MARCH MADNESS
FINAL - MARCH 16, 2025
'24 CHAMPIONSHIP IS SET
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The two best teams throughout the entire season meeting head to head for a championship. Sounds right and how it should be. As much craziness as March Madness brought us, it led us to the two best teams in the '23-'24 season meeting Head to Head for the National Championship.
Since 1990, this is only the 8th time two #1 seeds have met for a National Championship. Purdue pulled away big time from NC State in the 2nd half in their semifinal match, while Alabama held close for 35 minutes, but the final minutes of the 2nd semi final found Connecticut standing alone. Purdue's big man, Zach Edey led the Boilermakers with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Freshman Stephon Castle shined in his opportunities presented to him, leading all scorers with 21 points and 5 rebounds. |
THE FINAL FOUR IS SET
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Wolfpack is the Team of March
Ironically, this storyline for North Carolina State began against Duke in the ACC Quarterfinals. A buzzer shot sending the game into Overtime against Virginia in the Semis, before pulling away big. Then, on their 5th consecutive night, North Carolina State defeated the state rivals, North Carolina Tarheels for the ACC Championship and equally as important, their only entrance way to the NCAA Tournament.
Once in the tournament, the 11-seed continued their run. First they dismantled Texas Tech. Next, Oakland choked with seconds remaining and in OT, the Wolfpack once again pulled away and advanced. In the Sweet 16, it was all North Carolina State as the Fightin' Shaka Smarts looked completely disarrayed.
Now, in a deja vu like event, Duke found itself in a rematch with the team of destiny. And the Wolfpack played their game the entire 40 minutes and won going away. Big man, DJ Burns gave another dominating performance scoring 29 points. DJ Horne also put in 20 points and Mohamad Diarra had his quietest night of the tournament with just 7 rebounds. In the end, Wolfpack cut down the nets as South Region Champions defeating Duke 76-64.
Once in the tournament, the 11-seed continued their run. First they dismantled Texas Tech. Next, Oakland choked with seconds remaining and in OT, the Wolfpack once again pulled away and advanced. In the Sweet 16, it was all North Carolina State as the Fightin' Shaka Smarts looked completely disarrayed.
Now, in a deja vu like event, Duke found itself in a rematch with the team of destiny. And the Wolfpack played their game the entire 40 minutes and won going away. Big man, DJ Burns gave another dominating performance scoring 29 points. DJ Horne also put in 20 points and Mohamad Diarra had his quietest night of the tournament with just 7 rebounds. In the end, Wolfpack cut down the nets as South Region Champions defeating Duke 76-64.
Edey, Refs Advance Purdue to Final Four
Zach Edey and the referees did something no politician has ever done before - unanimously bring the entire country together. Edey putting in 40, advanced to the Final Four. This is Purdue's first trip to the National Semifinals since 1980. Edey, attempted 22 Free Throws and officially committed one foul, in the final moments of the game. In comparison, Tennessee, as a team, attempted 11 Free Throws. Go to the internet for further examples of referees allowing 3 second violations, fouls by Edey and traveling violations for the Boilermaker big man.
Sears 3's Puts Tide in Final Four
West Region MVP Mark Sears lit up the Clemson Tigers during the 2nd half of the West Regional Championship. The Alabama Senior Guard connected on 7 three pointers throughout the final 20 minutes to send the Crimson Tide to the school's first ever Final Four.
When Clemson controlled the pace and tempo, Clemson was winning. Once the game went Alabama tempo and pace, the Tide never looked back. Alabama connected on 16 three pointers; 13 of them came during the 2nd half.
Alabama now faces defending national champions and overall #1 seed, the Connecticut Huskies.
When Clemson controlled the pace and tempo, Clemson was winning. Once the game went Alabama tempo and pace, the Tide never looked back. Alabama connected on 16 three pointers; 13 of them came during the 2nd half.
Alabama now faces defending national champions and overall #1 seed, the Connecticut Huskies.
