5 games with March Madness implications: Duke, Clemson, Grand Canyon and more

March Madness will be here before you know it. Check out five great college basketball games this week with implications for the tournament.

The NCAA Tournament is one of the biggest spectacles in all of sports. Outside of the Super Bowl it is likely the most-watched sporting event by people who aren’t fans of the sport. Brackets and pools are likely the cause for that and as we get closer to March more people start preparing to fill theirs out. With that in mind, in the weeks leading up to the NCAA Tournament, FanSided will be putting together of must-see games with potential NCAA Tournament implications.

Want to be the fist on the bandwagon of a team with the potential to make a Cinderella run once March Madness kicks off? You’ll find that team on one of these lists. Want to know why a favorite in a major conference might go home early? You’ll find that information in here. Want to figure out the name of the small school superstar that will dominate the media as his team makes an unexpected run in the tournament? His name will be in here.

Each week, there will be a set of five games chosen and the reason why will be explained and expounded upon. The notes and tidbits found within could be the difference between having bragging rights or scratching your head at how your great-grandmother could have a better bracket then you just one week into NCAA Tournament action.

This week’s edition features a tilt between two top ACC teams, a school fighting for their first NCAA Tournament birth, the battle for Ivy League domination, a mid-major program on the rise, and an opportunity for one of the top freshman in the SEC to make a big return to action.