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1. The Big East and SEC are expected to finalize the pairings for their challenge sometime in the next two weeks. Any speculation (as I did last week) on the pairings is now moot as the conferences try to figure out arena openings and home/road setup. The Big East coaches were told that the event will happen. Politicking has begun for some. Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin wants a marquee home game. The ACC-Big Ten Challenge has matched teams that are supposed to finish in similar positions; this event hasn’t been handled like that overall. Cincinnati played Georgia last season despite the Bearcats being an upper-division Big East team and Georgia picked for the lower level of the SEC. “I don’t know why we wouldn’t rank our teams, too," Cronin said. “I’m asking the league to get us a like opponent. If we’re being picked high then we want the same thing (from the SEC)."

2. Cronin is attempting to upgrade his schedule and has secured a top-25 home-and-home series, which isn’t easy in this era of schools looking for more neutral-site non-conference games. Cronin and New Mexico coach Steve Alford said they will play a home-and-home series next season, to start in Cincinnati. The Bearcats will visit the Pit the following season.

3. Murray State coach Steve Prohm said he has had discussions with Virginia Commonwealth about a home-and-home series but nothing is finalized. The Rams are searching for multiple games after losing Richmond and George Washington from the schedule now that they’re all in the Atlantic 10. VCU also needs two more games, since the A-10 plays 16 games and the CAA played 18. VCU coach Shaka Smart said many possibilities remain, but one certainty is that the Rams will continue the rivalry with Old Dominion, which will be off to Conference USA in 2013. Smart said the home-and-home series will start at ODU in 2012-13.

Andy Katz on Old Dominion moving to Conference USA and the future of the Colonial Athletic Association.

1. The Colonial Athletic Association will meet June 1-2 in Hilton Head, S.C., and the site of the 2013 tournament is expected to be a hot topic. Drexel coach Bruiser Flint said he could see the tournament moving to Baltimore, out of Virginia Commonwealth's home base in Richmond. The problem is that a school like Towson would have to support the event. The CAA is going to have an odd year in 2013 now that VCU is gone to the Atlantic 10, Georgia State is ineligible to play in the tourney since it’s leaving for the Sun Belt and Towson and UNC-Wilmington aren’t eligible due to poor APR scores. That leaves eight schools available for the tourney. The elite of Drexel, Old Dominion and George Mason (as well as possibly Northeastern) should all be near the top of the league.

2. The A-10 will find out that a school like VCU has the size and strength to bump the league up a perceived level immediately. The Rams will be an instant competitor for the A-10 title in year one. Don’t be surprised to see VCU and Butler in the thick of the race for the championship in 2014, too. One of the big winners is the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The A-10 made the prudent move to Brooklyn instead of Atlantic City. Having a tournament with Xavier, VCU and Butler as the headline teams will be a draw. If Saint Joseph’s, UMass, Dayton and others in the area can be factors, the buzz for the event will only increase.

3. Murray State coach Steve Prohm is deciding about which tournament the coveted Racers will play in next season. He’s going back and forth on whether to be in the NIT Season Tip-Off pod at Kansas State (the other three hosts are Virginia, Pitt and Michigan) or become the eighth team at the Charleston (S.C.) Classic. The seven teams signed up for the Nov. 15-18 event are: Baylor, Boston College, Charleston, Colorado, Dayton, St. John’s and Southern Illinois. It’s a tough call for Prohm. He could gamble and go to Manhattan, Kan., to try to get to New York or go to Charleston, where he’s likely to get at least two games against possible NCAA teams.

1. Mississippi Valley State coach Sean Woods is one of a handful of coaches vying for the Southern Miss job, beginning with an in-person interview Monday. The others reportedly in the mix are Larry Eustachy’s Southern Miss assistant Steve Barnes, Middle Tennessee’s Kermit Davis, former Nebraska coach Doc Sadler, Wichita State assistant Greg Heiar, and UTEP coach Tim Floyd. If USM, which is also hiring an athletic director doesn’t bump up Barnes to replace Eustachy (who left for Colorado State) then Woods should be given a serious look as the choice. Woods did a remarkable job at one of the toughest places to win. He steadily increased his win total from seven to nine to 13 to 21 this past season, going 17-1 in the SWAC. Woods and Sadler are both interviewing Monday.

2. Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich was recruiting with a host of other coaches in Minnesota over the weekend. He still hadn’t been told if he’s the coach-in-waiting at SMU. It has reached a point where something better happen soon or Jankovich is going to stay put and continue to coach a Redbirds team that has a chance to win the Missouri Valley next season.

3. The Atlantic 10 still may add VCU and George Mason, along with Butler, to get to 16 schools now that Temple is off to the Big East in 2013. But no one from any of the schools or conferences are indicating an imminent departure. VCU athletic director Norwood Teague, fresh off a trip to Europe, said Sunday that there is movement going on and that everyone is simply in evaluation mode. A-10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade and CAA commissioner Tom Yeager both said Friday there was no truth about a done deal for VCU and Mason to leave. Yeager better hope that’s true. The CAA can’t afford to lose these two Final Four programs. The A-10 would have a chance to elevate itself to being considered a power basketball conference if it pulled off this move.

Yes, that’s right: After Wednesday’s signing day madness -- Nerlens Noel to Kentucky, Shabazz Muhammad to UCLA, extra extra, read all about it -- we’ve gone and built another extremely early top 25. I know, I know. You’re excited.

The whole “too early” thing isn’t just shtick; it really is way too early to be thinking about next season’s top 25 (as if preseason rankings matter in the first place). This is all just guesswork. Fun, mostly pointless guesswork. But it’s the offseason! What else are we supposed to do?

In any case, you can check out the top 25 here. Not everyone could make the cut, which is where the rest of this post comes in. Here’s a look at some of the best teams that didn’t land in today’s top 25 -- and what they’ll bring to the floor in 2012-13:

VCU: It’s clear the Rams weren’t a one-show pony in 2011; in fact, as coach Shaka Smart is proving, this is a program with staying power. Indeed, with the exception of NCAA tournament play, Smart’s 2011-12 team was considerably better than the one that made 2011’s unlikely run, and that looks likely to be the case again in 2012-13. With star guard Darius Theus alongside returners Briante Weber, Troy Daniels, Rob Brandenberg and Treveon Graham -- and with Bradford Burgess’s little brother Jordan arriving as a freshman in the fall -- this may be the best HAVOC-style defensive team of Smart’s tenure.

Kansas State: The 2012-13 Kansas State Wildcats won’t make any aesthetically inclined fan’s list of must-see teams. With just one player signed for the class of 2012 -- three-star center Laimonas Chatkevicius -- recruiting isn’t going to get anyone all hot and bothered, either. But boring as the Wildcats may seem, their returning solidity will give them a chance to be effective. Those returners include 7-foot forward Jordan Henriquez and veteran backcourt members Will Spradling, Rodney McGruder and Angel Rodriguez, who was inconsistent but promising as a freshman last season. This group wasn’t all that much to look at in 2012, either, but under former coach Frank Martin, it thrived on rebounding, defense and toughness. Newly hired coach Bruce Weber will love to work with this team.

Tennessee: The 2011-12 Tennessee Volunteers were a rebuilding team -- a post-Bruce Pearl mess, which is what they were supposed to be -- until Jan. 21, and no further. That’s when Tennessee took down Connecticut at home and went on to win 10 of its last 13 games and land the No. 2 seed in the SEC tournament, just behind the Kentucky Wildcats. Tennessee’s early season woes prevented the Vols from making the NCAA tournament, but Cuonzo Martin set a clear tone for his new program, one that should carry over -- with a little help from sophomore Jarnell Stokes, whose midseason freshman arrival synced up with the Volunteers’ run -- into his second year in Knoxville.

Saint Louis: Make no mistake: The Billikens will miss Brian Conklin, a 6-foot-6 forward who played more like he was 6-10, with the interior scoring numbers to match. Otherwise, Rick Majerus’ team -- which gave Michigan State a go in the NCAA tournament’s third round -- is back. Kwamain Mitchell, Dwayne Evans, Cody Ellis, Mike McCall and Jordair Jett; these are the players who brought Majerus and SLU back to some measure of national prominence in 2011-12. There’s no reason to expect anything less in the season to come.