Its Connecticut's World and We're Just Living In It
U Conn uses a 30-0 run to demolish Illinois; advances to Final Four
Its Connecticut's world and we're all just living in it. Illinois' turn to experience that was the Elite 8. After a competitive, back-and-forth and close first half, which U Conn ended on a 5-0 run (28-23), Connecticut came out in the second half and put it to the Illini. In all, Connecticut outscored Illinois 30-0 before the Illini could get on the board in the 2nd half. Individual highlights aside, Connecticut just looked next level as a team. Moving without the ball, blocking shots and just putting the ball down, Huskies were the superior.
7'2 Center, Donovan Clingan was a men amongst boys. Five of the more in your face blocks as you will see, and a double-double helped the Huskies advance.
7'2 Center, Donovan Clingan was a men amongst boys. Five of the more in your face blocks as you will see, and a double-double helped the Huskies advance.
Elite 8 Box Scores
Elite 8 Matchup Stats
NC State's Magical Run Continues
11 Seeds to the Final Four is not uncommon. LSU did it in '86. George Mason did it in '06. Then VCU did it in '11 going from the First Four to the Final Four. The Wolfpack are now just one game away from being the 4th team to earn that honors. North Carolina State made Marquette look bad and badly coached. The Golden Eagles took 60 shots. 31 of them were 3 point land with only 4 actually going in. That right there is the story of the game to why NC State advances to the South Regional Finals.
The Wolfpack meet ACC rivals, Duke. Duke eliminated the #1 seed Houston Cougars, 54-51. The game took a serious turn late in the 1st half when All American and Cougar leading scorer, Jamal Shead left the game with an ankle injury and never returned. From there, Kyle Filipowski's 16 points was enough for the Blue Devils to pull the upset.
In the ACC Quarterfinals two weeks ago, North Carolina State "upset" Duke. They now meet again on Sunday where the winner earns the rights to the Final Four.
The Wolfpack meet ACC rivals, Duke. Duke eliminated the #1 seed Houston Cougars, 54-51. The game took a serious turn late in the 1st half when All American and Cougar leading scorer, Jamal Shead left the game with an ankle injury and never returned. From there, Kyle Filipowski's 16 points was enough for the Blue Devils to pull the upset.
In the ACC Quarterfinals two weeks ago, North Carolina State "upset" Duke. They now meet again on Sunday where the winner earns the rights to the Final Four.
Its a Bad Day to Be a Charlie Bracket
Not many of us can say we had the honor of going 0-4 on the day. That's tough sledding. Auburn, Iowa State, North Carolina and Arizona I had each advancing to the Elite 8 in my #1 bracket. My #1 bracket oh by the way has an outside chance of finishing DFL. That's how good I've done. Put about 3 hours worth of thought into that bracket.
Arizona simply was out-coached. The McDLT that he is, Caleb Love kept the cold side crisp, as the All-American was just 5/18 shooting and missed every 3 pointer. Clemson's bigs actually made their contested layups and were money when they needed big baskets. Their tempo and style controlled 75% of the game and Arizona never adjusted.
Auburn fans have to sink further into a pithole of misery as Alabama knocked off the #1 seeded Carolina Tarheels. Led by their out of work fireman, turned wannabe pornstar, Grant Nelson, the Tide wirey forward put up a double-double. Normally Nelson is good for 4 fouls by halftime, but managed to stay out of foul trouble all night. RJ Davis, one of Carolina's All American's had an almost Caleb Love level performance when the lights where shining the brightest. And then when you needed a basket the most, the Heels allowed Harrison Ingram to shoot a three. That was the final nail in the coffin when it clanked out.
Illinois won the opening tip and basically never looked back. The Big 10 Tournament Champions have simply been unstoppable since their narrow loss to Purdue on March 5th. Iowa State made a game of it in the 2nd half once Terrance Shannon got into foul trouble, but the Illini persevered.
Speaking of unstoppable, the Connecticut Huskies were the only higher seeded team to advance. Taking a 9-point lead into halftime, those magical oranges they ate at halftime did the trick as the Huskies blew out San Diego State by 30 points.
Arizona simply was out-coached. The McDLT that he is, Caleb Love kept the cold side crisp, as the All-American was just 5/18 shooting and missed every 3 pointer. Clemson's bigs actually made their contested layups and were money when they needed big baskets. Their tempo and style controlled 75% of the game and Arizona never adjusted.
