As March Insanity goes, Day 1 of this yr’s NCAA Match was comparatively tame. There was a 12-5 upset when McNeese upended Clemson in spectacular trend and a blow to the SEC when Eleventh-seeded Drake toppled sixth-seeded Missouri. However the whole lot else went kind of by the guide, even when No. 5 Michigan wanted a last-minute jumper from Will Tschetter to stave off UC San Diego in crunch time and No. 3 Texas Tech solely pulled away from UNC Wilmington within the ultimate moments.
The hope for basketball junkies is that comparatively calm seas can solely final so lengthy, that finally the upsets and event magic begin flowing from one enviornment to the following. We’ll be monitoring the largest storylines and moments of Day 2 all afternoon and night, exploring a few of the greater matters in a bit extra element.
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UConn’s desires of a three-peat stay alive
For the previous couple of weeks, amid the predictable highs and lows his inconsistent workforce has navigated all season, UConn head coach Dan Hurley has spoken longingly in regards to the prospect of competing within the NCAA Match. He was uninterested in the rugged physicality within the Huge East, of the fixed slugfests with St. John’s, Creighton and Marquette, of the extremely scrutinized sparring periods between himself and the league’s officers that appeared to happen on a nightly foundation. The Huge Dance, he believed, might usher in a breath of contemporary air for each him and this system at giant. It grew to become one in every of Hurley’s go-to tropes after what felt like each recreation down the stretch.
And on some degree, deep down inside, Hurley in all probability believed the issues he was saying. There was sufficient basketball sense in his remarks in regards to the variations in model of play between the Huge East and the NCAA Match — to not point out the officiating — that logical conclusions a couple of potential uptick in efficiency from the Huskies might be fairly drawn. An offense rooted in off-ball screening and executed by a workforce that’s not overly bodily ought to, in idea, carry out higher outdoors its convention road fights.
However a few of what Hurley mentioned was virtually definitely wishful pondering given the whole lot he is aware of about his flawed workforce. Lots of the similar points that plagued UConn throughout a disastrous journey to the Maui Invitational in November are nonetheless bothering Hurley’s crew 4 months later: subpar ball dealing with, lack of depth on the guard positions, an incapability to defend with out fouling, issues inbounding the basketball in opposition to stress defenses and inconsistent perimeter taking pictures. Not even essentially the most favorable of whistles or fascinating opponents within the NCAA Match have been prone to assuage these extended maladies, almost all of which reared their ugly heads in a gut-twisting win over ninth-seeded Oklahoma on Friday evening, the 67-59 ultimate rating belying how tense the sport actually was.
4 UConn gamers have been saddled with three fouls by the 12:10 mark of the second half, with Oklahoma coming into the double bonus shortly thereafter. Three extra gamers reached the three-foul threshold earlier than the under-4 media timeout because the free-throw disparity mounted. Star gamers Alex Karaban, Liam McNeeley and Solo Ball mixed to make simply 4 of 18 makes an attempt from 3-point vary on an evening when backup heart Tarris Reed Jr. (12 factors, seven rebounds) was arguably the workforce’s greatest offensive participant. The Huskies turned the ball over 13 instances in comparison with solely 10 assists.
And but with UConn’s pursuit of a three-peat on the verge of being extinguished by a second-half Sooner surge, Karaban stepped ahead in precisely the way in which a two-time defending nationwide champion ought to. He buried a vital 3-pointer with 3:40 remaining to increase the Huskies’ result in 4. He made a floater within the lane three possessions later to push that margin to 6. He snagged a vital rebound when the Sooners missed a 3-pointer on the different finish. He blocked a shot with 38 seconds left. He grabbed one other rebound on UConn’s subsequent defensive possession.
From the depths of despair, Karaban, who scored 11 of his 13 factors within the second half, dragged UConn again to life and into the second spherical. Now the Huskies will face top-seeded Florida on Sunday for a spot within the Candy 16.
Richard, Rick Pitino change into first father-son duo to win NCAA Match video games in similar yr
For apparent causes, the first-round matchup between No. 7 Marquette and No. 10 New Mexico was seen as a showdown between two of the very best lead guards within the nation: Kam Jones and Donovan Dent. The previous was a first-team All-Huge East choice and averaged 19.3 factors per recreation with 5.9 assists this season, propelling the Golden Eagles to 23 wins. The latter was a first-team All-Mountain West performer and earned the convention’s Participant of the 12 months award after averaging 20.6 factors and 6.4 assists per recreation, guiding the Lobos, who’re coached by Richard Pitino, the son of St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino, to a second consecutive NCAA Match look. No first-round pairing had extra star energy on the level guard place than this one.