Cincinnati: When Yancy Gates faded Xavier center Kenny Frease on Dec. 10, we didn’t know how Cincy’s season would end up. But few would have expected the Bearcats in general -- and Gates specifically -- to so fully turn their fortunes around. Now, Mick Cronin must move on without his powerful senior center. If Cincy lands center Christopher Obekpa, the No. 77 recruit in the ESPNU 100, all the better. (For what it’s worth, many scouts think Obekpa is heading to Providence.) But if not, Cronin can lean on the accomplished veteran backcourt of Sean Kilpatrick, Cashmere Wright and Jaquon Parker.

Five more to watch:

Ohio: The Bobcats lost coach John Groce to Illinois ... and that’s pretty much it. As returning lineups go, you can’t do much better than this. All 10 of Ohio’s rotation players from last season -- which ended in a Sweet 16 finish, lest we forget -- are back in 2012-13, including star guard D.J. Cooper.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles lost their two best players, seniors Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder, to the inescapable maw of time. But every main contributor around that star duo will be back, including Vander Blue, Davante Gardner, Chris Otule (coming off a December ACL injury), Todd Mayo and Junior Cadougan. This will remain a talented up-tempo team led by one of the nation’s most tireless coaches in Buzz Williams.

Butler: Will the Bulldogs return to prominence in 2012-13? It certainly looks that way. Brad Stevens’ young team will be without senior guard Ronald Nored, but otherwise will be a year older and wiser next season, while its chief deficiency -- shooting, scoring, offense in general -- should be alleviated by the arrival of sharpshooting Arkansas transfer Rotnei Clarke. Butler may not get back to the Final Four, but a return to the top of the Horizon League looks likely.

Miami: The Hurricanes were one of a handful of bubble teams left behind on Selection Sunday; in the end, a win at Duke in ACC play wasn’t enough to make up for an otherwise mediocre résumé. But 2012-13 holds some measure of promise. Star guard Durand Scott returns, as do forwards Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji. If the Hurricanes continue to improve under Jim Larranaga, they should be dancing in no time.

Maryland: The Terrapins struggled during the program's first post-Gary Williams season, but the pieces are in place for a step forward in Year 2. Star guard Terrell Stoglin -- one of the ACC's best perimeter scorers -- is back, as is center Alex Len. Meanwhile, coach Mark Turgeon is already reaping the rewards of a renewed focus on elite-level recruiting: ESPNU top 100 players Shaquille Cleare and Jake Layman highlight a solid incoming class that should contribute right away.

Honorable mentions: Alabama, Florida State, Pitt, Murray State, Stanford, Saint Mary’s, Iowa State, Xavier, Nevada.

1. Colonial Athletic Association commissioner Tom Yeager said he was well aware that signing a new agreement with NBC Sports would likely mean the end of the CAA’s involvement in the ESPN-sponsored BracketBusters, beginning in 2013. “We are disappointed but we understand the business,’’ Yeager said. He said that the benefits of signing with NBC outweighed the risks of losing a spot in BracketBusters. VCU coach Shaka Smart agreed that no longer participating in BracketBusters wasn’t good. The CAA has had some of the best wins in the event, notably by George Mason, VCU and Drexel.

2. Third parties representing TCU and SMU showed interest in Memphis coach Josh Pastner, according to sources, but there was no interest on his part. And there shouldn’t be at this point. Pastner is at the best job in Conference USA. When Memphis goes to the Big East in 2013, he’ll be at one of the best in that league, too. Pastner should only leave if he has to or for a comparable job, not a lesser one.

3. SMU also made overtures toward Harvard coach Tommy Amaker. Amaker wasn’t interested, either. A year ago, Miami made a strong push to get him. But Amaker knows he is in a special place at Harvard and will coach another Ivy League title contender. His NCAA tournament berth last month was historic for the Crimson. And now the most recognized school in higher education cares about hoops. That in itself is quite an accomplishment.

1. It’s really a shame that Kendall Marshall's last game was against Creighton in the third round and not Kansas in the Elite Eight. We never really saw the full potential of this Carolina team. Had Marshall been able to avoid injury then the Tar Heels would likely be in New Orleans competing for the title. But that’s the beauty as well as the cruelty of sports. Now Marshall is declaring for the NBA draft with John Henson and Harrison Barnes, too. Roy Williams has had three sets of elite teams in his brief time at North Carolina. Two of the three won titles in 2005 and 2009. This one was destined to win one, too. But it will always be remembered for what could have happened, instead of what they did -- finish a game short of the Final Four.

