Tournament games that are worth skipping work for

It is rare that you get two brand names in the college game meet in a First Four matchup. Tom Izzo's Spartans are much more talented than their record indicates (they've beaten two of the bracket's No. 1 seeds) and could be a dangerous team in this tournament. UCLA is skidding into Thursday's game on a four-game losing streak -- though all of those losses to teams in this field. Still, a Michigan State-UCLA game is quite a treat on the first night of the tournament. By the way, at least one team that played in the First Four won a second game in 8 of the 9 years since the field expanded to 68 teams.

Look, BYU won't be intimidated by anyone. The Cougars have went toe-to-toe with Gonzaga three times this year (all losses, of course) and neither the Spartans or Bruins have the heft of the Zags. But the winner of that First Four game will be riding high a bit and have some talent of their own. BYU's Alex Barcello and Matt Haarms are pretty darn good. So should this game.

Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham will likely be the top overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, so it is awesome (albeit rare nowadays) to see a talent like that in the big dance. His Cowboys are white hot coming into the tournament and are a sleeper team of sorts to get to the Final Four. Liberty, one of the mid-majors that got their heart ripped out from last year's cancelation, is not some team that is having its big moment just by playing. The Flames not only were in the 2019 tournament, but won against Mississippi State. In fact, the Atlantic Sun has performed pretty well in the tournament over the last decade which makes this one of the more interesting games to watch.

Virginia comes into this tournament as the defending champs, and face an Ohio team that led the MAC in scoring. It will be an interesting battle of the Cavaliers' packline defense (that hasn't been a grueling as in past years) against one of the top do-everything player, Jason Preston. Virginia dropped out of the ACC tournament and will be distracted a bit just trying to get in Indianapolis.

Two teams who have been among the most inconsistent in the nation. At this moment, North Carolina is the team on the upswing (winning 4 of their last 6) while Wisconsin is reeling, losing 6 of 8. You also have the Tar Heels, who want to run a fast pace, against the Badgers who run a methodical offense. A contrast of styles that can make for a fun chess match. 

Oklahoma has been through the brutal Big 12 schedule and has the bruises to show for it. Austin Reaves is that guy who is willing to do anything to get his team buckets. Missouri may not wow anyone, but they've been impressive as well. They've beaten Illinois, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, Oregon, Liberty and Wichita State this season. This has the look of a classic 8 vs 9 scrap.

Here are two programs and teams you can really root for. Loyola-Chicago is back in the dance for the first time since its memorable Final Four run in 2018. Cameron Krutwig was a starter on that '18 team and is now the Ramblers' leader. They are so efficient defensively that many metrics have this team better than the Final Four squad. They draw Georgia Tech, who boast some of the best personal stories in the country. ACC Player of the Year Moses Wright was a nobody in high school while ACC Defensive Player of the Year Jose Alvarado has a motor like every play is his last.  

Let's go ahead and put the last 8-9 game on the list. Another one of those matchups of strengths. LSU can be spectacular offensively, led by super freshman Cameron Thomas, and want to play at a high speed. So of course they're up against St. Bonaventure, who are physical and are built on defense. They get after you. So this comes down to who can impose their will. 

This is a game that people filling out brackets will point to as their upset lock. Villanova is banged up (Collin Gillespie is out for the season) and has lost 3 of their last 4 games. Winthrop is 23-1 this season behind do-everything guard Chandler Vaudrin (he leads the Eagles in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals). Even though Villanova has had great success over the last five years, they've also been known the exit the tournament earlier than expected. 

The Orange are playing pretty well of late ... especially the coach's son, Buddy Boeheim. Boeheim, the younger, is hitting nearly half his threes over the last few weeks and can get on a blazing hot streak at any moment. It took a Virginia buzzer beater to knock them out of the ACC tournament last week, and the 'Cuse has a nice recent history as a double-digit seed. San Diego State gets after it defensively, but has a sharpshooter of their own in Jordan Schakel. Schakel has hit nearly 47% of his threes this year. Could we get one of those shootouts on Friday?

Who doesn't want to see Patrick Ewing make his return to the NCAA tournament? As a player, Ewing played in three national championship games (losing to Michael Jordan's Tar Heels and the magical Villanova team; beating Hakeem Olajuwon in the other). Now as a coach he's got his Hoyas in after a miraculous run to a Big East championship. Waiting for Georgetown is Colorado, possibly the most underrated team in the field. They have a star guard in McKinley Wright IV and run a crisp, efficient offense that could take the wind out of the Hoyas' sails. 

Maryland has been through the grind of the Big Ten and came out with 13 losses -- the most of any at large team in this tournament. This is a very talented team, with Eric Ayala, Darryl Morsell and Aaron Wiggins the prime performers. UConn is one of those buzzy teams now that James Bouknight is back from an elbow injury. The Huskies are 11-3 with him, and play much more aggressive when he's on the floor. A fun game.

Florida is one of those teams you just can't figure out at times. They are talented (Tre Mann and Colin Castleton are tough to deal with) but the Gators are crawling into the tournament after losing 3 of 4. Virginia Tech is sort of an unknown, as they've played just three games in the last five weeks. The Hokies are physical and athletic and will take the action at Florida. The Gators will need to match that intensity if they want to advance. 

C'mon!  You know you want to see Rick Pitino roaming the sideline in another NCAA tournament. Especially since the four other schools he's coached (Louisville, Kentucky, Providence, Boston) are sitting at home. The Crimson Tide are good, but Pitino has a history of knocking off good Bama teams (see: 1987). Should be a fun Cinderella feel to this one.

UCSB is an experienced, older bunch who have been chomping at the bit for this moment. JaQuori McLaughlin is the kind of leader that can push his team into Cinderella status (the Big West champ has done well in the tournament the last few years). They draw Creighton, who can be really good when they are on but choose not to be at all times. Marcus Zegarowski can be spectacular, or perplexing.  

Now we start to project to some second round games, and this one could be a doozy. Some of the top picks in the NBA Draft will be performing in this game. Cade Cunningham is probably the top pick while Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson could be lottery picks. Tennessee can play like a top ten team at times, while Oklahoma State is playing their best basketball. The orange will be flying on Sunday.

Baylor should win this one, but it will be fun to see if North Carolina's big men can cause problems for the smallish Bears. Add in the best backcourt in the country facing off against the Tar Heels' young, talented and turnover-prone guards. This is the fourth time the Tar Heels have been a No. 8 seed -- two of the other three times they beat the No. 1 seed in the second round.

Alabama is one of the best two-way teams in the nation, led by Herbert Jones. They push the pace on offense while creating chaos on defense. UConn has guys who can combat that, most notably James Bouknight. This could be one of those sneaky No. 2 vs No. 7 games that will be entertaining until the buzzer sounds.

USC's Evan Mobley will be a top five NBA pick and leads a Trojans defense that can frustrate anybody. Kansas has surged as they went into the Big 12 conference tournament ... one they didn't have David McCormack for and one that they had to drop out from due to COVID. That McCormack-Mobley battle should be one you'll need some popcorn handy.

This will be compelling viewing for those in the Chicagoland area. Illinois is looking to make its first Final Four run since 2005 while Loyola is the darling of the dance. Illinois' offensive power against the Ramblers' efficient defense will make for a fun matchup. Even if Georgia Tech gets by Loyola-Chicago, the pose an interesting challenge for the Illini as well.