Throughout the month of March, America will be captivated by the NCAA Tournament. I know there are purists among the fans of other sports who wouldn't agree with me, but I feel this is the best sporting event, baby!

Think about the drama, especially in the early rounds with the David vs. Goliath matchups. There have been so many surprises over the years, from the Valparaisos to the Princetons, the Coppin States to the Chattanoogas.

The tournament selection committee, led by Mike Tranghese, has done a great job this year. There are a number of compelling first-round showdowns.

INTRIGUING FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS
(in order of tip-off time | seeds in parentheses)
FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAMES
South: North Carolina (2) vs. Princeton (15) | about 10:20 p.m. ET
North Carolina has to regroup, and Princeton is never an easy team to play with all the back-door cuts and screens.

The Tar Heels have to be concerned with their effort against Duke in the ACC championship game. They should have too much talent for the Tigers, but then comes the Providence-Penn State winner.

That could be a tough second-round game unless North Carolina regroups. In their last eight games, the Tar Heels went 4-4 -- and it cost them a No. 1 seed.

Midwest: Notre Dame (6) vs. Xavier (11) | about 10:25 p.m. ET
Notre Dame and Xavier square off in the Midwest. The Irish need to regroup after losing their last three games. They don't have the momentum they wanted going into the tournament. Troy Murphy, who was held below 20 points in all three of those losses, has to be the leader, playing like an All-American instead of his recent performances.

The Musketeers are quick and athletic, plus David West is very underrated. Skip Prosser's team was considered to be on the bubble, and now that they're in, they are capable of making some noise. That should be an excellent contest. I'm happy for Prosser. The last two years, his team won over 20 games and did not make the Big Dance.

Here's what I had to say about the earlier first-round games...
South: Virginia (5) vs. Gonzaga (12)
Virginia and Gonzaga should draw lots of interest. The Zags won 18 of their last 19 games. America doesn't know enough about the 1-2 punch of Dan Dickau and Casey Calvary. Gonzaga will surely cause Cavaliers coach Peter Gillen to toss and turn in bed. I'm sure he wishes he didn't have them in the first round.

The Zags know they can play with the big guys after making the Sweet 16 last year and the Elite Eight in '99. If you don't believe me, ask Mike Jarvis about last year or Billy Donovan and Mike Montgomery regarding '99.

Still, Virginia is a tough first-round matchup for Mark Few's club. The Cavs can go up and down the court. They will be well aware of what to expect, and Gillen's team will be ready. Virginia won't take this opponent lightly.

Midwest: Tennessee (8) vs. Charlotte (9)
Tennessee versus Charlotte could be an interesting game. The Vols have the talent to advance but have been too inconsistent. Tony Harris has to regain his shooting touch; he was 1-for-10 against Mississippi in the SEC tournament. Bobby Lutz's team came through in the Conference USA tournament; it has become the Lutz Invitational.

The Vols can redeem themselves after their dismal finish. Remember, Tennessee at one point was 16-1 with several quality wins. Diaper dandy Rodney White inside will battle Ron Slay, Vincent Yarborough, Charles Hathaway and Isaiah Victor.

Tennessee, with the right mindset, has the talent to upset Illinois in the second round. Will that happen? First things first, with Charlotte posing a difficult test for the Vols.

East: Georgia (8) vs. Missouri (9)
When you look at the Georgia-Missouri matchup, I'm not shocked the Bulldogs got in. The strength of schedule was a definite factor, and there was a precedent since Villanova in '91 got in at 16-14. Rewarding a team for playing the best makes sense.

Missouri's chances are much-improved with the return of Kareem Rush. He played well against Oklahoma in the Big 12 tournament. If the Tigers win, they are looking at a game against Duke. I know Mike Krzyzewski would not feel comfortable coaching against his protégé, Quin Snyder.

West: Georgia Tech (8) vs. St. Joseph's (9)
Tech's Paul Hewitt and St. Joe's Phil Martelli have two of the surprise teams in college basketball this season. If Georgia Tech can contain the great backcourt of Jameer Nelson and Marvin O'Connor, I think they have the edge inside with Alvin Jones. The Yellow Jackets would have a chance against Stanford in the second round.

Tech is a dangerous team for Mike Montgomery to face. The Yellow Jackets can shoot the trifecta with Shaun Fein, Tony Akins and company. Jones can battle against the Collins twins. Remember, Stanford has lost in the second round the last two years.

West: Wisconsin (6) vs. Georgia State (11)
Georgia State-Wisconsin really intrigues me. Lefty Driesell's TAAC champion has a dynamite backcourt with Shernard Long and Kevin Morris. The Panthers could give the Badgers trouble.

If Georgia State wins, ultimately you could see Lefty hook up with his former school, Maryland. I have the Terps going to the Final Four out of the West.