Filling out a bracket is typically the most enjoyable part of March Madness. But as the clicks are finished or ink is dried, we start dreaming up interesting clashes in the men's NCAA tournament.

What if Duke plays Michigan State in a battle of legendary coaches? What if Murray State gets a shot at Kentucky?

Mathematically, the odds of a perfect bracket are 1 in 9.2 quadrillion—which is 9, 2 and 17 zeroes, for the record. So, look, there's any absurdly high number of possible matchups, even if you exclude the unlikelihood of a No. 16 seed advancing. And we're narrowing that gargantuan total to a mere six.

The choices are subjective but consider both on- and off-court storylines, team strengths and playing styles.

 

West Region: Duke vs. Michigan State

In the immortal words of Daft Punk: One more time.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is retiring after the season, is merely two victories shy of 1,200 for his career. Provided the Blue Devils win their opening-round game, Coach K will have an opportunity to extend his record to a nice, round number.

But there's a good chance Tom Izzo and Michigan State will stand in the way of that pursuit.

Michigan State takes on Davidson in the first round, and there's no guarantee the Spartans advance. Still, it'd provide a fitting matchup for Krzyzewski's final NCAA tournament; he and Izzo have squared off in March Madness five times—including both the 1999 and 2015 Final Four and the 2019 Elite Eight.