MARCH MADNESS SECOND ROUND PREDICTIONS
GameFlow Sports predicts every second round game while providing exclusive insight
SOUTH
1 AUBURN VS 9 CREIGHTON
The best team in college basketball will be taking on the No. 9 seeded Creighton Bluejays for a chance to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. Auburn is coming off of a 20-point first round victory against Alabama State, where they scored 83 points and converting on 11 three pointers. Auburn is a squad that has averaged just short of 82 points per game in their last 10 matchups, meaning Creighton's defense, who's generally been pretty solid this season, will likely have their hands full with an Auburn team that only few have had an answer for. In regards to Creighton, we watched them convert on 11 three-pointers versus the No. 8 seeded Louisville Cardinals. Creighton is a team that gives teams a ton of trouble when it comes to the deep ball, and shooting in general (57.1% on FG vs Louisville), forcing teams to switch up their schemes. If Creighton can get into their rhythm from downtown then expect them to give Auburn a run for their money. Additionally, Creighton center, Ryan Kalkbrenner is averaging just shy of 20 point per game. It'll be fun to watch how Kalkbrenner and Auburn's Johni Broome clash in Saturday's contest. With this game truly seeming like it'll be one of the most entertaining of the second round, Auburn has been one of, if not the most unstoppable team this season and it'd be a shock to see them depart this tournament after just one win.Score Prediction:
(1) Auburn - 83
(9) Creighton - 77
4 TEXAS A&M VS 5 MICHIGAN
Here are two teams that beat the first round upset gossip. #5 Michigan had to hold their breath at times during the final minutes of Thursday's battle versus #12 UC San Diego, where Michigan kept a common theme that they've had throughout the whole season; turning the ball over. Besides that, Michigan is a great rebounding team with good scoring and on the other end they have held opponents to just 71.1 points per game. With all this being said, Michigan has rarely been able to win games with comfort, playing in 16 games decided by just four points or fewer this season and winning 12 of them. The Aggies from Texas A&M have not been the most convincing at times either. The Aggies were eliminated in their first game of the SEC Tournament, but then also took down teams like Auburn, Texas Tech and Purdue. A&M is a well-rounded unit with their strong suit being their rebounding, especially off the offensive glass. This'll be an exciting watch as Michigan runs a lineup including two seven-footers. Nonetheless, I trust Texas A&M's balance and Michigan's tendency to cut games too close could come back to haunt them. Give me A&M in a game that goes down to the wire.Score Prediction:
(4) Texas A&M - 72
(5) Michigan - 70
3 IOWA STATE VS 6 OLE MISS
Both teams are coming off of impressive first round victories. Iowa State defeated a pretty decent Lipscomb team by 27 points in a game where they shot 58.3% from the field and scored 50 points in the paint. Ole Miss took down a solid North Carolina team that people were very high on after a statement 95-68 win over San Diego State in the First Four. The Rebels shot an outstanding 40% from deep in this game led by Sean Pedulla's 20 points including the dagger three-pointer with a minute to go. This game has the formula to be everything a 3 vs 6 game is expected to be. Unfortunately for Iowa State, this could be where the absence of Keshon Gilbert hurts them against a good team like Ole Miss. With that being said, Iowa State has been able to overcome a ton of adversity this season with players banged up left and right all year long. I think Iowa State head coach, T.J. Otzelberger will know how to get the job done considering his tournament experience and great adjustment schemes.Score Prediction:
(3) Iowa State - 74
(6) Ole Miss - 65
2 MICHIGAN STATE VS 10 NEW MEXICO
#10 seeded New Mexico was able to beat the Mountain West's poor March allegations on Friday night. Mountain West Player of The Year, Donovan Dent was a big reason for the win after posting 21 points and six assists. This New Mexico defense was also impressively able to hold Marquette to 66 points. Expect New Mexico and head coach Richard Pitino to keep their momentum going into Sunday's game against Michigan State. As for the Spartans, they showcased what they have been all season long in their first round game against Bryant, which is their ability to get a number of players into the scoring column. New Mexico is a team that has relatively solid defense, but at times struggles to defend the long ball. Fortunately for the Lobos, the Spartans do not have the strongest three-point shooters. I'd like to think that New Mexico matches up pretty well with Michigan State, but the Spartans ability to move the ball efficiently and tendency to make offenses feel uncomfortable tied up with one of the greatest coaches to ever do it gives me reason to believe that Sparty will advance.Score Prediction:
(2) Michigan State - 81
(10) New Mexico - 71
EAST
1 DUKE VS 9 BAYLOR
