The 1st 4 days of March Madness. Total Freedom from the world we live in. Instead of focusing on the current events that are going on in Europe as well as other places around the world, we can focus on the insanity of the tournament. How are things shaking up?
Round of 64
South
Lets begin in the South because that region is probably the most top heavy. Jamie Dixon and TCU blowing the breaks off of his old rival in Seton Hall. What was supposed to be a classic on paper turned into a laugher. Arizona blowing out Wright State and Villanova crushing Delaware were the obvious picks in the 1st Round. Plus Houston and Tennessee took care of business in their games too. Illinois was on upset alert against Chattanooga but was able to escape with a win. One of the bigger storylines of the division were 2 BIG10 rivals. Ohio State and Michigan. Both teams were expected to get knocked out early according to all the meme lords but both teams played excellent defense when it truly mattered. Oh you’re telling me the Basketball Gods were playing mind games with Sister Jean and Loyola. YOU DON’T SAY! PAUSE
West
In the West, Coach K’s last ride began with a bang as Duke ran roughshod over CSU. Yes it was only a 17 win for the Blue Devils but this game was over right when it began. Arkansas was one of those teams that on paper was going to be on upset alert but in the end they were able to shut down Vermont when it truly mattered. (Why did I trust a Cinderella Story to beat this defensive machine?) Then we get to the 2 upsets. Unlike others I would say that Notre Dame on paper had a team that was equal to Alabama’s talents. And I was right, the Fighting Irish made quick work of the Crimson Tide in no time. The other being UConn getting dismantled by New Mexico State in a back and forth affair. Tom Izzo and Michigan State were another team that wasn’t going to want to go home early. Despite an excellent game by Davidson they were able to hold off a last minute comeback to set up a classic showdown with Duke. Same can be said about Memphis all though their win against Boise State was a beatdown by the end of the 2nd Half. Texas Tech and Gonzaga well they stormed past their opponents with ease. That’s not shocking at all. PAUSE.
East
The East was sort of chaotic if you ask me. I feel bad for those that picked Marquette to beat UNC. The Tar Heels absolutely crushed the Golden Eagles and it got so bad that the arena was half empty by the 10 minute mark in the 2nd Half. (Marquette fans and other spectators not from North Carolina watching that game left in a hurry) Other than that it was mostly predictable. Baylor and Purdue showed off their elite talents and put up 20 point wins, Saint Mary’s went from upset alert going into their game against Indiana to blowing them out from the word go. Texas meanwhile put Enter Sandman and the Hokies to bed with 2 minutes left thanks to a few key buckets to put the game on ice. UCLA despite their struggles against Akron were able to survive a game that should have been a blowout. And then we get to Murray State against UCSF, the battle of Cinderella Stories went to the Racers and their dominant win streak despite bad competition continued. You may be asking yourself how chaotic this conference is? BOOM! There we go, Saint Peter’s destroying everyone’s brackets by upsetting a usually tournament favorite in Kentucky. To me this game should never have gone to overtime. The Wildcats should have put this game away at the end of regulation. Let me guess they were eating some delicious Boudreau Barbecue both before the game and after regulation ended. That was a bad idea wasn’t it! PAUSE.
