March Madness is a magical time. A massive tournament of Non-stop basketball, with schools you didn’t even know existed becoming fantastic underdog stories that may just be turned into Hollywood movies.
Did you do a Bracket? Of Course You did! Was it busted after the second game? Of course it was! But what does it matter? You’ve just got to sit back and enjoy the best Basketball you’ll see all season.
Here are my 16 takeaways from the craziest basketball weekend of the season.
BRACKET BUSTER
1. Vill-OH NO-va. The Wildcats from Philly were the first 1 seed to fall in the tournament after a terrible shooting performance that saw them shoot a combined 31.3% from the field. Dylan Ennis was probably the most disappoint Wildcat of them all, going 2-12 from the field and 0-6 from beyond the arc. Besides the dismal effort, full credit to Darrun Hilliard, who essentially put Nova on his back in the waning moments. Hilliard finished with 27 points and hit back-to-back 3’s to bring the Wildcats within a basket.
Early exits aren’t new for Villanova. They haven’t been able to get past the opening weekend since 2009, but this one definitely stings more since the Wildcats were a No.1 seed in an easy region and were currently on a 16 game winning streak.
This game likely blew up your bracket, as 83.4% of all ESPN brackets had the Wildcats at least getting to the next round.
The silver lining in Villanova’s loss? It spawned the meme of the tournament: Piccolo Girl.
CINDERELLA OF THE TOURNAMENT: NC State Wolfpack
2. AWWWWOOOOOOOOO. The Wolfpack of North Carolina State have made the biggest impact of the tournament by far, upsetting Villanova on Saturday night. This game was not a Villanova collapse, it was a Wolfpack win. I would also like to say that I FREAKING CALLED IT.
No one had a bigger night than Trevor Lacey, who led the Wolfpack in points, assists and steals in the upset win over Nova. It wasn’t all Lacey though, as 3 other NC State players scored double-digit point totals: Cat Barber, Lennard Freeman, and Abdul-Malik Abu. Freeman and Abu owned the paint, collecting 12 rebounds each, and Cat Barber’s name is Cat Barber, which is just really fun to say.
As remarkable as the Nova victory was, the win over LSU was even more impressive. NC State was down 14 at half-time and 16 at one point in the second half, but with the help of some missed free throws from the Tigers, the Wolfpack were able to win on a buzzer-beating jumper from Beejay Anya.
STAT OF THE DAY: The last time NC State beat Duke, North Carolina and a 1-seed in the same season… the team went on to win the National Championship.
The legacy of Jim Valvano lives on.
3. BEST GAME OF THE TOURNAMENT: No. 14 Georgia State pulling off an incredible comeback in the 4th quarter, culminated in a miraculous 3 from R.J. Hunter, to upset 3 seed Baylor.
The Georgia State Panthers are a great story to begin with. The Panthers surprisingly won the Sun Belt Conference, and the resulting celebration was cut short when coach Ron Hunter, R.J.’s father, tore his achilles tendon. This forced Hunter to sit on a rolling chair yelling at players for both games of their tournament, which for some reason, reminded me of Patches O’Houlihan from Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. One of their players is also the recently transferred guard from Louisville, Kevin Ware. Yes, THAT Kevin Ware, who returned to tournament for the first time since ‘the incident’.
Anyway, the game itself; Georgia State was down 56-44 with only 2:44 remaining!!! To come back from something like that is nearly impossible. But R.J. Hunter just started making 3’s, and in the dying seconds, with the Panthers down by 2, Hunter chucked up a prayer.
DAGGER! LIKE ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! WOW!!
3 Things:
Look how far behind the line he is!
No one is there for the rebound! If he misses, that’s game.
Coach Hunter flopping like a seal in elation
Sure, Georgia State’s done now after being downed by the Musketeers, but moments like those are the reason I love March Madness.
4. No team has been a bigger letdown thus far than the Iowa State Cyclones. While I do have some bias in this (I had them in the National Championship Game), I most certainly was not the only one who had the Cyclones going deep.
