The first actual day of March Madness has returned after a two-yr hiatus, and the men’s NCAA Match first spherical is with out a doubt turning within the buzz tied to its moniker.
Whether it is No. 15 seed Oral Roberts dazzling No. 2 Ohio Speak in beyond regular time or North Texas dazzling Purdue in OT, the insanity is relieve in plump swing as we wait for added bracket-busting. Despite the incontrovertible reality that it has been on the expense of the Gigantic Ten.
No. 1 seeds Illinois and Baylor gave the look of nationwide title contenders against substandard opponents, while No. 11 seed Syracuse gave the look of the higher seed in beating No. 6 San Diego Speak and No. 12 seed Oregon Speak persevered its winning momentum in an upset over No. 5 Tennessee. Here’s a detect at some key takeaways from the predominant leg of video games Friday:
Winners
Villanova. A up to date upset utilize in this yr’s NCAA Match was as soon as Winthrop over a susceptible Villanova group that just lost Gigantic East participant of the yr Collin Gillespie to break sooner than the tournament started. Smartly, the Wildcats (17-6) silenced doubters and all of us that picked Winthrop to be a Cinderella against them by shaking off the Eagles 73-63. Villanova peaceful has a dominant participant in Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (22 parts, 12 rebounds, five assists) to present coach Jay Wright a shot at making a seventh Candy 16.
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Oklahoma Speak. It wasn’t projected No. 1 NBA draft utilize Cade Cunningham’s simplest game, however the Cowboys did ample collectively to full Liberty’s upset utter in a 69-60 preserve. Cunningham performed with 15 parts on 3-for-14 shooting but made take dangle of free-throws and a dagger 3-pointer within the closing minutes. Anthony Anderson III paced OSU with 21 parts, seven rebounds and four steals.
Syracuse. The Orange (17-9) made the seeds detect reversed in upsetting San Diego Speak 78-62. That blowout was as soon as driven by Buddy Boeheim’s 30 parts off 7-for-10 shooting from three-point vary. Coach Jim Boeheim has a bunch in a position to attending to the Candy 16, and one who now not regularly appears as if the group that was as soon as on the unfavorable facet of the NCAA Match bubble a complete lot of weeks ago.
Loyola-Chicago. The No. 8-seeded Ramblers (25-4) took benefit of No. 9 Georgia Tech’s simplest participant, Moses Wright, being out attributable to COVID-19. Loyola-Chicago archaic a balanced effort, paced by Lucas Williamson’s 21 parts, to dispatch the Yellow Jackets. Loyola is now not any longer regarded as a Cinderella given what coach Porter Moser did in getting this program to the Final Four in 2018. Plus, the Ramblers lead the nation in protection this season.
Baylor. The Bears (23-2) bulldozed previous Hartford 79-55 for the predominant-spherical preserve one would effect a matter to given Baylor’s exhausting-earned No. 1 seed this yr as the 2nd-simplest group within the tourney within the relieve of Gonzaga. MaCio Teague ready the bottom in this one with 22 parts, and coach Scott Drew has three of the most life like guards for your complete tournament in Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell and Teague.
Illinois. The No. 1 seed within the Midwest Build, Illinois played its simplest impress of basketball in handily dispatching Drexel 78-49. Ayo Dosunmu, USA TODAY Sports activities’ nationwide participant of the yr, paced the Struggling with Illini (24-6) with 17 parts, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Coach Brad Underwood has this group peaking at just the final phrase time, as Illinois has won 15 of 16.
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Houston. The Cougars (25-3) steamrolled No. 15 seed Cleveland Speak to steer clear of an Ohio Speak-esque upset. Houston is a No. 2 seed that’s a Final Four darkish-horse within the Midwest Build but hasn’t been getting a complete lot like in knowledgeable brackets. Presumably its 31-point drubbing can alter that yarn, on the different hand a diminutive. Quentin Grimes, the AAC participant of the yr, performed with 18 parts within the preserve.
Florida. The No. 7-seeded Gators trailed by six at halftime after which didn’t position the game away as No. 10-seeded Virginia Tech forced beyond regular time. But coach Mike White’s group saved its composure to preserve 75-70 and come to the 2nd spherical. Tre Mann’s 3-pointer with 25 seconds left sealed the preserve, while tall man Colin Castleton’s 19 parts fueled UF within the victory.
The full First Four on Thursday. While Drake’s 53-52 preserve over Wichita Speak and UCLA’s 86-80 victory over Michigan Speak delivered early excitement between two No. 11 seeds in play-in video games, even the matchups between No. 16 seeds were engrossing, with Texas Southern beating Mount St. Mary’s 60-52 and Norfolk Speak edging Appalachian Speak 54-53. That’s a tie for the closest margin of parts– 16 – within the First Four.
