NCAA Tournament: Breaking Down The Elite 8 Matchups

After a very exciting Sweet Sixteen, the NCAA Tournament will host its Elite Eight on March 25 and 26.

What an exciting two days of college basketball.

The Sweet 16 definitely lived up to the hype on Thursday and Friday, with four of the eight games being decided by three points or less. In fact, the last game on Friday provided us with the most exciting moment, as Florida nailed a three at the buzzer to beat Wisconsin in overtime.

Now, after starting with 68 teams on Mar. 14, the NCAA Tournament is down to its final eight participants. Five different conferences will have one representative, while the SEC has a surprising three teams moving forward. Unfortunately, the Big Ten is the only major conference without a team playing in the Elite Eight.

There will be two games each on Mar. 25 and 26th, with all four regions hosting one game each. Every game has intriguing aspects and it looks like it will be another amazing weekend of college basketball.

Below, we will take a look at all four Elite Eight battles, with betting odds courtesy of Covers.

Mar 18, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard J.P. Macura (55) and guard Trevon Bluiett (5) react after defeating the Florida State Seminoles in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

West Region: No. 11 Xavier vs. No. 1 Gonzaga

What appears as a David vs. Goliath matchup is really anything but that. The No. 11 seed, Xavier, is actually from a "Power" conference, while the No. 1 seed is from a mid-major conference.

Storylines aside, this is going to be a very good game and must-watch television.

Xavier is the darling of the NCAA Tournament, fighting off numerous higher seeds to earn their spot into the Elite Eight. In their first three games, the Musketeers beat No. 6 Maryland, No. 3 Florida State and No. 2 Arizona.

What some people don't realize is that the Musketeers almost missed out on the tournament all together. After losing their best player midway through Big East play, Xavier went on a six-game losing streak and was on the bubble heading into the conference tournament. Luckily, they wound up beating a very good Butler team in the Big East Tournament, securing their spot in the Dance.

The Musketeers are led by Trevon Bluiett, a junior who is averaging 18.7 points per game.

In the Zags' case, they have had a much easier road into the Elite Eight. So far, they have beaten No. 16 South Dakota State, No. 8 Northwestern and No. 3 West Virginia.

Gonzaga is led by NBA prospect Nigel Williams-Goss, a combo-guard who has carried the team all year. Overall, he is averaging 16.5 points per game, while dishing out 4.7 assists per night.

These two programs have met twice this decade, with the Zags winning both games.

Mar 23, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III (0) and forward Dwight Coleby (22) react during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers in the semifinals of the midwest Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Midwest Region: No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 1 Kansas

Saturday's game between Oregon and Kansas is probably the most predictable of the four Elite Eight games.

The Ducks have taken a tough road to get where they're at, overcoming a big injury to one of their best players, Chris Boucher, and surviving two very close games. In the Round of 32, they escaped No. 11 Rhode Island 75-72, and in the Sweet 16 they edged out Michigan 69-68.

Junior Dillon Brooks is leading the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game.

In the Jayhawks' case, they look like the best team in the entire tournament. They've steamrolled through their first three games, beating No. 16 UC Davis by 38, No. 9 Michigan State by 20, and No. 4 Purdue by 32.

Future NBA players Frank Mason III (20.9 PPG) and Josh Jackson (16.5 PPG) are leading the way for Kansas, and will definitely be X-factors in the Elite Eight.

These two programs haven't met since 2003, a 77-67 win by the Jayhawks.

Jan 18, 2017; Columbia, SC, USA; Florida Gators center Schuyler Rimmer (32) tries to work to the basket covered by South Carolina Gamecocks forward Sedee Keita (24) during the SEC matchup at Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina wins 57-53 over Florida. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

East Region: No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Florida

This Elite Eight game is probably the most interesting of the four games, mainly because it's rare to see an inter-conference matchup this late in the year.

Like Xavier, the Gamecocks are one of the most surprising teams in the tournament. They've had one of the most difficult roads to the Elite Eight, beating three KenPom Top-35 teams so far. In the first round they knocked off No. 10 Marquette, then upset No. 2 Duke in the Round of 32, and finally dismantled No. 3 Baylor in the Sweet 16.

Frank Martin and company have used a hard-nose defense to make their run, allowing only 68 points per game in their three games.

Florida looked like they were going to miss out on the Elite Eight, as they were trailing Wisconsin 83-81 with only four seconds left in the Sweet 16. Luckily, junior Chris Chiozza hit a three-pointer on the run as time expired to win 84-83.

Sophomore KeVaughn Allen is leading the Gators in scoring with 14.1 points per game.

This will be the third meeting of the year between South Carolina and Florida, with the season series currently tied 1-1.

Mar 17, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts against the Northern Kentucky Norse during the first half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

South Region: No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 1 North Carolina

This game is the reason everyone loves March Madness.

Fans will get to see two of the most legendary college basketball programs face off on Saturday, as John Calipari and Kentucky will take on Roy Williams and North Carolina.

Kentucky beat No. 15 Northern Kentucky in the first round, No. 10 Wichita State in the Round of 32, then finally Lonzo Ball and No. 3 UCLA in the Sweet 16. The Wildcats got a notable performance from De'Aaron Fox against UCLA, as he poured in a season-high 39 points.

The 'Cats have looked very good so far in the Big Dance, with the only real scare coming in their 65-62 win against the Shockers.

North Carolina has also been dominant so far. They ran through No. 16 Texas Southern in the opening round, then beat No. 8 Arkansas in the second round. In the Sweet 16, the Butler Bulldogs were no match for the Tar Heels, as UNC won by double-digits.

These two teams are very familiar with each other. Earlier this season on Dec. 17, they had a high-scoring battle in Las Vegas. It was a back-and-forth game throughout, with the Wildcats prevailing 103-100. In fact, in their last five meetings, UK has gone 4-1.