Auburn fans have to sink further into a pithole of misery as Alabama knocked off the #1 seeded Carolina Tarheels. Led by their out of work fireman, turned wannabe pornstar, Grant Nelson, the Tide wirey forward put up a double-double. Normally Nelson is good for 4 fouls by halftime, but managed to stay out of foul trouble all night. RJ Davis, one of Carolina's All American's had an almost Caleb Love level performance when the lights where shining the brightest. And then when you needed a basket the most, the Heels allowed Harrison Ingram to shoot a three. That was the final nail in the coffin when it clanked out.
Illinois won the opening tip and basically never looked back. The Big 10 Tournament Champions have simply been unstoppable since their narrow loss to Purdue on March 5th. Iowa State made a game of it in the 2nd half once Terrance Shannon got into foul trouble, but the Illini persevered.
Speaking of unstoppable, the Connecticut Huskies were the only higher seeded team to advance. Taking a 9-point lead into halftime, those magical oranges they ate at halftime did the trick as the Huskies blew out San Diego State by 30 points.
Sweet 16 Box Scores
Opening Weekend Stats
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SHOOTING %
1. Illinois - 58% 2. Gonzaga - 56% 3. Clemson - 55% 3. Houston - 55% 3. Arizona - 55% |
SHOTS MADE
1. Illinois - 68 2. Marquette - 67 3. Gonzaga - 66 3. Connecticut - 66 3. Purdue - 66 |
3's MADE
1. Creighton - 25 2. Marquette - 22 2. Houston - 22 4. Alabama - 21 5. Purdue - 20 5. Duke - 20 |
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FREE THROW %
1. Creighton - 82% 2. San Diego State - 81% 2. North Carolina - 81% 4. Clemson - 79% 5. North Carolina State - 79% |
FREE THROWS MADE
1. Alabama - 40 2. North Carolina - 34 2. Clemson - 34 2. Houston - 34 |
OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS
1. Purdue - 30 2. Alabama - 26 3. Tennessee - 23 4. Houston - 21 5. San Diego State - 20 6. Illinois - 20 |
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TOTAL REBOUNDS
1. Purdue - 95 2. Alabama - 84 3. Tennessee - 81 4. North Carolina State - 76 4. Gonzaga - 76 |
TURNOVERS
1. North Carolina - 14 2. Duke - 15 2. Connecticut - 15 2. Iowa State - 15 5. Illinois - 16 |
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Round of 32 Box Scoring
Round of 64 Recap
There's reasons why it is known as March Madness. And again, its is proven why. Worldwide, there are once again ZERO perfect brackets predicted after the first round.
The story of the first round is the soon to be PAC-12. Between the First Four and 1st Round, the PAC-12 stands tall at 5-0. The SEC has not made Commissioner Greg Sankey's life easy this opening round, posting the lowest percentage out of the Power Conferences.
WON LOST %
PAC-12 5 0 1.000
Big East 3 0 1.000
A-10 2 0 1.000
ACC 4 1 0.800
Big 10 4 2 0.667
Big 12 5 3 0.625
WCC 1 1 0.500
MW 3 4 0.429
SEC 3 5 0.375
Mid-Majors 6 18 0.250
American 0 2 0.000
The story of the first round is the soon to be PAC-12. Between the First Four and 1st Round, the PAC-12 stands tall at 5-0. The SEC has not made Commissioner Greg Sankey's life easy this opening round, posting the lowest percentage out of the Power Conferences.
WON LOST %
PAC-12 5 0 1.000
Big East 3 0 1.000
A-10 2 0 1.000
ACC 4 1 0.800
Big 10 4 2 0.667
Big 12 5 3 0.625
WCC 1 1 0.500
MW 3 4 0.429
SEC 3 5 0.375
Mid-Majors 6 18 0.250
American 0 2 0.000
Double-Digit Seeds Remaining
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Auburn Writes Perfect Formula How to Lose
Is there a formula on how to lose a NCAA 1st Round Tournament game, besides simply not even playing? I don't know. But, if there is, Auburn just wrote the perfect formula on how to.
1. Every year, there is that one team who complains about their seed and/or region. And when that team does both, it almost always never goes well. That's part one.
