Men's NCAA Tournament 2023: Sunday's Round 2 Winners and Losers
The final eight spots in the 2023 men's Sweet 16 were handed out on Sunday, meaning eight team winners and eight team losers on the last day of the best weekend on the sports calendar.
But in addition to big wins by Kansas State, Xavier, Michigan State, etc., we've sized up some of the biggest winners and losers from Sunday's action.
Winners include the biggest small guy in the world and Tom Izzo (per usual), while Pitt's defense and Kentucky bowing out before the Final Four (per usual) land in the losers' column.
If you missed any of the action Sunday, we've got you covered.
Winners and losers are listed in no particular order, save for oscillating between the two.
Winner: Sean Miller, Xavier
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Sean Miller's departure from Arizona was...about as ceremonious as Arizona's departure from the 2023 NCAA tournament.
The 2017 FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball recruiting hung over Miller and Arizona like a black cloud for his final four seasons at the helm. The Wildcats missed the NCAA tournament in 2019. They self-imposed a postseason ban in 2021—they might not have made the tournament that year anyway. And when they did make the tournament under Miller, the inability to reach a Final Four became the program's calling card.
Despite posting a winning record in each of his 12 seasons in Tucson, Miller was fired in April 2021 and spent the subsequent season as a regular guest on the Field of 68 podcast.
But after a one-year hiatus from the sideline, he returned to Xavier, where he got his start as a head coach in the late 2000s.
And, well, it's like he never left.
Xavier made the Sweet 16 in each of Miller's final two seasons there (2008 and 2009), but after winning just one game in the past four tournaments combined, Miller has the Musketeers back in the Sweet 16 once again.
Friday's opener against Kennesaw State was far from convincing, but Xavier erased a 13-point second-half deficit to set up a showdown with Miller's alma mater in the second round. In that game, the Musketeers scored almost at will between the second and third "quarters" of an 11-point victory over Pittsburgh.
Will Miller finally make a Final Four? We'll see in a week. But for him and this program to be back in the second weekend of the tournament is a big win for both.
Loser: Pitt's Defense
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Pitt entered the NCAA tournament on one of the worst defensive runs in the nation, allowing 85.0 points over its final five games. That was punctuated by a 96-69 loss to Duke in the ACC tournament.
But, lo and behold, the Panthers held Mississippi State to 59 in the First Four and limited Iowa State to 41 points in the first round.
It looked like they had finally found some defense.
What they actually found was a pair of opponents that couldn't buy a jumper for most of the season.
The Panthers did do a great job of shutting down MSU's Tolu Smith in the paint and daring the Bulldogs to beat them elsewhere, but both of those teams looked like professional bricklayers.
Forced to deal with a great Xavier offense in the second round, though, Pitt's defense was carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey, especially in the first half.
Pitt led 15-14 with 12:25 remaining before the intermission. But over the course of the next 11 minutes, Xavier went on a 34-14 run.
Adam Kunkel couldn't miss in the first half, hitting each of his first five three-point attempts. Pitt's limited frontcourt had no answer for Jack Nunge or Jerome Hunter. Colby Jones almost messed around and had a triple-double (10 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists).
Not only did all five of Xavier's starters score in double figures, but they got there with more than seven minutes remaining in regulation. Freshman guard Desmond Claude also eventually got to double figures with late free throws in the 84-73 Xavier victory.
What a job-saving season by Jeff Capel, though. Pitt was given no chance to do anything in 2022-23 after six consecutive losing seasons, but it almost won the ACC and did win multiple NCAA tournament games for the first time since 2007.
Winner: Markquis Nowell, Kansas State
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Markquis Nowell is 5'7" on a good day, but he was large and in charge in Kansas State's 75-69 win over Kentucky.
Nowell didn't score until almost 15 minutes into the game, but he got a steal on Kentucky's second possession, setting the stage for a first half in which the purple Wildcats hounded the blue Wildcats into committing 10 turnovers.
And once Kentucky's Cason Wallace picked up his second foul and went to the bench, it was razzle-dazzle time.
Nowell had a behind-the-back assist to Keyontae Johnson for a dunk on the fast break. Next time down the floor, he left one between his legs for Johnson for an unofficial assist when Johnson converted the subsequent free throws. He had a nice drive for a layup when Kansas State went two-for-one before the intermission. Then he threw a no-look alley-oop to Nae'Quan Tomlin on that "bonus" possession.
And then Nowell really caught fire in the second half.
Kansas State started 0-of-13 from three-point range, but Nowell made three of his next five attempts, taking the lid off the hoop for Ismael Massoud and Keyontae Johnson to throw in a pair of late long-range daggers—both assisted by Nowell, of course.
Nowell also had some nifty moves in the paint and added yet another no-look dime on a David N'Guessan layup.
He either scored or assisted on 16 of Kansas State's 26 made field goals, and he was unflappable at the free-throw line, going 8-for-8 in the final three minutes.
Nowell scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half and finished with nine assists and three steals.
And now, the pint-sized star from Harlem gets to go back home for a game at the Mecca of basketball, as he leads Kansas State into Madison Square Garden.
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Loser: Kentucky, Before the Final Four, Yet Again
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From a seeding perspective, no, No. 6 seed Kentucky was not supposed to reach the Final Four.
In the bottom half of an East Region featuring Marquette and Kansas State, though, the Wildcats were a trendy pick to at least reach the Elite Eight. And after spending a good chunk of the season on the bubble, they finished strong and seemed to be tapping into the potential that had them at No. 4 in the preseason AP poll—the 14th consecutive year ranked 11th or better in the preseason.