Midwest
The Midwest was probably the division where the most double digit seeds advanced to the 2nd Round. The main team of those squads just happened to be Richmond who pulled from the Hawkeyes at the end of the game. Once again Iowa gets delicious karma thrown at them after their fans were hailing them as title contenders. It’s like we never left the College Football season at all. Miami and Iowa State were 2 more teams that had double digit seeds and were able to win their games. The difference between these games and the Richmond one was that the talent level on paper was even going into the game. Both the Hurricanes and Cyclones survived last minute epics to advance to the 2nd Round. Kansas on the other hand dominated Texas Southern and pushed them around like a volleyball. Same with Auburn against Jacksonville State. Crieghton and San Diego State had an epic clash that unfortunately featured one team that had to lose. That happened to be the hard lucked Aztecs. The San Diego Special returned in epic fashion. And so did the juggernauts of Wisconsin, and Providence. Both struggled early but were able to hold on despite playing down to competition. Lets just hope those 2 don’t go out early? PAUSE
Round 32
East
The Round of 32 began with a questionable bang. The Tar Heels held a 25 point lead over the defending champion Baylor Bears only for it to shrink in a hurry. Not to mention REFBALL played a massive role in this comeback as one of North Carolina’s key players was ejected. In the short term it didn’t matter since UNC was able to prevent a massive collapse by beating Baylor in OT. Looks like that game against Duke a few weeks ago wasn’t a fluke after all. PAUSE. Looks like UCLA is loading up for another push towards the Final 4. They took advantage of a massive advantage on the glass early in the game and went with it after that. Tiger Campbell and the rest of the Bruins made sure that Saint Mary’s wasn’t going near the Sweet 16. Looks like UCLA gets the reward of playing the Tar Heels in the next round. That should be a great game! PAUSE. Not sure what to think about this game. I feel like this game was decided by 2 simple statistics. Texas couldn’t keep up with the Boilermakers both in point totals and on the glass. Even after beating Virginia Tech last round, the Longhorns proved that they still aren’t ready for the big time. They still have promise but when will the fanbase beg for more? I don’t know it depends on how they do next year. PAUSE. Murray State, you guys may have had the longest win streak by any team in the country this year but you must suffer to the Basketball Gods. We have a new Cinderella Story that is overtaking our everyday lives right now. If you thought Oral Roberts, and Loyola’s runs were nuts, Saint Peters makes both of those schools look like choirboys. This game was close in the 1st Half, but then the Peacocks blew them right out the arena in the 2nd Half. This wasn’t the underdog winning at the end of a game typescript, this was a 2nd Half beatdown. Looks like the media is going to be all in on this success story despite not knowing anything about the coaches or players. PAUSE.
South
Oh boy Memphis you couldn’t have scripted a better start to this game. Up by 10 at halftime in a game that you shouldn’t have shown up. Gonzaga is sure about to choke. At least until they come back and tie this thing up in the 2nd Half. And then their front line just dominated the rest of the way. The Tigers are still a team with promise but are they ready to make noise for a deep run? I’m not sure. Anyways Gonzaga can you please stop playing down to teams. We saw it in the 1st 2 Rounds, I hope we don’t see it again. PAUSE. New Mexico State and their upset minded style of play look as if they were going to pull off another huge upset. However things changed in a hurry as their 2nd Half comeback was put on hold as the Razorbacks defense put them to bed. The thing I find crazy is that Arkansas shot 18% from 3 and still won. That shows you that in March offensive statistics are usually useless. Looks like they are set up for a deep run. PAUSE. The Red Raiders luckily didn’t get the misfortunes of playing Alabama in the 2nd Round. Instead they got Notre Dame who yes did put up a fight in the 1st Half, but then they ran out of gas in a hurry. Heck the Irish had the lead with 2 minutes left, And then Texas Tech got bailed out by excellent defense. This is one of the few times in the tournament where talent on one side of the ball trumps coaching and structure. It’s crazy, I know. PAUSE. Izzo against Coach K, a legendary coaching rivalry with both sides eager to pull off deep runs in the tournament. So far Michigan State looked like they were going to win. Up by 5 with about 5 minutes left it seemed as if Duke had no hope. HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY! Then Duke’s starting 5 went god mode and there was no one on the other side to match it. It’s no shame on the Spartans that’s was just the Blue Devils saving their Hall of Fame coach’s last ride. Even if this is considered a choke by some, Duke earned this win. Unleash the insufferability everyone! PAUSE.
