South Regional

No. 1 Memphis vs. No. 5 Michigan State

8:57 p.m. at Houston

RECORDS: Memphis 35-1, Michigan State 27-8.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Memphis d. No. 16 UT Arlington 87-63, d. No. 8 Mississippi State 77-74; Michigan State d. No. 12 Temple 72-61, d. No. 4 Pitt 65-54.

THE BUZZ: Expect to see a lot of defense. Both teams are deep and athletic. Michigan State has a lot of big bodies to throw at Memphis, so there should be a lot of physical play in the low post. It’ll be a nice matchup of freshman point guards in Memphis’ Derrick Rose and Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas. Lucas, backcourt mate Drew Neitzel and backup guard Travis Walton have been steady with the ball, but the Spartans’ big men can be turnover-prone. The Spartans typically hammer foes on the boards – but the same can be said for Memphis. While Memphis prefers a fast pace, look for the Spartans to try to keep this one in the low 70s. It would help their cause if Neitzel and athletic forward Raymar Morgan play well. Neitzel is the Spartans’ only real three-point threat, while Morgan is the most athletic of the Spartans’ big men..

THE LINE: Memphis by 5.

HUGUENIN’S PICK: Memphis by 3.

McCLELLAN’S PICK: Memphis by 2.

SKWARA’S PICK: Memphis by 10.

No. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Stanford

6:27 p.m. at Houston

RECORDS: Texas 29-6, Stanford 28-7.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Texas d. No. 15 Austin Peay 74-54, d. No. 7 Miami 75-72; Stanford d. No. 14 Cornell 77-53, d. No. 6 Marquette 82-81 (OT).

THE BUZZ: A super-intriguing matchup of a team that relies on its big guys (Stanford) against a team with a superb backcourt (Texas). Thing is, Texas’ frontcourt is better than Stanford’s backcourt – and this essentially is a home game for the Longhorns. Stanford needs big games – literally and figuratively – from the Lopez twins. Brook is a dangerous scorer in the low post and has greatly improved his offensive arsenal this season. He’s also a good rebounder and shot-blocker. Robin is an even better defender, though his rebounding and offense lag behind his brother’s. Still, Robin can be effective offensively because he has become more active on that end. While Stanford pounds foes on the glass and plays good defense, the Cardinal is mediocre from three-point range, lack athleticism and can be pressed into mistakes. Guard A.J. Abrams has scored 26 points in each NCAA game for Texas..

THE LINE: Texas by 11â2.

HUGUENIN’S PICK: Texas by 2.

McCLELLAN’S PICK: Texas by 2.

SKWARA’S PICK: Texas by 3.

Midwest Regional

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 12 Villanova

8:40 p.m. at Detroit

RECORDS: Kansas 33-3, Villanova 22-12.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Kansas d. No. 16 Portland State 85-61, d. No. 8 UNLV 75-56; Villanova d. No. 5 Clemson 75-69, d. No. 13 Siena 84-72.

THE BUZZ: How many times have you heard this: “Villanova should just be happy to be here”? Well, it’s true. At the same time, the Wildcats could make this interesting for a while if they’re hitting their three-pointers. Villanova is 14-1 when it makes at least eight three-pointers in a game. Kansas allows 7.2 made three-pointers per game, but foes shoot just 33.7 percent from beyond the arc. Trust us: It’s a lot easier to score outside on the Jayhawks than it is to score in the lane. Villanova played much better defensively in the second half of the season, but Kansas has so many weapons. There are three guards who can handle the ball: Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins and Russell Robinson, a talented swingman in Brandon Rush and two guys in the low post – Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson – who are savvy scorers and rugged rebounders. All six of those guys are capable of being the leading scorer on a given night.

THE LINE: Kansas by 111â2.

HUGUENIN’S PICK: Kansas by 10.

McCLELLAN’S PICK: Kansas by 12.

SKWARA’S PICK: Kansas by 17.

No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 10 Davidson

6:10 p.m. at Detroit

RECORDS: Wisconsin 31-4, Davidson 27-6.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Wisconsin d. No. 14 Cal State Fullerton 71-56, d. No. 11 Kansas State 72-55; Davidson d. No. 7 Gonzaga 82-76, d. No. 2 Georgetown 74-70.

THE BUZZ: Davidson is one of the best stories of this tournament, but don’t think the Wildcats are done pulling upsets. If sophomore guard Stephen Curry is hot again, Davidson can (will?) win again. Curry has scored 70 points in two NCAA Tournament games this season, including 30 against a Georgetown team that led the nation in field-goal percentage defense. It doesn’t get much easier for Davidson, as Wisconsin is third in that category. While Wisconsin has more beef underneath than Georgetown, the Hoyas are more athletic than the Badgers. Curry is a perpetual-motion machine on offense. He has phenomenal range, a hair-trigger release and can get into the lane. In short, he can flat-out take over games offensively.

THE LINE: Wisconsin by 41â2.

HUGUENIN’S PICK: Davidson by 2.

McCLELLAN’S PICK: Wisconsin by 4.

SKWARA’S PICK: Wisconsin by 10.