Ranking the NCAA Tournament games on Sunday, including Zion Williamson vs. Tacko Fall. We’ve got predictions too. March Madness won’t disappoint.
The last eight tickets to the Sweet 16 will be punched over the course of Sunday, and there’s plenty of intriguing matchups to choose from. March Madness has Cinderellas fighting for their lives in Liberty and UC Irvine, three no. 1 seeds in action, and more.
We get that everyone doesn’t have the luxury of sitting on the couch for 12 hours to watch all the action, so we’ve prioritized what games you need to check out in terms of fun factor. Let’s start at the bottom of our list with Ohio State and Houston.
8. Midwest Region: No. 11 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Houston at 8:40 p.m. ET on TNT
This is one of the last games of the day to tip-off, so if you miss it its not the end of the world. The Buckeyes advanced past Iowa State on Friday night on the strength of big man Kaleb Wesson, who put up 21 and 12 to become the seventh Big Ten team into the round of 32.
Ohio State will take on Houston, which routed Georgia State to advance into the second round. The Cougars are one of the nation’s best teams, picking up their 32nd win of the year last night, but they don’t play a terribly exciting brand of basketball.
Both teams play tremendous defense and the game should be close, which will appeal to some, but on a day where there’s a ton of great action, it’s a game you can pass on if time is of the essence.
Prediction: Houston
7. South Region: No. 10 Iowa vs. No. 2 Tennessee at 12:10 p.m. ET on CBS
This is the first game of the day and there’s no other action going on, so if you’re desperate for hoops right at noon this is all you have to look forward to. The matchup between Iowa and Tennessee isn’t terrible, but it isn’t exactly sexy either.
The Hawkeyes earned their place in this round by rallying in the second half to stun Cincinnati, relying on an offensive explosion against a stout Bearcats’ team. That win probably caused Tennessee coach Rick Barnes to breathe a huge sigh of relief since his team may have had to deal with a virtual road game if Cincinnati got to play them in Columbus.
The Volunteers had to sweat against 15-seed Colgate on Friday, eventually sneaking away with a 77-70 win. Iowa has been extremely inconsistent all season long, so don’t be shocked if this one turns into a blowout, making it easy for you to start your hoops viewing around three and spend some time with your family.
Prediction: Tennessee