2. A decision on Butler going to the A-10 isn’t final yet, but all indications are that it’s still pointing in that direction. Butler was once in a league with Xavier and Dayton and with Saint Louis nearby it’s a slam dunk for basketball and the overall athletic department. The hurdle for the department would be to ensure that it’s not too much of an added cost for the non-revenue sports. A-10 sources and Colonial Athletic Association sources all said there was no truth to George Mason and VCU moving to the A-10, too. They’ve gone public with that, as well. The A-10 shouldn’t go to 16 anyway at this juncture. All it needs to do for now is replace Temple for Butler. If Charlotte were to leave for the CUSA-MWC merger then the A-10 can deal with that loss later.

3. Pat Kelsey took over the job at Winthrop in a surprising move since Kelsey had resigned from his Xavier assistant position to spend more time with his family last year. I spoke with Kelsey a few times and he legitimately feared that he was not spending enough time at home and that he was going to miss his children’s lives. Kelsey was deeply troubled by the death of his mentor, former coach Skip Prosser. But the year off did wonders for him. The hope is that he has his priorities set and can allow himself at a smaller, less intense school like Winthrop to stay grounded and keep the balance necessary in his life.

1. SMU is joining the Big East in 2013 and wants to make a slash in replacing Matt Doherty. The Mustangs, according to sources, have Marquette’s Buzz Williams in their sights. But those close to him would be stunned if he were to leave Marquette, now a top Big East program, for a school that will enter the league at the bottom. The money can’t be more than comparable to what he makes now, and proximity to his hometown can’t be that big a deal, right? Unless something happens to prove otherwise, chalk this one up to wishful thinking.

2. Illinois has now been spurned by VCU’s Shaka Smart and Butler’s Brad Stevens. This should be yet another sign how well schools pay at some spots outside the power six. And it speaks volumes about being happy with your situation, school, boss and city for a coach’s family. Now that Illinois has struck out with Smart and Stevens, it should focus on Ohio’s John Groce. Groce has done wonders with the Bobcats and has strong Big Ten ties. I’d be surprised if Groce were to turn this gig down if offered. He’s hot now and, while he could win the MAC next year, it’s still likely a one-bid league and winning the conference tournament is a tenuous proposition.

3. South Carolina would like Kansas State’s Frank Martin. But if Martin is seriously interested in leaving Kansas State (he has publicly said he hasn’t talked to anyone), he should look at Mississippi State, which is a better basketball job than South Carolina. There is plenty of talent in the state, more recent success in the sport, and a more passionate fan base for hoops.

1. The departure of UConn junior forward Alex Oriakhi is not a surprise. The Huskies may not win the appeal to play in the 2013 NCAA tournament. The UConn staff expects freshman Andre Drummond and sophomore Jeremy Lamb to decide here soon about declaring for the NBA draft. The Huskies face an uphill climb to win an appeal for the 2013 tournament. The NCAA may adjust the Academic Progress Rate penalty to go only over a two-year period instead of four, but that probably won’t affect this penalty. It would be hard for the NCAA to justify overturning UConn since it would send a message of favoritism. But if you think these hurdles will push Jim Calhoun out, think again. Calhoun will retire only if he thinks he doesn’t have the drive or his health fails. He’s hardly a coach who shies away from a challenge and clearly doesn’t want to leave the Huskies' program gutted.

2. Nebraska is one of the toughest jobs in the Big Ten. But the Huskers have the money to make a serious play for a candidate to replace Doc Sadler. If the Huskers could lure Oregon’s Dana Altman back to the state they would. If not, then according to sources, the other two candidates that are high on the Huskers’ list are Colorado State’s Tim Miles and Ohio’s John Groce. The Huskers couldn’t go wrong with any of these choices. All have a history of building winners and would give the Huskers a chance to rise in the Big Ten.