2. Having one of your better defensive players and starters ejected is never a good factor. Dumbass. Chad Baker-Mazara earned more Technical Fouls all season than any other Auburn Tiger. It finally fully caught up to him.
3. Being outcoached. Yeah, I said it. Still love Bruce, but he was simply outcoached.
4. Not making Free Throws. Auburn went 15/21 on the charity stripe and missed 3 of their final 4 shots.
5. Cheap fouls and referees with quick, aggressive whistles. What's the old phrase, you're not paranoid if they truly are out to get you.
6. Having your arch rival play right behind you and their fan base piggyback and support your opponent.
7. Bad guard play. Combined, 3/14 shooting with 1 Assist and 2 Turnovers by Aiden Holloway and Tre Donaldson.
1. Every year, there is that one team who complains about their seed and/or region. And when that team does both, it almost always never goes well. That's part one.
2. Having one of your better defensive players and starters ejected is never a good factor. Dumbass. Chad Baker-Mazara earned more Technical Fouls all season than any other Auburn Tiger. It finally fully caught up to him.
3. Being outcoached. Yeah, I said it. Still love Bruce, but he was simply outcoached.
4. Not making Free Throws. Auburn went 15/21 on the charity stripe and missed 3 of their final 4 shots.
5. Cheap fouls and referees with quick, aggressive whistles. What's the old phrase, you're not paranoid if they truly are out to get you.
6. Having your arch rival play right behind you and their fan base piggyback and support your opponent.
7. Bad guard play. Combined, 3/14 shooting with 1 Assist and 2 Turnovers by Aiden Holloway and Tre Donaldson.
SEC, Mountain West Big Losers on Day 1
Jack Gohlke delivered 10 3-pointers in taking down 3-seed Kentucky
The SEC did not have a good showing on Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament. The story of the day came from the Horizon League as the Golden Grizzlies of Oakland outshot and simply outplayed the young guns of Kentucky, 80-76. Oakland sank the Wildcats with 15 three-pointers, including 10 from sharpshooter Jack Gohlke. The Senior heavy Grizzlies showed their experience throughout the game while the stud-Freshmen for Kentucky proved Freshmen can still be Freshmen. Which now leads to wonder, because of the NIL, are the days of these Youth Gone Wild teams winning deep into March over?
Mississippi State started off the day playing against an entire month (January, February, Izzo, April...) as Michigan State took away the Bulldog's greatest strength and dominated their SEC opponent. The Bulldogs were 2nd in the SEC in Offensive Rebounds this season. Sparty held Mississippi State to just 10. It didn't help matters that the Bulldogs shot the ball at 37% while Michigan State made 50% of their shots on the court.
South Carolina had an impressive season, but clearly proved their ceiling was their ceiling. Ending the season ranked with a 51 NET ranking and getting blown out by Auburn in the SEC Quarterfinals, the Gamecocks went to Pittsburgh to battle the PAC-12 Tournament Champions, Oregon Ducks. South Carolina was preseason picked to finish dead last in the SEC. Oregon made sure their dreams would not continue. Jermaine Couisnard was the leading scorer for the entire day one bracket as the Duck guard scored 40 points in their victory, 87-73 over South Carolina.
The SEC has egg on their face, that's not to be argued. But, in a whole new category of bad basketball is the Mountain West Conference. Where to begin... Nevada, up 18 with 7 minutes remaining in the game, allowed Dayton to go on an 18-0 run and win the game 63-60. The Wolfpack scored a whopping 4 points the final 7:39 of the game.
Colorado State said to Nevada, hold my beer. The Rams, who ironically just beat Virginia in the First Four, played their Virginia offense, putting in 11 points in the first half against Texas and being held to 44 points the entire game, shooting just 29% from the floor.
Boise State was eliminated in the First Four by Colorado.
Mississippi State started off the day playing against an entire month (January, February, Izzo, April...) as Michigan State took away the Bulldog's greatest strength and dominated their SEC opponent. The Bulldogs were 2nd in the SEC in Offensive Rebounds this season. Sparty held Mississippi State to just 10. It didn't help matters that the Bulldogs shot the ball at 37% while Michigan State made 50% of their shots on the court.