But for a lot of Friday’s recreation, Jones and Dent performed peripheral roles given simply how a lot consideration every protection devoted to the opposite workforce’s star. Collectively, they solely mixed for 20 factors throughout the primary half-hour of play, ceding the scoring duty to their teammates. For Marquette, small ahead David Joplin ignited from 3-point vary (6-for-10) en path to a game-high 28 factors, his largest output since scoring 30 on Jan. 14. For New Mexico, heart Nelly Junior Joseph owned the paint to the tune of 19 factors and 7 rebounds, making all 5 of his free-throws alongside the way in which.
However in a seesaw affair that featured three ties and 10 lead modifications, the largest moments nonetheless boiled right down to the largest stars. And when it mattered most — with a berth within the Spherical of 32 on the road and a possible matchup with second-seeded Michigan State — it was Dent who rose to the event. Starting on the 8:27 mark of the second half, Dent scored 11 factors and dished out three assists within the span of seven minutes to rework a tied recreation right into a double-digit lead for the Lobos. It was an explosion of near-flawless execution that Jones could not match, evidenced by two missed jumpers, two private fouls and one turnover throughout that very same stretch — although he did chip in 5 factors.
The late-game flurry from Dent was all New Mexico wanted to push forward and by no means look again, sprucing off the Golden Eagles with a 75-66 win. There are actually two Pitinos within the Spherical of 32.
Vanderbilt’s loss to Saint Mary’s places SEC depth into query
The SEC was dealt one other blow on Friday afternoon when Tenth-seeded Vanderbilt squandered a double-digit lead in opposition to seventh-seeded Saint Mary’s and fell, 59-56, within the Spherical of 64. A pair of desperation heaves from 3-point vary by the Commodores each went awry within the final 13 seconds as head coach Mark Byington’s workforce tried frantically to pressure additional time.
The ultimate try from Devin McGlockton was plucked out of the air by Gaels guard Jordan Ross simply earlier than the buzzer expired, propelling Saint Mary’s right into a second-round matchup with No. 2 Alabama on Sunday. The Crimson Tide barely staved off 15th-seeded Robert Morris earlier within the day.
With Vanderbilt’s loss, the SEC fell to 5-5 on this yr’s NCAA Match after receiving a report variety of bids — 14 — that mirrored the choice committee’s perception within the convention. (Ole Miss held off North Carolina quickly after, to offer the SEC a 6-5 report.) However up to now, by means of a day and a half of video games, there was little to recommend that groups from the league’s center and backside tiers have been any higher than the rank-and-file packages from different conferences.
Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Arkansas have all superior to the Spherical of 32, however 4 of these groups have been seeded among the many prime 16 groups within the bracket and performed favorable opponents. The quintet of SEC groups seeded close to the center of this yr’s area has confirmed far much less profitable: Ninth-seeded Georgia, eighth-seeded Mississippi State, sixth-seeded Missouri, Eleventh-seeded Texas and the Tenth-seeded Commodores all misplaced, with three of these groups crushed by opponents from outdoors the ability conferences (Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, Drake).
Saint Mary’s grew to become the second college from the West Coast Convention to oust an SEC opponent, following within the footsteps of Gonzaga on Day 1 of the event. Although the Bulldogs are an 8-seed on this yr’s area, their predictive metrics are in step with a workforce ranked among the many prime 10 or 15 general. KenPom nonetheless views Gonzaga because the seventh-best workforce within the nation regardless of a 26-8 general report that, except head coach Mark Few guides his workforce to a nationwide title, will end with this system’s highest single-season loss whole since 2011. In different phrases, this is not essentially a classic Gonzaga workforce — and but, the Bulldogs nonetheless constructed a 27-3 lead over Georgia to start Thursday’s recreation.
So whereas it is nonetheless too early to attract any definitive conclusions in regards to the SEC — particularly contemplating what number of excessive seeds the league obtained, all of whom are nonetheless alive — questions in regards to the depth are starting to mount. And at this level, after one more mid-table workforce went right down to a small-conference opponent, these inquiries are greater than truthful.