3. VCU athletic director Norwood Teague said he did bump up Shaka Smart’s salary a bit -- as well as a few other things, like more chartered trips. But Smart didn’t get more years on his deal. Smart showed incredible loyalty by staying true to the Rams. Teague said the clause that a prospective school would have to play VCU two years in a row will remain if Smart leaves at any time during his contract for another job.

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser weigh in on Shaka Smart's decision to remain with VCU.

PORTLAND -- There was 1-17 and Kelvin Sampson and the NCAA investigation and an implosion of a marquee program whose fans love their team because they really love the game of basketball -- and the game had become unwatchable at Indiana.

Misery was Hoosiers basketball over a 10-year stretch since the school last played for a national title in 2002. A proud program found itself cast into the fetid basement of the Big Ten with a 6-25 record in 2008-09.
The return of Indiana basketball from the depths was one of the major stories of this college hoops season. But everyone knew that story would be tested in the NCAA tournament. In college basketball, that's when plots thicken and teams are unmasked, their ultimate truth revealed by the pressure of win-or-go-home.

That the Hoosiers beat a rugged VCU team 63-61 to advance to the program's first Sweet 16 in a decade is meaningful in itself, of course. But the way the Hoosiers prevailed adds heft and substance to the accomplishment.

VCU was pushing Indiana around most of the night in the Rose Garden. It was dictating the pace. And its "havoc" defense forced a stunning 22 turnovers. The Hoosiers' previous worst this season was 18.

There were plenty of reasons to get flustered and to let doubt enter into the team huddle. Only it didn't. And during the final stretch, it was the IU defense, as well as clutch play, that stood out.

"I got to see this game, the last six or seven minutes through our players' eyes," coach Tom Crean said. "And they were so locked in and had such great resolve to never panic and to just truly believe that they were going to win."

Locking in and showing resolve. That sounds a bit like ... Indiana basketball.

Defense? VCU led 57-48 with 12:30 left. The Rams would score just four more points. Sure, some of that was poor shooting. But how can you not credit a defense for yielding that few points over that long of a stretch?

Clutch plays? Indiana scored the final seven points. Cody Zeller made two free throws that closed the gap to three. Victor Oladipo's 3-point play tied the count. And Will Sheehey's short jumper from the side gave the Hoosiers the lead for good with 14 seconds left.

Meanwhile, VCU faltered. Senior leader Bradford Burgess missed a pair of free throws with just under a minute left. Troy Daniels missed a 3 with 23 seconds left. And Rob Brandenberg missed a trey that would have won the game at the buzzer.

Defense often wins championships. But not always. Grabbing 10 steals is great, but VCU needed to be able to produce in the half court. It needed to hit more than 9 of its 30 3-point attempts. And, really, the Hoosiers still shot 52.2 percent, including making 6 of 13 3-pointers (46.2 percent).

"The shots that we got late in the game, I feel good about those looks," VCU coach Shaka Smart said. "I feel good about the guys that were taking them, they just didn't go in. And that's basketball."

Indiana fans know how basketball is. It giveth and it can taketh away. And even during the rise from the ashes this season, there probably was still a pit of worry in most Hoosiers fans' stomachs.

Are we really back? How will these guys react when the screws tighten in the NCAA tournament?

The answers? Yes. And like Indiana basketball players.

Doug Gottlieb on VCU's run ending with 63-61 loss to Indiana.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Some quick thoughts from Indiana's thrilling 63-61 victory over VCU.

Overview: VCU dictated the pace for most of the game against Indiana, but the Rams scored just four points over the final 12:20 as Indiana used a three-point play from Victor Oladipo and a short jumper from Will Sheehey to advance.

Turning point: VCU led 57-48 with 12:20 remaining, but the Rams could score only four more points. After wearing out the Hoosiers with pressure and a frantic pace, the Rams faltered in the half court. And give credit to Indiana for turning up its own defensive pressure and making clutch shots down the stretch. A key moment? VCU senior leader Bradford Burgess missed two free throws with one minute left.

Key player: Oladipo produced a game-changing three-point play with 46 seconds left. He finished with nine points, six assists and five rebounds, and shot 4-of-5 from the field.

Key stat: Indiana outrebounded VCU 33-20, including a 26-14 advantage on the defensive glass.