Before March Madness began, the Cyclones had just won the Big XII tournament, the toughest conference in the NCAA (Not anymore: Only Oklahoma and West Virginia remain), off of three huge come from behind victories. They had also got to the sweet sixteen last year without their top scorer, Georges Niang, so it was pretty logical to think Iowa State was primed for a run.
The Cyclones seemingly wore out all their magic, as Iowa State proceeded to play probably its worst game of the season. The usually reliable Naz Long, only went 2 for 9 from 3-point range, and the much talked about Niang got into foul trouble early, which limited his time on the court, and clearly had an impact on ISU’s offensive strategy.
And thus my bracket was busted. After the second game of the tournament. THANKS A LOT IOWA STATE.
5. Speaking of Iowa, the rest of the state didn’t do much better. While it was reasonable to see the Iowa Hawkeyes get dumped by Gonzaga in the third round, the same could not be said for the Northern Iowa Panthers. UNI was a popular sleeper pick to get to the final four, coming in as the 5 seed in a weak east region.
Unfortunately, the Panthers were ousted by the Louisville Cardinals in the Round of 32. Terry Rozier was the story of this one, coming just shy of a triple double with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. UNI could only muster up 53 and their leading scorer, Seth Tuttle, was held to 14 by a Cardinal squad determined to get to its fourth consecutive sweet sixteen appearance.
Northern Iowa just couldn’t channel the spirit of the legendary Ali Farokhmanesh.
6. If you thought the state of Iowa disappointed, well then let me tell you, Texas was something else. All 5 Texas teams, Texas Southern, Stephen F. Austin, Baylor, SMU, and Texas, lost their second round match-up. While the 15-seeded Tigers defeat was expected, very few predicted Baylor or SMU to be defeated by far inferior opponents, and as a big UT supporter, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the lack-lustre, 48 point performance from the Longhorns. With the amount of talent this Texas team had, a team that upset the UVA Cavaliers earlier in the season no less, simply a ticket to the big dance is unacceptable. Time has come for coach Rick Barnes to be shown the door.
7. UCLA being in the Sweet 16 is an absolute joke. The Bruins had no business beating the SMU Mustangs, and they really didn’t deserve to win in the first place. The Mustangs were up large late before Bryce Alford, (a guy who looks like a cross breed of Neil Patrick Harris and the kid from Thunderstruck) decided to have the shooting performance of his life, going 9 of 11 from beyond the arc. If not for a controversial game-winning 3-point goaltending call at the end of the game, we’d be talking about a sexy sweet 16 matchup of the Mustangs and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Instead, the Zags are going to tear UCLA to shreds.
Unless Tony Parker can conjure up another 28 point, 12 rebound performance. He’ll also hit on your girl and tell her she has a nice bracelet.
8. Yet again, the Jayhawks exit early, this time thanks to their in-state rival, the Wichita State Shockers.
To be fair to Kansas, this was a down year for them. Now most schools would consider a 27-8 record and a Big 12 title a season to remember, but to Kansas it was very forgettable. The Jayhawks didn’t take the next step, they didn’t progress, as they were denied of a Sweet 16 appearance for the second straight year. Even coach Bill Self admitted his dismay after the game, saying “Perspective-wise, there’s no way I’ll say it was a great year.”
The highlight of Kansas’ tournament probably has to be Perry Ellis continuing to play after getting an elbow to the nose. Other than that, not much to see here from Bill Self and the Jayhawks.
9. SHOCK TALK: Last year’s Wichita State Shockers team came in an undefeated number 1 seed and were pronounced as ‘overrated’ due to their cupcake heavy schedule. They were promptly bounced by the 8-seed Kentucky Wildcats in the third round.
This year’s team, while lacking Cleanthony Early, who left for the prospects of the NBA (and got drafted by the Knicks, LOLOLOLOLOL), isn’t all that different from last year’s. The Shockers still have key pieces Tekele Cotton, Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker. The trio propelled Wichita State to an upset win over Kansas, Cotton scored 19, while VanVleet had one of the best individual showings of the day with 17 points, six assists, six rebounds, and four steals. Baker also seemed to finally break out of his shooting slump early on in the game, so it’s interesting to know that this team has another gear.
