Previewing the best Saturday matchups in NCAA tourney

The round of 32 is nearly upon us and there are some intriguing matchups shaping up. Here’s a look at five individual matchups that could go a long way towards determining who moves on to the Sweet Sixteen.

RELATED: Assistant coaches discuss tournament

Breakdown: What more could anybody ask for in a round of 32 game than Kentucky and Indiana? Two bitter rivals, tons of history and a must see head-to-head battle between two of the best point guards in college basketball. Yogi Ferrell is relied on to be more of a scorer than Tyler Ulis and may be one of the few floor generals who can match Ulis’ quickness and hope to keep the Kentucky guard in front of him. Both have the clutch gene, both lead vocally and both should show up ready to strap up.

Bossi’s prediction: This is a tough call and I expect this to be Saturday's most intense game. I have Kentucky in the Final Four. Ulis gets the edge in large part because he has an elite scorer in Jamal Murray playing next to him to help ease the pressure.

Breakdown: Easily the best head-to-head big man matchup in any of Saturday’s games. Two surefire first-round draft picks will be squaring off. Jakob Poeltl is a near lock to be drafted in the lottery and is a fluid and skilled seven-footer who totally dominates the glass. Domantas Sabonis is equally skilled, perhaps a bit more rugged in the post but not quite as fluid athletically. Look for these two to have a knockdown, dragout battle around the rim while NBA executives watch closely.

Bossi’s prediction: Sabonis is as tough as they come and a competitor, but I’ll give the slight edge to Poetl in this one because he’s a better rim protector on the defensive end.

Breakdown: Wichita State isn’t getting any favors with a noon tipoff for their third game in five days, but there shouldn’t be anybody left questioning if they are for real or not. Miami is a veteran club that should be able to match the Shockers' toughness. What a treat to see two highly productive fifth-year seniors go at in a game where so much will be on the line. They have similar size, are similar athletes and while Sheldon McClellan has shot the ball a bit better this season, Ron Baker is probably a better playmaker for his teammates.

Bossi’s prediction: What is crazy about this game is the Baker/McClellan matchup may not even wind up as important as the point guard battle between Fred Van Vleet and Angel Rodriguez. I’m expecting a really physical and low scoring game and despite the potentially tired legs, I’m going with Baker and the Shockers.

Breakdown: Kevin Ollie has never lost in the NCAA Tournament (7-0) and the Huskies are playing far and away their best ball of the season. Kansas looks to have a mental toughness about them that some of their past teams have lacked, so something has got to give. Though the Huskies' talented wing Daniel Hamilton doesn’t shoot the ball particularly well, he is a jack-of-all-trades who rebounds and dishes the ball to teammates at a high rate. On the other side, Wayne Selden will give up a couple of inches in size but he has decided strength advantage and has been more dedicated to attacking the rim than at any time in his Kansas career.

Bossi’s prediction: It’s been a heck of a run for Ollie and the Huskies, but Selden and the Jayhawks look totally locked in and Selden’s got a lot of experience surrounding him in Frank Mason and Perry Ellis.

Breakdown: Providence miraculously survived foul trouble from Kris Dunn and a terrible shooting night from leading scorer Ben Bentil to beat USC on Thursday night. To beat North Carolina, though, Dunn is likely going to have to play at the level that has many projecting him as a top 10 pick. He’ll have to attack the paint and draw the Heels' big men to create space for teammates to operate. Though UNC could switch things up and have Joel Berry defend Dunn because of Berry’s strength, Marcus Paige has typically guarded the opposing team’s best perimeter scorer and that should hold true. Paige is a savvy veteran who isn’t particularly strong, but he’s got so much experience playing on a big stage.

Bossi’s prediction: With UNC essentially playing a home game in Raleigh, it’s going to take a special performance from Dunn and company to knock off the Heels. I think Paige hits some outside shots and opens things up for Brice Johnson and company on the interior, allowing North Carolina to advance.