Miscellaneous: The Rams hit just nine of 30 3-point attempts. Indiana was 6-of-13. ... VCU forced 22 turnovers, including 10 steals. ... VCU has seven wins as an 11-seed or worse since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. That is the most such wins of any team in that span, one more than Richmond. ... Indiana's Cody Zeller tied for the game high with 16 points and had a game-high 13 rebounds.

What’s next: Indiana advances to the Sweet 16 and will play the winner of Kentucky-Iowa State.

Have you caught your breath yet? Me neither. But the glorious first weekend of the NCAA tournament rolls on undaunted, and so must we. Thirty-two teams remain. By the end of tomorrow, there can be only 16.

You know the math. And since you know the players and the teams and coaches, and there's more on the line today than even Thursday, let's avoid exclusions and run through each specific game quickly.

East Region

No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 8 Kansas State, 12:15, p.m. ET, CBS: Syracuse barely survived UNC Asheville on Thursday, and it required at least some small measure of fortuitous officiating to do so. So perhaps it's natural to see Jim Boeheim's team as shaky, even vulnerable, and the matchup won't do much to quell such fears. The Orange are a famously poor defensive rebounding team, ranking No. 341 in the country in opponents' offensive rebounding percentage this season, while Kansas State, with Jamar Samuels, Thomas Gipson and Jordan Henriquez, just so happen to be one of the 10-best offensive rebounding teams in the country. K-State isn't pretty, but it defends and rebounds.

Will that be enough? Boeheim's team is masterful at creating turnovers and scoring easy points in transition, and the Wildcats turn the ball over on a whopping 21.2 percent of their possessions, No. 237 in the country. If K-State coughs it up, there won't be enough wayward rebounds to collect in the first place, and Syracuse — warts and all — will advance.

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Gonzaga, 2:45 p.m. ET, CBS: Make shots, get to the line, make free throws. That is, in incredibly simplified form, what Gonzaga will have to do against Ohio State to win this game. It doesn't look altogether likely: OSU guard Aaron Craft is the nation's best perimeter defender, and he could take star Zags freshman point Kevin Pangos out of the game entirely. That will leave Elias Harris, Robert Sacre and Sam Dower to do work in the middle. Few teams can match up with that forward rotation; Ohio State is most definitely one of them. We saw some clunkers from this OSU offense down the stretch, but its defense never wavered. If the Buckeyes are locked in on both ends of the floor, well, look out.

No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt, 6:10 p.m. ET, TNT: Two great coaches. Two intelligent, veteran-led teams. Two very good, if not great, programs yet to achieve (to varying degrees, of course) ultimate NCAA tournament glory. This is a fantastic Round of 32 game, one of the best in the bracket, and one that should come down to (a) how difficult Wisconsin can make it for guard John Jenkins and the rest of the Commodores to knock down outside shots, and (b) whether Vandy forward Festus Ezeli can extend his defense away from the basket far enough to check Jared Berggren, a solid outside shooter, without losing sight of Jordan Taylor and the rest of the Badgers' attack. Both of these teams probably deserve a spot in the Sweet 16. Only one will get it. Shame, that, but it'll be awfully fun time watching them duke it out all the same.

West Region

No. 3 Marquette vs. No. 6 Murray State, 5:15 p.m. ET, CBS: Before Norfolk State and Lehigh and any other mid-major darling-come-lately, the Murray State Racers and their near-undefeated regular-season run captured the college hoops world's collective consciousness. Is that run near its end? It would appear so: Few teams are as well equipped to handle star Murray guard Isaiah Canaan, and Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder look like too much for the Racers to handle. But hey: Crazier things have happened. (Understatement of the year? Understatement of the year.)

No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 5 New Mexico, 8:40 p.m. ET, TBS: Another fascinating No.4-No.5 matchup here, and another one that's difficult to predict. Here's one thing we do know: Both teams really defend. On a per-possession basis, the Cardinals' defense ranks in the top five nationally, while New Mexico's ranks in the top 15, and both teams are adept at stopping opponents in the half court specifically. New Mexico forward Drew Gordon may dictate whether the Lobos — who will struggle to find quality looks against Rick Pitino's defense — can collect enough second-chance opportunities to keep pace. And, as usual, Louisville guard Peyton Siva will play a major role. Should be a good one.