This game must’ve been pretty damn sweet for Shockers fans. They’ve been dying to play Kansas for quite some time, yet the Jayhawks have refused to put them on their schedule. This was the first time the teams have met since ’93 and I’m sure Kansas still won’t want to schedule a game against them after getting embarrassed the way they did.
Will Gregg Marshall’s team reach the final four and shock the nation like they did in 2013? We’ll have to wait and see. If they do get past Notre Dame in the next round, the Goliath of Kentucky will be waiting for them, and in an ironic twist, could get their sweet revenge by ending their undefeated season.
10. Irish eyes are certainly smiling as Notre Dame is off to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003. The Fighting Irish played quite the thriller on Saturday night, dispatching the Butler Bulldogs in OT.
Notre Dame’s Zach Auguste double dribbled in the final seconds of regulation, giving the Bulldogs a final shot at the win.
But Pat Connaughton had other plans.
PLAY OF THE TOURNAMENT:
Connaughton’s last-second block of Kellen Dunham sent the game to Overtime, where the momentum from Connaughton’s play carried over into the extra frame. He hit his first and only field goal of the game, a 3 ball, which was followed by another 3 from the unsung hero of the night, Sophomore Guard Steve Vasturia, to clinch the Fighting Irish victory.
It was certainly a special win, for Notre Dame coach Mike Brey in particular, whose mother died the morning of the game from a heart attack. It’s not easy to win a game of that magnitude, and it’s even harder when you’ve got something like that on your mind.
11. If I could take one pick back, it would be taking the Virginia Cavaliers to go to Final Four.
Going into March Madness, the Cavs, led by ACC Defensive Player of the Year Darion Atkins, were heralded as this great defensive team who could shut down even the most talented players in the country (No. 1 Scoring Defense in the Nation). They went 28-1 to begin the year, and were given a 2 seed in the East region, however many argued that could have garnered a 1 seed.
On paper, seems like a great pick right? WRONG. Red Flags galore.
1st Red Flag: They lost 3 times in the last two weeks of the season. Zero momentum.
2nd Red Flag: UVA had one of the worst offenses (219th, 65.4 PPG) and lowest possession rates in the Country. If you don’t have the ball much, and then have an off day shooting; that’s a recipe for trouble.
3rd Red Flag: The draw had them set to face the Michigan State Spartans in the round of 32 – The team that beat them last year.
4th Red Flag: They looked like trash against the Belmont Bruins.
It had evidently become clear at that point Virginia was definitely contending for a National title. Michigan State beat the Cavaliers at their own game, as UVA only shot 29.1% from the field, including 2 of 17 from 3 point land. Travis Trice, carved up the supposedly impenetrable defense for 23 points. The team, to quote Atkins himself, ‘played like p*ssies’.
What might be more embarrassing for the Cavs is the fact that they’re only team from the ACC to not make the Sweet 16, as Duke, Notre Dame, North Carolina and of course the Scrappy NC State Wolfpack, all advanced.
Defense alone can only take you so far.
12. Need a team to cheer for? Why not the Gonzaga Bulldogs?
The Bulldogs are the 2 seed in the South region (despite being located in Spokane, Washington), and they could realistically make a run to the Final Four and possibly the National Championship.
They’ve got the Canadian Connection with Kyle Wiltjer and Kevin Pangos. Wiltjer has dual Canadian and American citizenship, but is committed to playing for Canada at the national level, while Pangos grew up in Newmarket and his father has coached the York University Women’s Basketball Team for over 25 years. Wiltjer lit up the Hawkeyes for 24 points, going 10-12 and Pangos performed well, putting in 16.
The Bulldogs ran over Iowa, a team who had looked great after beating Davidson by 31. Gonzaga shot 61.5 percent as a team, against an Iowa squad that had been holding opponents to 39.0 percent from the field.
Gonzaga just broke its lengthy sweet 16 drought, something they haven’t seen since 2009. The glory days of Adam Morrison might be coming back!
How can you not root for the Zags?
13. The Arizona Wildcats look as advertised, skilled on both sides of the ball. The PAC-12 champs dismantled the Texas Southern Tigers on Thursday, and were able to shut down the Ohio State Buckeyes and their big threat, D’Angelo Russell, who only went 3 for 19 from the field.
