Despite the outcome of this year’s madness, one thing is for sure.
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It’s the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
Then came Thursday and Friday, the NCAAs best two days, each with 16 games and some real potential for upsets. Yet despite being the overwhelming favorite in this “David vs. Goliath” showdown, the Cavaliers failed to show up to their first-round matchup, falling to the Retrievers by whopping 20 points.
Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham fouls on Iowa State senior Nazareth Mitrou-Long during their game January 16 at Hilton Coliseum. Posting another school record time of 1:51.41 in the 200 breast, McHugh holds the three seed behind Finnerty and California’s Andrew Seliskar. Two of the tournament more intriguing teams face off Thursday night as the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers tangle with the Nevada Wolfpack; the victor advances to the Elite Eight this weekend, and if it comes down to turnover play, the Ramblers are in serious danger of seeing their Cinderella story come to an end.
Picking the Bulls to win a second game was based on Davidson beating Kentucky in a game Kentucky won by four. While the opening round produced some very surprising results, it was nothing compared to what we saw in the Round of 32.
None of the top-four seeds advanced, the first time in tournament history that has happened in a region.
There have been plenty of incredible performances against high seeds already in March Madness – and Texas A&M is on that list as the Aggies prepare for their Sweet 16 encounter with the Michigan Wolverines.
But the madness did not stop there. Villanova is 8-2-1 against the spread at a neutral site. Behind 28 points from senior Jevon Carter and forward Lamont West notching his first career double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds), the Mountaineers were able to knock off Marshall for the sixth straight time. Villanova is coming off a huge win over Alabama.
The Midwest Region has had one surprise, and that’s Syracuse.
Purdue grabbed the lead halfway through the first half and didn’t look back, its largest lead of the game being 31 points.
Correct. And four have pushed through to the Sweet 16, matching the most in one tournament during the conference’s 22-year history.
The four teams to make it to the Sweet 16 out of the South are likely not the schools you may have expected.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kentucky. Of all the Wildcats’ talented freshman, the 6-6 guard has been the go-to player in March. No. 1 Kansas in the Elite Eight, with the Jayhawks at +850 on the title odds. In college football, you don’t see teams in the WAC…’hey, we’re 12-0, ‘ yeah, well you’re not getting in.
Ferraro qualified for the 100 fly with his team season-best time of 46.65 at the ACC Championships in February, while both Loschi and Pumputis recorded respective NCAA B times of 53.06 and 54.45 to earn a spot in the 100 breast event at the NCAAs.
The game has changed dramatically over the past 30 years, shifting its focus from the low post to the perimeter and allowing teams with good shooters but less overall talent to neutralize bigger teams. They also have been dominant in their two wins over No. 15 Iona and No. 7 Rhode Island. On a neutral floor, Villanova is averaging 84.3 points per game on a neutral floor while holding opponents to 64.3 per game. But you’re talking about a team that’s supposedly so good, and you put them in a Power Five conference, and they go.500, maybe.
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And though leadership skills are tougher to quantify, Krzyzewski offered an anecdote: He said he and Allen were among the last people out of the locker room following the second-round victory over Rhode Island, and the Hall of Fame coach told him that he noticed the rest of the Blue Devils listening to him.