This game has the underrated potential to be a thriller. Duke has the #1 ranked prospect (per ESPN) from the 2024 class in Cooper Flagg out of Montverde Academy, while on the other end, Baylor has the #3 ranked prospect (per ESPN) from the 2024 class in V.J. Edgecombe from Long Island Lutheran. Both young studs are the centerpiece of their teams, both being projected in the top four of most NBA mock drafts. Duke has a very young lineup which could raise concerns without much experience. This is not to say that the Blue Devils cannot go all the way but traditionally, teams with little to no experience run into issues. Additionally, Flagg returned to Duke's lineup on Friday after missing time with an ankle injury. It is uncertain if he 100% or not, but if he is not then that could be another way Baylor can capitalize. Adding on, it looks like Maliq Brown will be sidelined for Duke as well. Despite all of this, Duke has some of the best talent in the country, they score the ball, they defend, they rebound and they have brilliant coaching. On the other side it's the Baylor Bears. Baylor has been incredibly inconsistent but they have a talented roster as well with players like Robert Wright III, Jeremy Roach and Norchad Omier. What Baylor has that Duke doesn't is veteran experience. Interestingly enough, Jeremy Roach transferred from Duke to Baylor. Baylor's Scott Drew has been here before and even won the National Championship with the Bears back in 2021. Baylor's defense has been solid this season and held Mississippi State to 72 points but the X-Factor in this one will be if Baylor is able to have success offensively and keep that steam for the whole game.Score Prediction:
(1) Duke - 82
(9) Baylor - 69
4 ARIZONA VS 5 OREGON
Nothing like a common 4 vs 5 second round matchup. These two teams will face off for the first time since 2024's PAC-12 semifinal game where #4 Oregon took down #1 Arizona by a score of 67-59. A lot has changed since then, Oregon lost two starting seniors in N'Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard, while Arizona lost important pieces like Oumar Ballo and Pelle Larsson. Both teams enter play with huge wins in the first round. Arizona shot 48% from downtown en route to a 93-65 win over Akron and Oregon shot 47.6% from deep in their 81-52 victory over Liberty. Both these teams showed what they do in March with these statement wins. Strangely enough, Arizona's defense struggles a concerning amount more on the road than at home, with Sunday night's game being played in Seattle, we could see almost a home court advantage for Oregon. Oregon's depth and outstanding ability to adjust defensively could really be a difference maker in this one as we saw Akron have no answer for the Wildcats' offense. It will come down to whichever team is able to connect on their shots and maybe more specifically the three ball.Score Prediction:
(4) Arizona - 70
(5) Oregon - 79
3 WISCONSIN VS 6 BYU
Wisconsin and BYU both continued their high efficiency on offense in their first round games. These are two teams heavily carried by their offenses with solid defense too. Their is no doubt in my mind that the defense that steps up in this one will be the team that walks away with this game. The question I have for the Badgers defensively would be how well they are able to adjust defensively in transition, BYU is a team that is not afraid to toss up threes... and a lot of them. As for BYU, they really do not have a defensive stud to anchor down against this incredible Wisconsin offense. I'll be a little bold here and take the Cougars as I expect junior wing Richie Saunders to continue his remarkable season (16ppg, 50% FG).Score Prediction:
(3) Wisconsin - 75
(6) BYU - 83
2 ALABAMA VS 7 SAINT MARY’S
The Crimson Tide were able to escape Robert Morris with a nine point victory, meanwhile Saint Mary's completed an impressive come from behind victory against Vanderbilt. Saint Mary's showcased their strong defense holding the Commodores to just 56 points, while Alabama showcased their high powered offense scoring 90 points against Robert Morris - it's expected that Alabama's scoring will be somewhere in between here. Saint Mary's does not have the most efficient offense (just 73.1ppg) and it'll be a question as to what their offensive game plan will be. With the unpredictability of the Gaels offense and the inefficiency of their offense, I'll take Alabama.Score Prediction:
(2) Alabama - 77
(7) Saint Mary’s - 63
MIDWEST
1 HOUSTON VS 8 GONZAGA
The #1 Houston Cougars strong suit all season long has been their outstanding defense. Houston held SIU Edwardsville to a disgusting 40 points on Thursday and that's just the story of their defense. The Cougars lead all of Division I basketball in allowing just 57.9 points per game. Intriguingly, Gonzaga has the number eight ranked offense this season according to KenPom. Gonzaga's offense is deadly and they showed it by starting their first round game versus Georgia with a score of 27-3 in just the first eight minutes. A common misconception too is that Gonzaga's defense has let this team down at points; this really isn't the case and the Bulldogs defense is actually pretty overlooked. The Bulldogs give up on average just under 70 points per game. This doesn't give Houston fans the best feeling with Houston averaging just around 74 points per game and an ugly 11.9 assists per game compared to Gonzaga's 19.7. This is honestly a frightening matchup for the Cougars and I'm going to go out on a limb by taking Gonzaga.Score Prediction:
(1) Houston - 66
(8) Gonzaga - 71
4 PURDUE VS 12 MCNEESE
