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5 tournament matchups every college basketball fan should be excited for

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

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Brace yourselves fans, the tournament is coming.

Sunday's bracket reveal was long awaited, and the placement of teams has set up a number of potential matchups that would have fans glued to their respective televisions.

Should the odds turn out favorable, here are five situations that could provide the type of magic that the NCAA tournament has become famous for.

1. (7) Michigan vs. (10) Oklahoma State (First Round - Midwest Region)

Two of the most efficient offenses in college basketball are on a collision course for each other right out of the gate, as Michigan and Oklahoma State have been placed together in a first-round matchup in the Midwest Region.

The Cowboys averaged a total of 85.5 points per game this season led by an impact player in sophomore guard Jawun Evans, while the Wolverines have held opponents to an average of 65.8 points, good for 39th in the nation. Michigan is coming off its first official Big Ten tournament championship after defeating the likes of Purdue and Wisconsin, while Oklahoma State was one-and-done in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament thanks to the eventual champions Iowa State.

This matchup is a perfect example of a team who is extremely hot going up against a team who is extremely not, with the Cowboys dropping their last three contests. Michigan cannot afford to overlook the potent offense opposing them, as the Wolverines will need to have their defensive A-game if they hope to avoid going home early.

2. (8) Miami vs. (9) Michigan State (First Round - Midwest Region)

If there's one person on the side of Miami that knows what it's like to knock Michigan State out of the NCAA tournament, its Hurricanes head coach Jim Larranaga.

As head coach of George Mason in 2006, Larranaga and the Patriots defeated the Spartans in the opening round of the tournament to give the Patriots their first ever NCAA tournament victory. Despite losing three of their last four games, the Hurricanes recorded a top-30 average in points allowed per game, which could give the Spartans fits if the likes of Miles Bridges and Nick Ward have trouble switching the offense into fifth gear.

If Larranaga can channel some of that past magic into his current Miami team, the Spartans won't have the luxury of putting things into cruise control at any point in the first round.

3. (5) Notre Dame vs. (4) West Virginia (Second Round - West Region)

Aside from a four-game rough patch in the middle of its season, Notre Dame was one of the most under-the-radar buzzsaw's in college basketball this season, proving that even in its losses that the Fighting Irish would not go quietly into that good night.

Notre Dame only suffered two losses to teams ranked less than No. 15 in the nation, those being unranked Georgia Tech and then-No. 21 Duke who later finished the season at No. 14. West Virginia will do everything it can to keep the game close throughout, with its largest margin of defeat on the season being just nine points.

If there is one area of the game that West Virginia and bench boss Bob Huggins will look to take control, it will be in the tempo department. The Mountaineers are not afraid to play up-tempo basketball for long stretches, and the Fighting Irish will need to keep swinging if they are going to keep up.

4. (2) Duke vs. (6) SMU (Sweet 16 - East Region)

It's a matchup that has been in the making for two years for SMU's Semi Ojeleye, and the junior may just get his chance to stick it to his old team in this year's Sweet 16.

Ojeleye goes up against Duke for the first time since transferring from the Blue Devils in 2015 with a Mustangs team alongside him that have played some of the stingiest basketball the nation has seen this season. Duke continues to ride an absolute roller coaster of a season, most recently seeing a resurrection of Grayson Allen's play that led to an ACC tournament championship.

If Duke has every cog in its machine firing at optimal performance, it will be as tough to beat as any team in the nation, but SMU is not one to be overlooked either. The Mustangs have not lost since Jan. 12, and providing that they can win two more games to reach the Sweet 16, they may be the team that can overcome Duke's recent impressive push.

5. (2) Kentucky vs. (3) UCLA (Sweet 16 - South Region)

The potential matchup between Kentucky and UCLA is one of two fine-tuned, conditioned, heavyweight boxers and unfortunately, one of them has to go down like Frazier.

Two of the best players in the country in Malik Monk and Lonzo Ball would go head-to-head, and their performances could go a long way towards dictating their futures in either college or the NBA draft. Each team has the depth necessary to provide 40 minutes of elite pressure, and the two offenses have the chance to explode and make this Sweet 16 matchup an electric, high scoring affair.

It would not be surprising to see the winner of this matchup head to the Final Four, and even the national championship, which makes this duel the most high-octane matchup of the tournament's early rounds.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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