JACKSONVILLE
No. 3 LSU (26-6) vs. No. 14 Yale (22-7)
East Region
Time, TV: 12:40 p.m. ET, truTV
Why LSU will win: Sophomore Tremont Waters (15.1 points per game, 5.9 assists) runs the offense with passing and scoring and is a ballhawk defender for a deep, balanced team that scores and rebounds.
Why Yale will win: Junior guard Miye Oni (17.6 points) is a legit NBA prospect, and the Bulldogs play an upand-down pace with creative offensive sets that confuse opponents.
No. 6 Maryland (22-10) vs. No. 11 Belmont (27-5)
East Region
Time, TV: 3:10 p.m ET, truTV
Why Maryland will win: The Terrapins were among the best in the Big Ten in points allowed, blocks, defensive rebounding, field goal percentage allowed. Offensively, junior guard Anthony Cowan and sophomore forward Bruno Fernando provide outside-inside punch.
Why Belmont will win: Simply put, the Bruins are good, led by senior guard-forward and NBA prospect Dylan Windler (21.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, 43 percent on 3-pointers). Belmont can score inside and is 12th in the nation in threes per game.
No. 2 Kentucky (27-6) vs. No. 15 Abilene Christian (27-6) Midwest Region
Time, TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS
Why Kentucky will win: This isn’t your typical John Calipari squad, but it is still talented. Sophomore P.J. Washington (14.8 points), freshman Tyler Herro (14.2 points), freshman Keldon Johnson (13.4 points) and grad Reid Travis (11.1 points) average double figures, and Calipari’s rotation goes nine deep.
Why Abilene Christian will win: The Wildcats, making their first NCAA appearance since joining Division I six years ago, have a nice mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen, led by senior guards Payten Ricks (40.8 percent on threes) and Jaylen Franklin (44.4 percent on threes).
No. 7 Wofford (29-4) vs. No. 10 Seton Hall (20-13) Midwest Region
Time, TV: 9:40 p.m., CBS
Why Wofford will win: The Terriers have a 20-game winning streak and the second-best 3-point shooting team in the nation (41.6 percent). Southern Conference player of the year Fletcher Magee is a 3-point master (20.5 points, 46.3 percent.)
Why Seton Hall will win: The Pirates have go-to scorer junior guard Myles Powell (22.9 points), and coach Kevin Willard led them to an NCAA victory last season. They are 11-9 in games decided by six points or fewer.