be a great matchup. You either have two prominent private Catholic schools from Indiana, or Notre Dame versus Texas.

2. #2 Virginia vs. #7 Michigan State, East 2nd game, TBA Sunday: Virginia thought they would be a #1 seed. They were last year, and lost a slugfest with Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen. The Spartans are playing better and just played another classic against Wisconsin, and if they can beat Georgia, they set up a must-see rematch.

1. 2 Kansas vs. 7 Wichita State, Midwest 2nd Game, TBA Sunday: These teams haven’t met since 1992, though they are about 3 hours apart. Wichita State has to get past Tom Crean’s Indiana to make it a reality. Bill Self has refused to schedule Wichita State, and the Shockers very much have a chip on their shoulder. They also got seeded down to a 7 seed despite being in the top 16 in both the RPI and Pomeroy’s rankings. The matchup looks pretty close, the line would be within a couple of points . . . so let’s hope this happens. Bonus if we get a Crean Face en route to setting it up.