Several moons will pass after a five-day 2015 NCAA tournament frenzy that saw the first three rounds unfold. The round of 64 was the true beginning in most fans' eyes, and after a historic amount of close games and numerous upsets, many of the top seeds advanced to Round 3.That created an interesting mixed bag of teams proceeding forward, so this year's Sweet 16 features some odd, unexpected matchups. Three of the top four seeds survived, but Villanova wasn't so lucky, which leaves the East Region wide open.And since this is March Madness, anything goes from here on out with just a select number of teams remaining from the original field of 68.Check out the latest odds, courtesy of VegasInsider.com, updated schedule and analysis of the Sweet 16's upset special below.Sweet 16 Upset Special: Wichita State over Notre DameThis writeup, though due to publish Monday, began taking shape yesterday before the Shockers even took the court against Kansas in an extremely competitive contest in Omaha.As mentioned in the introduction, Villanova's loss has created an odd mix in the East. Louisville could well make the Final Four, but since the Cardinals are playing NC State in the Sweet 16, their advancement wouldn't be a surprise.Even this so-called upset is a bit of a stretch. Wichita State was ranked 14th in the last AP poll, while Notre Dame was eighth. It's a six-spot national gap, yet these two squads had a four-seed difference in the eyes of the selection committee.ESPN Stats & Info referenced how Wichita has thrived in the underdog role in recent years:The Fighting Irish barely made it out of the third round, needing overtime to get past Butler. Something will have to give when Notre Dame's high-octane offense matches up with a stout Shockers defense.Adhering to the adage that defense wins championships, Wichita has the edge in this upcoming matchup. The Shockers also have plenty of players who can create, such as point guard Fred VanVleet and lead scorer Ron Baker, who stepped up his game with 12 points versus Kansas.Senior guard Tekele Cotton did a number on Indiana's Yogi Ferrell to slow him down in the second half of Wichita State's NCAA tourney opener. There's reason to believe he can do something similar to Irish star Jerian Grant, which would put Notre Dame in grave danger of being bounced from the Big Dance.There has to be concern after an emotional triumph over Kansas that coach Gregg Marshall's Shockers may suffer a bit of a letdown. Then one has to consider the implications of advancing to the Elite Eight.CBS Sports' Gary Parrish logged what Marshall said to his team after knocking out the Jayhawks:Wichita State is on the precipice of a prospective rematch with Kentucky, which bounced a then-undefeated Shockers squad out in the round of 32 last year. The vengeance factor would be huge, and the Wildcats would encounter their toughest test yet.Based on how Kentucky has steamrolled the competition with a perfect record to date, Wichita would have its work cut out for it to punch a ticket to Indianapolis. However, the possibility ought to at least drive this team to make it to the Midwest Regional final.Sweet 16 Upset Prediction: Wichita State 75, Notre Dame 65
Click here to read full news..
