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NCAA tournament viewing guide: Ranking Saturday's slate from most to least compelling

Zach Pereles

The Round of 64 is in the books, and in case you somehow went into Friday night wishing for more madness, you got it with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County becoming the first No. 16 seed ever to beat a No. 1 seed, thrashing Virginia 74-54.

That wasn’t the only madness in the first round, though. Two No. 13 seeds (Buffalo and Marshall) won, and Loyola Chicago, a team that has a 98-year old team nun and whose fans dress up like they’re in Harry Potter, hit a buzzer beater to shock Miami.

As the Round of 32 dawns, here are Saturday’s games, ranked from most compelling to least compelling:

(All times Eastern)

1. (1) Villanova vs. (9) Alabama, 12:10 p.m. on CBS

Villanova-Alabama promises a couple of things that should make it the most watchable of the games Saturday. First, both squads bring terrific guard play to the table. Villanova’s Jalen Brunson, perhaps the best player in the tournament, is a heady leader who shoots it well and can get into the paint at will. He’ll go toe-to-toe with Alabama superstar freshman Collin Sexton, a potential lottery pick this summer who is averaging 26 points per game on 53 percent shooting since the regular season ended. Second, both of these teams can really score: The Wildcats have the nation’s most efficient offense according to Kenpom, and the Crimson Tide have scored 80-plus in two of its last three contests. One key area to watch will be Alabama’s terrific three-point defense against Villanova’s plethora of shooters.

Villanova’s Jalen Brunson, left, leans on coach Jay Wright during a timeout during the second half of an NCAA men’s college basketball tournament first-round game against Radford, Thursday, March 15, 2018, in Pittsburgh. Villanova won 87-61. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Villanova’s Jalen Brunson, left, leans on coach Jay Wright during a timeout during the second half of an NCAA men’s college basketball tournament first-round game against Radford, Thursday, March 15, 2018, in Pittsburgh. Villanova won 87-61. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

2. (3) Michigan vs. (6) Houston, 9:40 p.m. on TBS

Will the legend of Rob Gray continue to grow? Houston’s cold-blooded, man-bunned senior guard scored 39 points, including the game-winning layup, in his NCAA tournament debut. Houston made just eight shots in the second half, and Gray made seven of those. In the second round, his Cougars will face the Big Ten tournament champions in Michigan. The Wolverines have a host of capable perimeter defenders, such as Zavier Simpson and Muhammad Ali-Abdur Rahkman. The Wolverines need stud big man Moritz Wagner to get going after scoring just five points in the first round. Wagner and Gray are two of the most fiery, emotional players in the land and should play big roles in an exciting nightcap.

3. (2) Duke vs. (7) Rhode Island, 2:40 p.m. on CBS

It’ll be a battle of terrific guards versus lottery-bound bigs in Rhode Island versus Duke. The Rams feature five seniors in their rotation, led by Jared Terrell and E.C. Matthews, and play four-guard lineups that provide shooting, ball-handling and scrappy perimeter defense that will challenge Duke’s backcourt. But the Blue Devils will have the advantage in the paint with potential lottery picks Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. down low. If the Rams can somehow hang with the Blue Devils on the boards, their deep backcourt could make this a really exciting mid-afternoon clash.

4. (5) Kentucky vs. (13) Buffalo, 5:15 p.m. on CBS

The Bulls are one of the bracket-busting Cinderella stories of the tournament thus far after a blowout win over Arizona. The No. 13 seed hit 15 of its 30 three-point attempts. On the other side of the coin, Kentucky didn’t hit a single three in a narrow first-round win over Davidson. The Wildcats will be challenged by a tough, experienced Bulls squad. If Nate Oats’ team can knock down threes like it did in the first round, it should be able to hang with John Calipari’s star freshmen.

Wes Clark helped Buffalo rise above Arizona in the first round. (AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger)
Wes Clark helped Buffalo rise above Arizona in the first round. (AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger)

5. (3) Texas Tech vs. (6) Florida, 8:40 p.m. on TNT

Texas Tech hasn’t been to the Sweet 16 since 2005. Since then, Florida’s won two championships, has been to a Final Four and four Elite Eights, including last year’s. The Gators can put the ball in the hands of Jalen Hudson, KeVaughn Allen and Chris Chiozza and have plenty of big-game experience. The Gators can really lock down on defense too — they rank No. 20 in the nation on that end per Kenpom. They’ll meet Texas Tech guard Keenan Evans, fresh off a 19-point second half in the Red Raiders’ first-round win over Stephen F. Austin. Evans will need some help to beat the feisty Gators.

6. (1) Kansas vs. (8) Seton Hall, 7:10 p.m. on TBS

Kansas big man Udoka Azubuike was supposed to only be used in an emergency in Kansas’ first-round game against Penn. But with the Jayhawks down in the first half, Bill Self went to Azubuike for a few minutes. That’s how bad things looked. But the Jayhawks righted the ship and will face an experienced, deep Seton Hall team in the second round. A triumvirate of seniors — Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington and Desi Rodriguez — lead the way for the high-powered Pirates, who put up 94 points in their opening round game. The Pirates are physical and rebound well, making Azubuike’s presence and performance all the more important

7. (4) Gonzaga vs. (5) Ohio State, 7:45 p.m. on CBS

Both the Bulldogs and the Buckeyes had some struggles in their opening round games against UNC-Greensboro and South Dakota State, respectively, but managed to pull out late wins. Big Ten Player of the Year Keita Bates-Diop will face a stern test in the Zags’ veteran core and tough defense led by lanky forward Johnathan Williams, who scored 19 points and added 13 boards in the first round. Williams and Bates-Diop will be a great matchup to watch, but outside of that, this matchup doesn’t boast the individual firepower or overall team strength of the other matchups.

8. (3) Tennessee vs. (11) Loyola-Chicago, 6:10 p.m. on TNT

The Volunteers and the Ramblers meet in a matchup of underdogs. Tennessee was picked to finish 13th in the SEC. It finished tied atop the regular-season standings. Loyola-Chicago beat Florida in the non-conference slate, dominated the Missouri Valley Conference and had a top-50 Kenpom rating but was given an 11 seed. The Ramblers used that to add fuel to the fire, though, topping Miami in the first round. They’ll need some more heroics to top a tough, scrappy Tennessee team.

More March Madness coverage from Yahoo Sports:
• UMBC shocks Virginia, first 16-seed ever to beat a No. 1
• What is UMBC? Everything you need to know about the university
• UMBC’s upset eliminated last perfect bracket in Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick’em
• Where UMBC’s upset of Virginia ranks among all-time greatest upsets
• Meet UMBC’s other hero, the man behind its famous Twitter account