South Carolina had an impressive season, but clearly proved their ceiling was their ceiling. Ending the season ranked with a 51 NET ranking and getting blown out by Auburn in the SEC Quarterfinals, the Gamecocks went to Pittsburgh to battle the PAC-12 Tournament Champions, Oregon Ducks. South Carolina was preseason picked to finish dead last in the SEC. Oregon made sure their dreams would not continue. Jermaine Couisnard was the leading scorer for the entire day one bracket as the Duck guard scored 40 points in their victory, 87-73 over South Carolina.
The SEC has egg on their face, that's not to be argued. But, in a whole new category of bad basketball is the Mountain West Conference. Where to begin... Nevada, up 18 with 7 minutes remaining in the game, allowed Dayton to go on an 18-0 run and win the game 63-60. The Wolfpack scored a whopping 4 points the final 7:39 of the game.
Colorado State said to Nevada, hold my beer. The Rams, who ironically just beat Virginia in the First Four, played their Virginia offense, putting in 11 points in the first half against Texas and being held to 44 points the entire game, shooting just 29% from the floor.
Boise State was eliminated in the First Four by Colorado.
Top Seeds Roll: UNC, Iowa State, Others
Josiah Jordan-James blocks a St. Peter's shot
The SEC overall took it on the chin, but Tennessee was not part of the big picture problem the SEC faced. Instead, they made quick work of St. Peter's eliminating the MAAC Champions, 83-49. All-American Dalton Knecht led all scorers with 23 points, while Zakai Zeigler dished out 10 Assists.
Top seeded Carolina did not let the Wagner Seahawks stand in their way long, as they too made quick work of their 16-seed opponent, winning 90-62. All Americans RJ Davis and Armando Bacot combined for 42 points, while Bacot also brought down 15 Rebounds.
Iowa State's coach, TJ Otzelberger took a trip down memory lane as he faced his former team, South Dakota State. It was when he was the lead voice in Brookings, SD, my FanDuel account found a hidden gem in eastern South Dakota, who knew, right! The Jackrabbits would cover 90% of their games under Otzelberger. With success comes opportunity. Otzelberger parlayed his winnings (see what I did there!) and took his game to Aimes, IA. Now, facing his past, the Cyclones pulled away in the 2nd half, winning 82-56. Three Cyclones scored double-digits in the victory.
Two-seeded Arizona Wildcats began its quest to be the first team west of the Mississippi River to win the national championship since the 1990's... which ironically was themselves who is the most recent "western" champion. Wildcats eliminated Long Beach State 85-65 behind double-digit scoring by all 5 starters.
Three seeds Illinois and Creighton each used big second halves as well to secure their victory over their respective opponents. The Illini downed Morehead State 85-69 while Creighton knocked out Akron 77-60.
Top seeded Carolina did not let the Wagner Seahawks stand in their way long, as they too made quick work of their 16-seed opponent, winning 90-62. All Americans RJ Davis and Armando Bacot combined for 42 points, while Bacot also brought down 15 Rebounds.
Iowa State's coach, TJ Otzelberger took a trip down memory lane as he faced his former team, South Dakota State. It was when he was the lead voice in Brookings, SD, my FanDuel account found a hidden gem in eastern South Dakota, who knew, right! The Jackrabbits would cover 90% of their games under Otzelberger. With success comes opportunity. Otzelberger parlayed his winnings (see what I did there!) and took his game to Aimes, IA. Now, facing his past, the Cyclones pulled away in the 2nd half, winning 82-56. Three Cyclones scored double-digits in the victory.
Two-seeded Arizona Wildcats began its quest to be the first team west of the Mississippi River to win the national championship since the 1990's... which ironically was themselves who is the most recent "western" champion. Wildcats eliminated Long Beach State 85-65 behind double-digit scoring by all 5 starters.
Three seeds Illinois and Creighton each used big second halves as well to secure their victory over their respective opponents. The Illini downed Morehead State 85-69 while Creighton knocked out Akron 77-60.
