The final 68 teams have been chosen for the NCAA Tournament. All teams are deserving of this opportunity, and there will be endless talk about the huge upsets which might emerge across the March Madness bracket.

The NCAA Tournament was canceled last season due to COVID-19. As the tip-off approaches Thursday night, teams and fans are anticipating a competitive yet exciting tournament in Indianapolis.

The NCAA Tournament South Region has some very tough matchups in the first round. As Baylor ranks at the top of the region, they will be the team to beat and teams will have their eyes glued to what they do next. Each team will open new looks and opportunities to advance past each round. With that being said, let's take a look into a few key matchups that could be phenomenal in the south region.

NCAA Spotlight: 8. North Carolina vs. 9. Wisconsin

The Tar Heels successfully found their way into the NCAA Tournament. It has been a very inconsistent season under coach Roy Williams. The roster had expectations to dominate the ACC. Luckily, their effort in the tournament allowed the program to clinch a spot in the tournament.

Wisconsin also did not exceed expectations in the regular season. The Badgers finished sixth in the Big Ten and often struggled defensively. Luckily, in the conference tournament, the team played with a different approach. They went down to the wire with Iowa in the quarterfinals and showed resilience on both ends of the floor. The Badgers will try to attain an even higher level of performance against North Carolina Friday night in the NCAA Tournament.

This matchup is expected to become an intense one that goes down to the wire. The winner will likely play Baylor in the next round of the NCAA Tournament. The key for the Tar Heels in Friday’s matchup is to control the paint and crash the glass. Their big reason for their wins against Notre Dame and Virginia, the team dominated the rebounding margin by double digits each game. Second chance opportunities will be crucial in this battle and the Tar Heels should look to take advantage of them.

For the Badgers, D’Mitrik Trice will have to carry the team offensively and look for his shot throughout the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers have shown that when the senior is not aggressive on the offensive end, the team has a slim chance of winning. Trice will look for his shot early in the game, which will feed off on the other teammates to impact the game as well.

3. Arkansas vs. 14. Colgate

The Razorbacks are motivated to become a feel-good story in the NCAA Tournament. The team faced a gut-wrenching defeat against LSU in the SEC Tournament semifinal. Luckily, the team still has a chance to redeem themselves in a first-round matchup against Colgate.

Meanwhile, the Colgate Raiders have swept through this season without many obstacles. The team was able to win the Patriot League championship and finished their season with a 14-1 record. Unfortunately, the Raiders have not been on many insider’s radars coming into the NCAA Tournament. The lack of attention will fuel Colgate to come in and possibly finish with an upset in Friday’s matchup.

The key for the Razorbacks is to slow down the three-point shooting of the Raiders. Through the course of this NCAA basketball season, Colgate shot 40% from three this season as a team. Their excellent ball movement swings around the floor and it leads to open looks on the perimeter. The Razorbacks’ defense will need to remain focused and on the same page to slow them down from the perimeter.

For Colgate, limiting the scoring prowess of Moses Moody will be key. Although Moody has shown that he can be slowed down offensively, he impacts the game from his rebounding and other areas on the floor. Limiting Moody to impact the game followed by forcing Arkansas to turn the ball over will be key for Colgate to win and advance in the NCAA March Madness bracket.

2. Ohio State vs 15. Oral Roberts

The Buckeyes have played with a chip on their shoulder from the beginning of this NCAA hoops season. The program understands what is at stake and looks to make a huge run in this year’s tournament. The team also faced a tough outing Sunday afternoon in an intense matchup against Illinois. Despite the loss, the Buckeyes should feel good about their chances to go deep in the tournament.

Oral Roberts is coming off a Summit League championship win against North Dakota State. For a smaller market NCAA program, the team also has the confidence to pull an upset against a number two team.

The Buckeyes have a lot of firepower on both ends of the floor. The team has emerged into one of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten and thrives on getting stops around the basket. Duane Washington Jr will look to lead the way offensively, which will be followed by the rest of the team. The Buckeyes show that they have enough confidence to advance past the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The chances may look slim for Oral Roberts, but anything is possible. The team has to continue to play their style, which is to make the extra pass on offense to get a good shot. The Golden Eagles shoot 45% as a team on the floor. They’ll have to play efficiently on both ends of the floor to pull out the victory.