South Region

No. 12 VCU vs. No. 4 Indiana, 7:10 p.m. ET, TBS: VCU will bring the "HAVOC." How does Indiana react? Can point guard Jordan Hulls and off-guards Will Sheehey and Victor Oladipo protect possessions and make good decisions once they cross half court? Can Indiana get Cody Zeller touches, and can Zeller finish those touches — or pass out of VCU's shapeshifting double-teams — without getting bogged down in the Rams' scrapping, digging half-court defense? The Hoosiers will have to do all this and more to get past the best turnover-forcing team in the country, one that pressures relentlessly and attacks opposing defenses with similar gusto. Havoc, indeed.

No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 11 Colorado, 7:40 p.m. ET, TNT: Old-school Big 12 matchup ahoy! The Bears haven't seen this edition of the Buffaloes this season, but they may remember Andre Roberson — CU's hyper-active rebounding big man, who ranks second in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage — from Colorado's last season in the old conference. The Bears will have to contain Roberson on the glass, but if they do, their offensive weapons, from Pierre Jackson to Perry Jones III to Quincy Miller to Quincy Acy and on down the line, should be too much for the Buffaloes to handle.

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 8 Iowa State, 7:45 p.m. ET, CBS: Apparently, everybody "wanted" to see the talented Connecticut Huskies take on the Kentucky juggernaut, but not me. For one, I like to watch teams that don't constantly appear apathetic. For another, I'm fascinated by Royce White, the most versatile big man in the country. Few players mix size and skill like White, and his unique talents — and the sharpshooting of the Cyclones' perimeter — have reignited a once-dormant, now-frenzied fan base in central Iowa. Unfortunately for those fans, though, the Cyclones couldn't ask for a worse matchup for White. The Wildcats are the Wildcats; they're the most talented team in the country, with Anthony Davis, the nation's most impactful defender, and a guy who mixes size and athleticism in once-in-a-generation style. It would be a shock to see White and Co. get past this Kentucky team.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Previewing the Round of 32 games at the Rose Garden:

No. 4 seed Indiana (26-8) vs. No. 12 VCU (29-6), 7:10 p.m. ET

VCU coach Shaka Smart enjoys inspiring, insightful quotes, and he's leaning on one that is relevant to his 2011-12 team as it prepares to face Indiana in the South Region with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line: "Things won are done; joy's soul lies in the doing."

It's from Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida," but it could just as easily be from a book on the NCAA tournament, one written as a self-help tome for a select group of so-called mid-majors: "Cinderella: The Year After (and After and After)."

You might have heard this: Smart and the Rams burst onto the scene last year with a surprising Final Four run. Yes, they agree, it was really neat. Yes, they'll tell you, the banners hanging in their home gym still give them goose bumps. But things won are done and losing's soul lies in living in the past.

Said Smart, "We've used that [quote] at times because everyone wants to talk about last year's Final Four run, but that's done, that's over. It's all about now."

The Rams' showdown with Indiana is interesting for a variety of reasons. For one, the Hoosiers are a super-elite program that's been in the dumps of late but is eager to climb back to the top of hoops' Mt. Olympus. VCU is a newbie riding high under Smart's pitch-perfect leadership.

VCU, which has won 18 of 19, is all about its full-court-pressing "Havoc" defense. Indiana is a high-scoring team that isn't afraid to run. The Hoosiers also are great from behind the 3-point line, hitting on 43.6 percent of their attempts, which ranks second in the nation. In their first game here against New Mexico State, they put on an offensive exhibition, hitting 59 percent of their shots, including 7 of 13 from 3-point range. They scored inside and outside, they ran the break, found open looks in the halfcourt and seven players contributed to 15 total assists.

The question on Saturday is whether they can break the Rams' press and again get good looks at the basket. The key, Hoosiers coach Tom Crean said, is to not let the Rams dictate where the ball goes.

"You've got to do a great job of catching the ball where you want to catch it," he said. "If you catch it where they want you to catch it, it's going to be a problem."

VCU has good size, and 7-footer D.J. Haley did an outstanding job Thursday of containing Wichita State big man and leading scorer Garrett Stutz. But Indiana center Cody Zeller offers a different challenge: He's 6-11 and moves like a 3.

