I know it's been a few days since the tournament has started, but I couldn't help but take a look at a few games and wonder one thing: "Did anyone see any of this coming?"
Despite Florida not being able to defend their championship this year, the NCAA Tournament has been one filled with shockers around every corner. In fact, I bet there are a few brackets that are toast after yesterday's fiasco. So let's take a look at the games that probably rocked our brackets.
West Virginia Mounts Duke
The Duke Blue Devils were once considered a powerhouse in the NCAA Tournament every single year. But for the last two years, they've been anything less than a powerhouse. Yesterday, they were just a stepping stone for another team.
Bob Huggins used defense and rebounding as his keys to success and the West Virginia Mountaineers gave the Blue Devils their walking papers with a 73-67 victory. WVU will have the privilege of facing Xavier in Sweet 16 competition on Thursday in Phoenix.
As for Coach K and Duke, they get to hit the books a little sooner...again.
Double Dose of Overtime Upset Grande
Drake and UConn were set up to lock horns in the second round, but the problem was that no one told San Diego or Western Kentucky that they were supposed to lose.
So they decided that since they're in it, they might as well capitalize on a good situation. Ty Rogers hit the shot of his lifetime as time expired in overtime to give the Hilltoppers a 101-99 victory over Drake. So the Bulldogs were out, but they weren't the only team to get upset in the West Region.
Once a dominating school during the era of Rip Hamilton and Khalid El Amin, the UConn Huskies endured a shocking defeat against Marquette in the Big East Tournament, and just when things couldn't get any worse, they did.
In the second overtime game of this region, San Diego held on to send the UConn Huskies packing with a 70-69 victory in one of the biggest first round upsets in a while. It was the first NCAA opening round loss for the Huskies under Jim Calhoun and the first time in almost 30 years that UConn was eliminated in the opening round.
Ball Wars Episode 1: The Upset Menace
If someone told the Indiana Hoosiers that their season would be filled with more anarchy off the court than on it, they would have laughed it off. Unfortunately, they drew Arkansas in the first round and the story of the resurrected Hoosiers came to an end. The Hogs took out Indiana 86-72 to set up an old school-new school showdown with North Carolina.
In other upset news, Siena had a message for Vanderbilt: Don't count out the Saints! Siena took out a heavily favored Vanderbilt squad 83-62 to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The only thing known about Siena is that they were made famous by knocking out Stanford almost 20 years ago. Now they can add the Commodores of Vanderbilt to their list of impressive accomplishments.
Upset City was Tampa, as Villanova capped off the list of upsets in the Midwest Region. The Wildcats shocked ACC tournament runner-up Clemson with a 75-69 victory to end a day that saw two high seeds go down in overtime. Siena showed that they are a team to be reckoned with, and Villanova restored some of the glory from their illustrious past.
'Nova and Siena will battle in the next round to determine who goes to the Sweet 16.
This year's tournament has lived up to the hype.
So far, no major heartbreaks have happened, (unless you're a fan of Duke or UConn) but today the true separation begins. My sleeper, Butler, has a showdown with Tennessee and I expect them to upset the Vols.
It's amazing how the Volunteers think they can follow in Florida's footsteps in every sport.
Too bad they got the Bulldogs.
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4 months ago
Yeah Duke needs to rebound in a big way next season.
from 4 months ago
Isn't that what Duke fans and players say every season? Oh, the pain involved with being a Blue Devil fan!
Maybe I should try Davidson...
4 months ago
Davidson is looking good, but can anyone stop UNC? They don't even look like they are trying! It's a good year to be a UNC fan...
4 months ago
Yeah that is what every duke fan says. But it true. I'm sick of this one and done crap. We need like three more 5 star recruits!!
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