NCAA Tournament: Virginia, Tennessee headline South Region primer

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 14: Teammates Kyle Guy #5 and Ty Jerome #11 of the Virginia Cavaliers react after a play against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during their game in the quarterfinal round of the 2019 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 14, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 15: Wisconsin dance team performs. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

South Pod B – San Jose, CA

(5) Wisconsin vs. (12) Oregon

Wisconsin is a team that rarely makes mistakes. They don’t turn the ball over, they rarely attempt bad shots, and they are fundamentally sound on the defensive end of the floor. Because of this, it will be very difficult for anybody to upset them. With that said, though, Oregon is one of the hottest teams in the country heading into the Big Dance. The Ducks finished the regular-season red-hot and followed that up by winning four games in four days, including those over Arizona State and Washington, en route to the Pac-12 automatic bid. Oregon has some elite players that could give the Badgers problems but I like Greg Gard’s team to avoid the upset. Prediction: Wisconsin.

(4) Kansas State vs. (13) UC Irvine

This matchup might come down to how effective Dean Wade can be for Kansas State. One of the best players in the country, Wade is making progress towards playing in the Big Dance but it is unclear whether or not he will be able to. If he does, the Wildcats will be clear favorites to win this matchup even it might be low-scoring. Without him, though, and UC Irvine’s elite defensive scheme that focuses on defending the paint and forcing isolation possessions could prevail. I love the Anteaters as an upset pick but they will have a very hard time beating a completely healthy Kansas State team. Prediction: UC Irvine.

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