The Wildcats couldn’t hit anything but the bottom of the net in the 2nd half, scoring 47 points, with guards Gabe York and T. J. McConnell both dropping 19 points on the Buckeyes.
Arizona faces the Xavier Musketeers next before likely going toe-to-toe with Wisconsin in one of the most hotly debated games coming into the tournament.
THE REMAINING NUMBER ONES
14. Frank ‘The Tank’ Kaminsky and the Wisconsin Badgers have found their way into the sweet sixteen once again.
The Badgers easily got by Coastal Carolina, and then not so easily scraped by the Oregon Ducks. Sam Dekker came up with some clutch 3’s late to quell any Oregon momentum after Dwayne Benjamin had tied the game at 52. Kaminsky was able to rack up 16 points, but went quiet for long stretches.
Wisconsin can’t expect to play like that in the future, and they better get their act together quickly, as Wisconsin’s future opponents only get tougher. Next up are the Tar Heels of North Carolina and if they’re able to get through them, they’ll likely get Arizona.
I have the Badgers going out in the elite eight, but they’re a fun team to watch, purely because whenever the name ‘Frank the Tank’ is mentioned, I think of this guy. Also, they love to screw around with their stenographer.
15. Going into this tournament, Kentucky was the overwhelming favourite, and after the first 48 games there’s only one team I could see realistically challenging them for the title, the Duke Blue Devils.
Jahlil Okafor is a monster. The ACC Player of the year dominated San Diego State, scoring 26 points on 12 of 16 while getting six boards, two assists and three blocks. He also had 21 and was 9 for 11 against Robert Morris. Player of the tournament so far? I’d say so.
Justise Winslow was a brick wall, and finished with 13 points, 3 blocks and 12 rebounds against the San Diego State Aztecs, 11 of which were defensive.
Having trouble taking care of those two? Don’t worry there’s still Tyus Jones, who’s continuously feeding the two beasts, and Quinn Cook out in the perimeter who can always be counted on to nail a game-changing 3.
Duke beat up on SDSU so bad that I turned the game off before the first half was over. It was a slaughter.
This is the 22nd time that Duke has reached the Sweet 16 with Mike Krzyzewski as head coach. Never count Coach K out. Especially not with the talent he’s got on the team this year.
16. I just said that Duke is the only team I think that has a chance of beating Kentucky. The key word in that last sentence is ‘chance’. There’s a reason the Kentucky Wildcats are still undefeated, they pretty much look unstoppable (Note: The amount of high ranking teams in this year’s tournament named ‘Wildcats’ is TOO DAMN HIGH. The only team missing is this one.)
The starting five of Cauley-Stein, Towns, Aaron and Andrew Harrison, and Saskatoon’s very own, Trey Lyles, certainly has the West Virginia Mountaineers shaking in their boots right now.
How good is Kentucky? Their game against Cincinnati was considered one of their worst showings of the season. They were missing shots left and right and ended up only shooting 37 percent as a team. They were out rebounded by Cincinnati, 45-38. Everything was seemingly going right for the Bearcats and wrong for the Wildcats. THEY STILL WON BY 13 POINTS.
Lyles came up big with 11 points and 11 boards, and Aaron Harrison carried the weight offensively as Karl-Anthony Towns had an unmemorable night after pretty much single-handedly obliterating Hampton, and Willie Cauley-Stein didn’t have eye-popping numbers either, but he did do this.
DUNK OF THE TOURNAMENT
I really hope Quadri Moore said his prayers.
This team is on a mission. 4 wins away from perfection.
Picks for Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight:
SWEET SIXTEEN
Kentucky over West Virginia
Wichita State over Notre Dame
Wisconsin over North Carolina
Arizona over Xavier
Louisville over NC State
Michigan State over Oklahoma
Duke over Utah
Gonzaga over UCLA
ELITE EIGHT
Kentucky over Wichita State
Arizona over Wisconsin
Michigan State over Louisville
Gonzaga over Duke
The Basketball is only going to get better from here. Let the Madness continue.
nolancattell 