2014 NCAA Tournament Picks & Predictions: Round of 32 Sunday Upset Specials for Each Region

2014 NCAA Tournament Picks & Predictions: Round of 32 Sunday Upset Specials for Each Region: Half of the Sweet 16 is set, and the Round of 32 will wrap up with a slate of games Sunday. In typical NCAA tournament fashion, there have already been a ton of upsets, and the dream of someone hitting it big with a perfect bracket has already vanished. However, that doesn’t mean you still can’t make some money on individual upsets the rest of the way, and there are a few teams in action Sunday that could surprise. With that in mind, here is a closer look at one team from each region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket that could pull off an upset Sunday in the Round of 32.

South Region: Stanford over Kansas

A late surge got Kansas by Western Kentucky, but the Jayhawks’ defense still look shaky at times with center Joel Embiid sidelined. With Embiid sidelined once again, Sunday’s meeting with the Cardinal is another dangerous game for the Jayhawks. After all, Stanford has a decent amount of offensive firepower with four players averaging more than 11 points per game. Not to mention the fact that guard Chasson Randle and forward Dwight Powell give Stanford a dynamic inside/outside scoring combo. If Kansas goes through a defensive lull and is content to turn the game into an offensive shootout, the Cardinal could more than keep pace with Kansas. The Jayhawks might not survive long enough to get their rim-protector back.

East Region: North Carolina over Iowa State

The third-seeded Cyclones were firing on all cylinders in the second-round matchup, tallying 93 points in an easy victory. However, Iowa State could have trouble out-gunning the Tarheels without a little effort on the defensive end, especially after losing Georges Niang for the rest of the tournament to a broken foot. North Carolina has some offensive firepower of its own led by point guard Marcus Paige and forward James Michael McAdoo. Meanwhile, they have a history of playing their best against top competition. This season, the Tarheels have already beaten Louisville, Michigan State, Kentucky, Duke and Pittsburgh. Iowa State’s offense can be downright scary, but the Cyclones will be down a big weapon with the loss of Niang, and Tarheels have the athletes to keep pace if this game becomes an up-tempo shootout.

West Region: Baylor over Creighton

Doug McDermott was dialed in during Creighton’s second-round win, but the Blue Jays’ victory exposed some familiar problems that Baylor could exploit. After McDermott, Creighton’s scoring comes and goes. Meanwhile, they don’t have a lot of size inside. Baylor on the other hand has a lot of size inside with Isaiah Austin, Cory Jefferson and Rico Gathers, and the Bears rank in the top 25 nationally in rebounding while Creighton barely ranks in the top 200. Baylor has the big bodies to at least make McDermott work for his points inside, and the Bears should definitely be able to control the glass on both ends. If some of the other Blue Jays don’t come to the party, they are going to be in a lot of trouble. This is a tough matchup for Creighton.

Midwest Region: Mercer over Tennessee

Both sides have pulled upsets to reach the Round of 32, but Mercer showed in its upset of Duke just how legit their offense really is. With six reliable scorers, the Bears put up 78 points against Duke. For the year, they rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring, assists and field goal percentage. Granted, Tennessee has also been playing well, and Jordan McRae and Jarnell Stokes form a great outside/inside combo. That being said, Mercer’s team athleticism passed a big test by holding Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood to a combined 6-for-24 shooting. If the Bears can slow Tennessee’s top-two scorers even a little, their depth should take care of the rest.

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