"He's as good as any big kid that we've played in the three years I've been at VCU," Smart said of the freshman. "You talk about him running the floor. We definitely can't give him easy baskets in transition. I would guess that one of the things that they'll try to do is get the ball in quickly after makes or, certainly on misses, get the ball outlet quickly and then look for Zeller running to the rim. If you can get the ball in extremely quickly before the press is set up, then that's one way to beat pressure defensive teams."

Against Wichita State, VCU showed it could score out of a half-court offense, which it has struggled to do this season, and make big shots when the screws tighten. And, while Indiana is the pedigreed program, it's the Rams who have been here before.

Of course, four starters are gone from the 2011 VCU team, and Indiana couldn't have looked more poised while it pounded the Aggies. The past, recent and dusty, probably won't dictate much Saturday.

Said VCU senior forward Bradford Burgess when asked to compare last year's team to this year's team, "Really, the only similarity is the name on the jersey."

No. 4 Louisville (27-9) vs. No. 5 New Mexico (28-6), 9:40 p.m. ET

Louisville has inside information on New Mexico. Cardinals assistant coach Wyking Jones was an assistant the previous two seasons for the Lobos. He was particularly close to the Lobos' two best players, forward Drew Gordon and guard Kendall Williams.

It might not matter a whit. It could, in fact, become more of a distraction, something New Mexico coach Steve Alford can anticipate and counter. But the Louisville players and coach Rick Pitino didn't hide the fact they see it as an advantage against the Lobos for Saturday's matchup.

"Well, he can't hurt, obviously, because he recruited some of their players, knows the guys, knows their personalities, when they could get down or when they could be up," Pitino said. "So we're going to have a good feel for them in abbreviated [way]. He gives us things, a feel that we wouldn't normally get."

Said guard Russ Smith, "It definitely helps because he knows their personnel very well. As far as the seniors and juniors on the team, he knows some of the calls that might be made. So Coach Jones definitely is helping us a lot, especially in practice and in film the past day."

The key in this one, however, is shooting. I know: Genius. But this game pits two of the nation's top-five field goal percentage defenses, with both hovering around 38 percent. Both defenses won the battle in their second-round victories. The Cardinals shut down a high-scoring Davidson attack, miring a team that likes to run in a half-court game, while Williams played a major role in shutting down Long Beach State point guard Casper Ware, the Big West Player of the Year, who shot 5 of 19 from the field and was 2-of-9 from 3-point range.

Williams seems most likely to take on surging Louisville point guard Peyton Siva. While Siva isn't the Cardinals' leading scorer, he won Most Outstanding Player as he and his teammates took a surprising roll through the Big East tournament. He scored 17 points -- one below his season's high -- in the win over Davidson, and has averaged 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.6 steals in five postseason games.

Not surprisingly, the uptick in Siva's play has coincided with the uptick in the Cardinals' fortunes. Pitino credited the change to Siva's late-season ability to vary the speed of his play, which came out of a meeting between the two.

Said Pitino, recalling the meeting, "'Peyton, I'm going to tell you why you're struggling, because you just play at one pace, extremely fast. And because of that, you have a lot of turnovers, because you don't know how to probe and change your pace and create things because you play at one speed.'

"And we showed him a tape of Steve Nash and how Steve always probes and gets in the lane and keeps his dribble and comes back and does something else. And that more than anything else really changed his mindset of learning how to change speeds. And he's been brilliant in the Big East tournament. Brilliant yesterday with doing that. And for someone to make that abrupt change like that and really just visualize himself doing that speaks about his basketball IQ in a big way."

So, is the Siva-Williams matchup going to happen? We'll, er, Siva. Alford wouldn't commit.

"Kendall Williams always gets the top assignment," he said. "If he's the top assignment, Kendall will get that assignment."

While there are some similarities between the teams, there also are plenty of differences. For one, New Mexico doesn't see a lot of full-court press in the Mountain West Conference. And Louisville will be much happier running and creating a frantic pace.

The biggest is this: New Mexico has never reached the Sweet 16. Louisville has been there 17 times, fifth-most in the nation.

But neither history nor Wyking Jones is likely to be the difference in this one. It's probably going to be about getting good looks against defenses that don't give many of them. And converting those looks.