Round of 64 Box Scoring
ELITE 8 GAME BALLS
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SWEET 16 GAME BALLS
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In Most Anticipated Game, Baylor Routes to Championship
From literally, the opening tip, Baylor took control of the game and dominated their way to the school's first ever Men's Basketball National Championship. Baylor's 86-70 over previously unbeaten Gonzaga still does not show justice to how dominant the Bears actually were.
Baylor caused 14 turnovers (the majority of which were steals) and more impressively, had 16 offensive rebounds. If scoring 30 points inside the paint wasn't impressive enough, the Bears added 10 three-pointers to aid the route.
Coming into the season, it was a 2-horse race by most basketball enthusiasts of who would be the nation's best player - Iowa's Luca Garza or Baylor's Jared Butler. I'm not saying Garza wasn't brilliant for Iowa, because he was, but at the end of the day, Butler scored a game high 22 points and led his team to the national championship.
Baylor caused 14 turnovers (the majority of which were steals) and more impressively, had 16 offensive rebounds. If scoring 30 points inside the paint wasn't impressive enough, the Bears added 10 three-pointers to aid the route.
Coming into the season, it was a 2-horse race by most basketball enthusiasts of who would be the nation's best player - Iowa's Luca Garza or Baylor's Jared Butler. I'm not saying Garza wasn't brilliant for Iowa, because he was, but at the end of the day, Butler scored a game high 22 points and led his team to the national championship.
Sister Jean Spotted at National Championship Game:
PREVUOUS CHAMPIONS
UCLA Defeats Bama in Game of the Tournament So Far
The PAC-12 continues to succeed in the NCAA Tournament. And now that UCLA knocked off 2-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide, the PAC-12 will have 3 of the final 8. The Bruins used an big first half to establish a 12 point halftime lead. Bama came charging back. And that's when this game got good. UCLA looked to have the game sealed with three seconds and a 3-point lead, but Bama's Alex Reese nailed a tying 3-pointer at the buzzer. That was Reece's only made basket of the game, no less.
It was in overtime, Mick Cronin's crew took it the next level. The Bruins outscored the Tide by 10 points in the bonus period to advance to the Elite 8. The two happiest people in the planet right now are 1) Bill Walton. Because if I have to explain, you don't follow basketball. And 2) Charles Barkley. Now he doesn't have to go on air with a hound's-tooth hat.
As an 11-seed who was in the First Four, the Bruins are now one of two schools to ever go from the First Four to the Elite 8. The other, back in 2011 were the VCU Rams, who knocked off the Kansas Jayhawks in the Elite 8 by 10 to advance to Houston in that year's Final Four.
It was in overtime, Mick Cronin's crew took it the next level. The Bruins outscored the Tide by 10 points in the bonus period to advance to the Elite 8. The two happiest people in the planet right now are 1) Bill Walton. Because if I have to explain, you don't follow basketball. And 2) Charles Barkley. Now he doesn't have to go on air with a hound's-tooth hat.
As an 11-seed who was in the First Four, the Bruins are now one of two schools to ever go from the First Four to the Elite 8. The other, back in 2011 were the VCU Rams, who knocked off the Kansas Jayhawks in the Elite 8 by 10 to advance to Houston in that year's Final Four.
Beavers Take Bite Out of Loyola
Bill Walton embraces him inner beaver
The twelve seed from the Midwest Region has advanced to the Elite 8. NO ONE had the Oregon State Beavers advancing to the Elite 8. Most had Tennessee beating them in the first round. Only fulltime hippie and parttime basketball analyst, Bill Walton, had Oregon State advancing.
Ethan Thompson led the way for the Beavers scoring 22 points. Oregon State's defense held Loyola to just 33% shooting. And the Ramblers only scored ONE point off of Oregon State's turnovers.
Oregon State now waits to find out their opponent later tonight - Houston or Syracuse. That winner on Monday night advances to the Final Four.
Ethan Thompson led the way for the Beavers scoring 22 points. Oregon State's defense held Loyola to just 33% shooting. And the Ramblers only scored ONE point off of Oregon State's turnovers.
Oregon State now waits to find out their opponent later tonight - Houston or Syracuse. That winner on Monday night advances to the Final Four.