First “upset” of the day belongs to Colorado State
For the second time in as many days, the NCAA Match produced a preferred 12-5 upset with Colorado State taking down Memphis on Friday afternoon due to an explosive second half, particularly from past the arc. Sophomore guard Kyan Evans, who entered the sport taking pictures 43.1% from 3-point vary, set new profession highs with 23 factors and 6 triples to assist the Rams erase a slim halftime deficit. His first 3-pointer of the second half knotted the sport at 48-48 with 15:02 remaining, after which Evans drilled back-to-back triples a couple of minutes later as Colorado State surged in entrance by 10. At that second, the Rams have been plus-21 from 3-point vary with Memphis making simply three of its first 15 makes an attempt and ending 6-for-23 general — an surprising growth for a workforce that ranked nineteenth nationally in 3-point taking pictures at 38% this season.
However the finish outcome — a 78-70 victory for Colorado State — was hardly surprising contemplating the circumstances surrounding Friday’s recreation. The Tigers have been with out star guard Tyrese Hunter (13.7 factors and three.6 assists per recreation) after he suffered a left foot damage within the convention event, lowering head coach Penny Hardaway’s workforce to only two scorers averaging greater than 10.4 factors per recreation. That damage, coupled with a tender schedule within the AAC, left many shocked that Memphis was seeded so extremely on Choice Sunday, with many bracketologists handing the Tigers a 7- or 8-seed, if not decrease. All of that was sufficient for oddsmakers to tab Colorado State, which had gained 10 consecutive video games coming into the NCAA Match, because the betting favourite regardless of the discrepancy in seeding. That is the third time within the final 4 years that head coach Niko Medved has guided the Rams to the Huge Dance.
And it is fairly potential that the Rams may have some endurance on this yr’s event as they put together to face the winner of No. 4 Maryland and No. 13 Grand Canyon. Medved’s workforce is likely one of the most balanced within the nation with an offense that ranks fiftieth nationally in effectivity and a protection that ranks 53rd. 4 completely different gamers scored a minimum of 12 factors in Friday’s win over Memphis, led by Evans’ outburst, and the Rams completed with 14 assists on 24 made area objectives. The protection, in the meantime, restricted the Tigers to only 34.5% taking pictures within the second half and solely dedicated seven fouls after the break.
Colorado State is now in search of this system’s first Candy 16 look since 1969.
SEC’s struggles proceed as Baylor holds off Mississippi State
What started as a record-setting week for the SEC, which despatched 14 groups to this yr’s Huge Dance, essentially the most in NCAA Match historical past, continued to slide towards disappointment on Friday afternoon when No. 8 Mississippi State fell quick in opposition to No. 9 Baylor within the first recreation of Day 2. The Bulldogs’ 75-72 loss dropped the SEC to 4-4 in March Insanity and invited questions in regards to the true energy of the league relative to the remainder of faculty basketball. That No. 2 Alabama barely survived in opposition to No. 15 Robert Morris shortly thereafter — with the Crimson Tide solely pulling away within the ultimate minutes for a 90-81 victory — supplied much more gasoline to critics.
Whereas there’s nothing inherently catastrophic about dropping an 8 vs. 9 matchup, the character of Mississippi State’s defeat to Baylor sounded just a few alarm bells. The Bulldogs surrendered 15 offensive rebounds, which led to 22 second-chance factors for the Bears, with every additional possession additional deflating Mississippi State’s trigger. Such a obtrusive distinction in physicality between a middle-of-the-pack Huge 12 squad in Baylor and Mississippi State, winners of 5 video games in opposition to fellow SEC groups within the NCAA Match, is one thing to observe within the coming days.
On Thursday, the SEC groups produced a comparatively disappointing exhibiting that started to lift considerations. The league scored wins over Alabama State, Kansas, Wofford and Yale — three of that are from outdoors the ability conferences — however suffered losses to Gonzaga, Xavier and Drake, a workforce that begins 4 former Division II gamers underneath first-year head coach Ben McCollum. The relative ease with which Drake pulled away from No. 6 Missouri for a managed 67-57 victory was eye-catching within the wake of the Tigers’ wins over Florida and Alabama throughout the common season.
There might be a number of extra losses on the horizon for the SEC all through the rest of Friday’s motion. Ninth-seeded Oklahoma, which takes on eighth-seeded UConn; Tenth-seeded Vanderbilt, which can play seventh-seeded Saint Mary’s; and sixth-seeded Ole Miss, which faces Eleventh-seeded North Carolina, are all betting underdogs of their respective matchups.
Michael Cohen covers faculty soccer and faculty basketball for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.
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