West
Fab 5 City vs Rocky Top, 2 teams that are both desperate to get the underachievement monkey off of their backs. For the entire 1st Half it was obvious that Tennessee was the better team. Michigan was hot and cold and they fell behind by 5. BOOM! And then they played up to their potential in the 2nd Half. This game felt like their win over Colorado State in the 1st Round. Tantalize everyone with a bad start and then make almost everything in sight at the end of the game. Is it me or is Juwan Howard playing mind games with the media? Just when everyone thought that Michigan was dead, they pulled off 2 epic wins to advance to the Sweet 16. This is no Cinderella Story, everyone around Ann Arbor expected this out of the Wolverines. PAUSE. What did I tell you about not sleeping on Houston’s hunger and determination. Just like last year they have dominated in the 1st 2 Rounds. Blowing away UAB and then cruising past the Illini with ease. Out of all the juggernauts in this tournament they were the ones that got slept on. And you know what happens if you sleep on a team, THEY WAKE YOU UP! I wonder who they get next? PAUSE. Is this the year that Jamie Dixon has the gas in the tank to make it far like he did at Pitt? In a slugfest against Arizona, TCU is hanging in there nicely. The so-called best team in the country is on the verge of getting eliminated in Round 2. Looks like ESPN has to eat their words. HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY! And then the Wildcats had to showcase their talent when it mattered the most. Even if Arizona botched a dunk that would have beaten the buzzer, they still found a way to beat the Horned Frogs in OT. We were so close to laughing at AU once again. Now on you go to Round 3. Anyways all of YinzerLand celebrates TCU’s demise. PAUSE. Speaking of the state of PA, Villanova is once again looking like a dynasty that has been over the last decade plus. Even if Ohio State made the Basketball Gods laugh at Sister Jean, they forgot to realize that Jay Wright and his Wildcats have bigger mountains to climb. They kept it close but then Gillespie and Eric Dixon KO’ed their comeback hopes. The last thing Pennsylvania needed was THE BIG10 Football Factory knocking out the basketball factory in the state. Well anyways V for Villanova, V for vengeance on anyone who comes their way. PAUSE.
Midwest
So does Richmond keep up their unexpected run? The answer is no. Providence may still have some doubters but they showed no mercy against the Spiders who got fried all night long. (Get it) Any team that shoots 5% from 3 is due to get crushed. In this case it happened. When are college kids going to learn that the Let it Fly montra only works in the NBA? PAUSE. A team from outside of Wisconsin winning a playoff game at Fiserv Forum. Now that’s something you don’t see everyday. (Considering that the Bucks playoff record in that building is 16-3) The Badgers were inconsistent all game long and to be fair they just didn’t have it. Iowa State was clearly the better team. It showed all game long as every time the crowd got into it, they quickly silenced them. I will say that the Cyclones have a shot at making it far. I wonder who they will get in the next round? PAUSE. Heard about them Miami Boys? Well guess what my friends, they just took it right into the hearts of War Eagle. There is nothing that makes me laugh more than the Auburn Tigers talking smack before they get crushed. (Exhibit A: Whiteout 2021) This game was over by the beginning of the 2nd Half. I knew after they lost to Florida in late February that the Tigers were going home. The Hurricanes basically took away their entire offense. And that was a sight to see. Looks like Duke and UNC aren’t the only ACC powers that have made it to the Sweet 16. The U has just joined them. PAUSE. Kansas too is trying to prove their doubters wrong and knock off what should be a solid foe in the Blue Jays. Despite Creighton making a furious 2nd Half comeback, the Jayhawks were able to put their opponents on lockdown in the final minute. Any team that gives up a plus 40% 3 point shooting performance and still wins is a sight to behold. That’s Kansas. When will their soft zone defense come back to bite them? PAUSE.
Sorry I’m a little behind on all this, I’ve had a busy week with other things at school and with the blog. Although the tournament has been as exciting as advertised. When will people realize that you just can’t crown champions before a game is even played? I have no idea.
Bragging Rights Sports 