MIDWEST REGION

TEAMS TO BEAT:

Louisville (29-5) -- Louisville is the No. 1 overall seed and winner of 10 consecutive games. The Cardinals defeated tournament qualifiers Villanova, Notre Dame and Syracuse on consecutive days, all by double digits, to win the Big East tournament title. If the Cardinals win their first two games, they will play the regional semifinals and finals in nearby Indianapolis.

Michigan State (25-8) -- The Spartans are battle-tested, coming out of a conference that placed seven teams in the tournament. Coach Tom Izzo has reached the Final Four six times in the past 14 years. The last time he reached the Final Four was 2010 in Indianapolis. Michigan State defeated Louisville in the Elite Eight in 2009 in Indianapolis on its way to a national runner-up finish.

UPSET ALERT

No. 12 Oregon vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State: Oregon went 26-8 and won the Pac-12 tournament. The Ducks feature seven players who average between 8.5 and 11.6 points per game. E.J. Singler, whose brother, Kyle, won a national title for Duke in 2010, leads the team with 11.6 points per game.

No. 11 Middle Tennessee State-Saint Mary's winner vs. Memphis: Middle Tennessee won the Sun Belt conference regular-season title. Saint Mary's reached the NCAA tournament in 2008, 2010 and 2012. Memphis has a strong record but played a weak schedule and lost to most of the top teams it faced this season.

No. 4 Saint Louis vs. No. 1 Louisville, possible Sweet 16 matchup: Saint Louis has been outstanding while playing in honor of coach Rick Majerus, who passed away in December. The Billikens won the Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament titles with a quick, suffocating, active defense that never rests. Interim coach Jim Crews has filled in admirably for Majerus.

PLAYERS TO KNOW

Russ Smith, Louisville: The 6-1 guard averages 18.1 points per game. He's a scorer, not a shooter -- he only shoots 41 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line. He attacks the basket mercilessly, averaging 6.5 free-throw attempts per game. He's a force on defense too, averaging two steals per contest.