Fightin' Sister Jeans Upset Illini, Advance to Sweet 16
Twelve of us. That's it. Twelve out of 166 entries had Loyola Univ. upsetting the Illinois Fightin' Illini. In comparison, 26 more of us just had our predicted champion eliminated. This might have been an upset on the seed line, but if you watched the game, the more sound team lead wire to wire.
The Big 10 is having a very rough tournament. All year long, they were dubbed the best conference. This tournament is proving that statement as false. Loyola was led by their big ugly on the inside, Cameron Krutwig, with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 4 steals. Since 2018, Loyola is now 6-2 in tournament play.
The Big 10 is having a very rough tournament. All year long, they were dubbed the best conference. This tournament is proving that statement as false. Loyola was led by their big ugly on the inside, Cameron Krutwig, with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 4 steals. Since 2018, Loyola is now 6-2 in tournament play.
Record Number of Upsets Round 1
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The only seed not to score an upset was the 16-seed. The 1's are officially on notice. Here are the First Round Upsets (by seed line):
15) Oral Roberts def. 2) Ohio State 14) Abilene Christian def. 3) Texas 13) Ohio def. 4) Virginia 13) North Texas def. 4) Purdue 12) Oregon State def. 5) Tennessee 11) UCLA def. 6) BYU 11) Syracuse def. 6) San Diego State 10) Maryland def. 7) Connecticut 10) Rutgers def. 7) Clemson 9) Wisconsin def. 8) North Carolina |
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Texas, Virginia Big Losers on Saturday
In a record setting year of upsets, day two came to a close with two more big surprises. First, the "defending" national champions bowed out to the 13-seeded Ohio Bobcats. After leading much of the game, Virginia went on an Antarctic level cold streak and the gave Ohio the chance, winning 62-58. Virginia only scored 4 points between the 10 and 2 minute marks. In essence, two TV timeouts and only made two baskets. That was their fatal flaw. Ben Vander Plas led the Bobcats with 17 points.
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Oh the mighty have fallen. After Shaka Smart led his Texas Longhorns to their first Big XII Championship, he found themselves as the only Big XII school eliminated in the first round. Give Abilene Christian credit. They super slowed down the tempo and forced the Longhorns to have a season high 22 turnovers.
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Day 1 Summary
Click picture for full recap article
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Eagles Soar as Oral Roberts Upsets Ohio State
Pop quiz. Who is the nation's leading scorer at the end of the regular season? Did you say Max Abmas of Oral Roberts? If you did, you are correct. But get this Eagles fans (or Michigan fans, or fans of upsets), with 29 points today, he wasn't even the team's leading scorer! That honor went to Kevin Obanor, with 30 points.
All of this was done at the expense of the Ohio State Buckeyes. The 2nd seeded Big 10 representative was the second member in consecutive games to be eliminated from the tournament. 2021 Tournament Underway!
The 2021 NCAA Men's College Basketball National Championship Tournament is underway! After a year without, the best month in the year has returned! The First Four is complete with Drake winning it late over Wichita St; Texas Southern defeating Mount St. Mary's; Norfolk State becoming the first ever team to win a tournament game as both 15-seed and a 16-seed as they defeated Appalachian State and in the night cap, UCLA had a 14 point come from behind victory over Sparty. Big 10 might have had the most teams in, but they are already down one. Mick Cronin and crew now take on one of Sister Jean's Final Four's picks - BYU.
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Who Will Wear Cinderella's Slipper?
Sister Jean might have shown up wearing her Velcro strapped maroon tennis shoes, but we all know Cinderella's slipper fits just as well. Who will wear it this year? Oral Roberts, North Texas and the two leading Mid-Majors to do so this year. Ok, so is Loyola, but only if they defeat Illinois on Sunday.
Welcome to Year 31
Welcome to Year 31 of our NCAA March Madness Tournament Pool. Should be Year 32. Oh well. Still, today should be a Federal Holiday! Is in my world that's for sure. Some quick interest tid-bits for our tournament:
- We have 86 people entering in a total of 166 total brackets - We will pay out Top 4 (1st = 50%; 2nd = 25%; 3rd = 15%; 4th = 10%) a very small admin fee needs to come out, as well. - Looks like A LOT have, still compiling, but if you need to submit payment, please do so to my Venmo @charlie-krausse 
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