Will Wade's McNeese was able to capture an exciting first round upset over #5 Clemson on Thursday afternoon. The Cowboys got off to an extremely hot start and held Clemson to just five first half field goals while scoring just 13 points. With that being said, they let the Tigers make it a close one with a final score of 69-67. The Purdue Boilermakers survived a slight scare on Thursday, but was ultimately able to take down the Big South champs in High Point. Trey Kaufman-Renn was absolutely dominant in the interior and I expect him to do more of the same this time around against McNeese. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, I think we will see more of what the second half looked like versus Clemson. Besides Clemson's cold start to the game, it was pretty obvious that McNeese was the worse team. Purdue is not a team that falls victim to cold starts too often. I'll take the Boilers to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in the last eight tournaments.Score Prediction:
(4) Purdue - 80
(12) McNeese - 62
3 KENTUCKY VS 6 ILLINOIS
Believe it or not, Illinois is actually favorites in this Sunday evening game. The biggest concern with Kentucky's Wildcats has been their inability to show up in the past few tournaments. On paper, these teams matchup very similarly with high scoring offenses and mediocre defenses. This game can easily go either way, especially considering Illinois' insane inconsistency. With that being said, Illinois dropped 86 points on a respectable Xavier team who rolled off their momentum against Texas in their First Four battle. I believe this game will come down to Illinois' advantage to grab rebounds and adjust defensively, meaning Brad Underwood's Illini will stamp their way into the Sweet 16.Score Prediction:
(3) Kentucky - 78
(6) Illinois - 84
2 TENNESSEE VS 7 UCLA
The last game of Saturday night will feature two of some of the best defensive teams remaining in this tournament. UCLA made a statement win in a dominant performance over #10 Utah State 72-47, while Tennessee beat Wofford 77-62. Unfortunately, UCLA's defense has been very inconsistent at times and their team chemistry has been iffy to say the least. Tennessee proves game in and game out that they are here, and here for a while. UCLA's offense will run into a ton of trouble against the outstanding perimeter and shot blocking defense of the Volunteers. I expect this game to be over with ten minutes remaining.Score Prediction:
(2) Tennessee - 80
(7) UCLA - 62
WEST
1 FLORIDA VS 8 UCONN
Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies showed why they are the reigning champions after a gritty round one win against Oklahoma. Florida dominated #16 Norfolk State too. This game could be a back and forth one for at least the first half, but with Florida being the better team in pretty much every aspect, I expect them to ultimately pull away. The biggest difference between these two teams is Florida's ability to score quickly and in mass (85.7ppg). I'm not too sure the Huskies will have an answer for the Gators offense, especially considering that Florida is incredible on the offensive glass. I would not totally be shocked here if we saw a Huskies upset, but I think Florida is just too well rounded to really make brutal mistakes in this one.Score Prediction:
(1) Florida - 84
(8) UConn - 73
4 MARYLAND VS 12 COLORADO STATE
Nique Clifford has been on a complete tear this season for Colorado State. He made his presence known in the Rams first round upset over #5 Memphis by scoring 14 points with eight rebounds and six assists, he simply does it all. The Rams offense has been overlooked all season long, but the Maryland defense has as well. The Terrapins hold opponents to just 66.5 points per game with nearly eight steals a game - Colorado State is also a team that turns the ball over a little more than they should. Colorado State played in a Mountain West conference with teams who really struggled on the defensive end and I think this will bite them. It's also worth mentioning Maryland's offense is one of the best in this tournament. Freshman phenom, Derik Queen is the leader of the pack posting 16.2ppg and 9.2rpg. I believe the Rams season comes to an end here.Score Prediction:
(4) Maryland - 81
(12) Colorado State - 70
3 TEXAS TECH VS 11 DRAKE
The Drake Bulldogs are coming off of a magnificent opening round upset over #6 Missouri where they held the Tigers to just 57 points (33.3% from the field), and this has been the story for Drake all season long. In fact, the Bulldogs are second in the nation in opponent points per game at 59.7. The major concern with Drake entering the tournament was their lack of competition in the Missouri Valley Conference, its safe to say that they are just fine. Missouri is a team that averaged around 85 points per game in an SEC conference that got 14 teams bidded into the big dance. Texas Tech is a team with a similar offense to Missouri, which gives reason to believe that Drake will give the Red Raiders some similar trouble. Despite the Bulldogs defense, their offense scored 67 points and struggled in clutch times, especially from the free throw line shooting just 12/24. Texas Tech struggled against a sneakily solid UNC Wilmington team. We've seen teams struggle early on and regroup themselves advancing far into the tournament. With that in mind, and Texas Tech's athleticism - I'll take Texas Tech.Score Prediction:
(3) Texas Tech - 70
(11) Drake - 61
2 ST. JOHN’S VS 10 ARKANSAS
What a game this one will be. The legendary John Calipari faces off with the legendary Rick Pitino. The Johnnies will be forced to play a different game as they have not yet seen a team like Arkansas who's lineup features the big men in Trevon Brazile (6'10"), Jonas Aidoo (6'11") and Zvonimir Ivisic (7'2"). This will without a doubt be a challenge for Rick Pitino's Red Storm to contain. As for the Razorbacks, their hands will be full with Big East Player of The Year, RJ Luis Jr, and Kadary Richmond, who should feast offensively. Give me the Johnnies in a battle.Score Prediction:
(2) St. John’s - 75
(10) Arkansas - 71