Losers
Purdue. The Boilermakers (18-10) had won five of six and were seemingly the most in style groups within the nation’s simplest convention (in line with NET fetch). That did now not matter in a 78-69 beyond regular time loss to a North Texas group that now not regularly performs like a mid-essential. The Convention USA winner controlled the tempo almost about all game, making Purdue detect just like the underdog. By the purpose the Boilermakers scored their first bucket in OT, it was as soon as too unhurried.
Ohio Speak. The Buckeyes (21-10) were as soon as in consideration for a No. 1 seed in bracketology, and oh how they’d’ve most in style a No. 16 seed on Friday as soon as they grew to turn out to be the most life like seed to plunge as Oral Roberts staged a Cinderella flee against them. E.J. Liddell played his heart out, ending with 23 parts and 13 rebounds, but this game was as soon as destined to dash the Golden Eagles’ device. OSU was as soon as a nationwide title contender and a No. 2-seeded, nationwide title-succesful group hasn’t lost like this since Michigan Speak in 2016 when Heart Tennessee Speak played spoiler.
North Carolina. The Tar Heels (18-11) got obliterated by Wisconsin 85-62 in an No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed fight thru which they were the fave to design Baylor within the 2nd spherical. They were by no device shut against a Gigantic Ten group that was as soon as trending downward, having lost seven of 10. It is been a imperfect yr for blue-bloods, with Duke and Kentucky missing the NCAA Match altogether. Now, UNC goes house after only 1 game.
Tennessee. The Volunteers (18-9) fell sufferer to a red-scorching Oregon Speak group that now not regularly regarded the segment of a No. 12 seed after surprisingly winning the Pac-12 tournament for the league’s automatic utter. As worthy as this final consequence was as soon as in regards to the Beavers thriving, it was as soon as furthermore about Tennessee going fully cool. The Volunteers scored 56 parts and shot 19% from 3-point vary.
Morehead Speak. The Eagles (23-7) had West Virginia on the ropes early but were unable to generate ample offense to pull off the upset against an underrated No. 3 seed. WVU coach Bob Huggins would now not absorb as sturdy of a protection as he is had in years previous but his group’s offense is stellar this yr. Morehead Speak paid the associated charge, giving up 30 parts to Miles McBride.
Clemson. The No. 7-seeded Tigers (16-8) started off sturdy early, but would perhaps now not fetch a rhythm offensively unhurried within the game, as frail bubble group Rutgers hung on for a 60-56 preserve. Clemson had won six of seven entering the postseason but lost within the ACC tournament to bottom-feeder Miami (Fla.).
Colgate. The No. 14-seeded Raiders (14-2) were outmatched by No. 3 Arkansas, failing to pull off a essential upset and affords the NCAA Match its first actual Cinderella in two years. However the 85-68 fetch would now not veil how shut Colgate was as soon as to doing so, leading by 14 parts within the predominant half of when leading scorer Jordan Burns (13 2nd-half of parts) was as soon as scoreless. Arkansas coach Eric Musselman neatly saved his extra athletic group in pressuring mode to change the tempo any time scorching-shooting Colgate would originate to pull away. Justin Smith’s 29 parts and 13 rebounds did now not injure the Razorbacks’ cause, either.
Utah Speak. The No. 11-seeded Aggies (20-8), who barely squeezed into the discipline of 68 as a bubble at-mountainous utter from the Mountain West, gave Texas Tech all it would perhaps take care of early on but finally would perhaps now not pull off the upset as coach Chris Beard has too disciplined of a defensive group. USU fell 65-53, largely as a outcomes of 17% (4-for-19) shooting from three-point vary and 22 turnovers.
The NCAA. On Monday, six officials were sent house on memoir of they left the resort grounds to receive dinner, a clearly outlined no-no beneath the pandemic restrictions dwelling by the NCAA. On Thursday, images surfaced of the discrepancy between men’s and women’s weight-room facilities and swag bags. Following essential backlash, the NCAA released an announcement acknowledging the differences in facilities in Indianapolis, the effect the men’s tournament is, and San Antonio, the effect the ladies’s tournament is.
On Friday, it got worse. UConn ladies’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma advised newshounds that his group will get a outlandish style COVID-19 check when as compared with the men’s group. NCAA president Brand Emmert confirmed the men’s groups receive day-to-day PCR assessments, while the ladies’s groups receive antigen assessments. Emmert advised USA TODAY Sports activities, The Athletic and the Fresh York Cases there are no diverse risks from either check, even though antigen assessments are described by the FDA as having a rapid turnaround time for outcomes but “increased probability of missing an active infection.”
Put together college basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.
This article before all the pieces regarded on USA TODAY: March Madness: Winners, losers from the men’s NCAA Match first spherical