But here we are again, sizing up a Sweet 16 field devoid of Kentucky, despite 25 points and 18 rebounds from Oscar Tshiebwe in the loss to Kansas State.
The Wildcats were infamously bounced by Saint Peter's in the first round last year. They went 9-16 and missed the tournament in 2021. And, of course, there was no tournament in 2020.
So we're talking four years now since Kentucky last played in a regional semifinal.
Quite the far cry from the way things started out under John Calipari.
Kentucky had that infamous "Robert Morris NIT loss" year in 2012-13, but the Wildcats won it all in 2012, went to five Elite Eights and played in four Final Fours in his first six years at the helm.
But did you know Kentucky hasn't made the Final Four since Wisconsin ended its dream of a perfect season in the 2015 national semifinals?
The Wildcats did at least make three Sweet 16s and a pair of Elite Eights in the 2017-19 timeframe, but it's now eight seasons and counting since the last Final Four appearance by the sport's most ever-present, oft-discussed program.
No, Calipari's job isn't in jeopardy. He has yet another No. 1-rated recruiting class coming in, and I believe the entire roster (including Tshiebwe) is eligible to return for at least one more season, as the 2020-21 season didn't count against anyone's eligibility clock. Despite the disappointing finish, it's almost inevitable the Wildcats once again enter next season as one of the top candidates to win it all.
Frustration is mounting, though. And if March 2024 is another sad state of affairs for Big Blue Nation, it might be time for some soul-searching in Lexington.
Winner: Tom Izzo, in March, Yet Again
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The whole "January, February, Izzo" thing has been overdone over the years, but it just keeps ringing true on a seemingly annual basis.
Izzo had his No. 7 seed Spartans ready to knock off No. 2 seed Marquette. They came out red-hot on both ends of the floor, jumping out to an 18-5 lead in a hurry by dominating down low. Save for a dead-ball rebound of a missed Tyler Kolek free throw, Marquette grabbed just one rebound in the first eight minutes.
The Golden Eagles battled back, though, leading by as many as three points on several occasions early in the second half, and it was still a 56-55 game with about three minutes remaining.
But in closing time, Izzo's team won, and won convincingly. Michigan State scored on seven consecutive possessions, as Marquette had no answer for Tyson Walker and his game-high 23 points.
Just like that, Izzo returns to his home away from home: the Sweet 16.
Izzo will make his 15th career trip to the Sweet 16, this being the sixth time he has done so as either a No. 5 or No. 7 seed.
And if you think they're stopping there, think again. The Spartans made it to the Final Four in three of those five previous "unexpected" trips to a regional semifinals, and it's just not in Izzo's DNA to go more than three years between trips to a Final Four.
Loser: Back Spasms
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With about five minutes remaining in the first half, Saint Mary's wing Alex Ducas went down in a heap with a non-contact injury, grabbing at his back.
They never officially announced what the injury was, but Ducas never returned to the game.
And speaking as someone who has dealt with back spasms, I'm pretty sure that's what happened.
When your lower back locks up, it's game over. Happened to me once just trying to stand up from a desk chair. Six hours later, I was in the ER getting injections in order to be able to stand up straight again. It's not always that drastic, but one twinge in the small of your back and you're not playing basketball for at least a few hours.
And while I'm not saying Saint Mary's would have won the game with a healthy Ducas, the Gaels certainly had a shot.
After the possession in which he left the game with what was then a team-high eight points, Saint Mary's led 23-20. The Gaels weren't dominating by any means, but they were controlling the game, playing it at their preferred pace and on a good trajectory to break the hearts of a lot of fans who made the trek from Storrs to Albany.
But without Ducas, they just weren't the same team.
At that point, Connecticut only really had to worry about Aidan Mahaney, and the Huskies did a great job of shutting him down, limiting the freshman shooting guard to just two points after the intermission. And on the other end of the floor, Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins took over, combining for 26 of Connecticut's 39 second-half points.
Again, maybe Connecticut wins the game no matter what. Not trying to discount UConn's victory or make excuses for the Gaels.
It just sucks that arguably the best team Randy Bennett has ever had in Moraga had to go out like that.
Winner: Ryan Nembhard, Creighton
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When Creighton got hot in February 2022, freshman point guard Ryan Nembhard was a huge part of that six-game winning streak.
However, because of a wrist injury suffered in that sixth game against St. John's, he missed the Bluejays' final eight contests, including the narrow loss to Kansas in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Considering they almost beat the eventual national champions without him, the allure of his return to the court was a big reason the Bluejays were an AP Top 10 team and fringe title contender in the preseason.
In Sunday's win over Baylor, Nembhard reminded the world just how important he can be.
Nembhard scored a career-high 30 points on just 13 field-goal attempts. He was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and seemed to deliver a key bucket every time Baylor threatened to get back to within striking distance.
Baylor's LJ Cryer did all he could to keep the Bears in it, matching Nembhard's 30 points in a fun individual slugfest. But between Keyonte George being unable to buy a bucket (1-of-10 from the field) and Creighton scorching from distance (11-of-24) and the free-throw line (22-of-22), the Bluejays were just too much to overcome.
Creighton has never been to an Elite Eight in 23 previous trips to the dance, but that opportunity is very much on Greg McDermott's doorstep, as the Bluejays will face No. 15 seed Princeton in the Sweet 16.
Saint Peter's did beat Purdue in the Sweet 16 last year, so anything is possible. But if Nembhard—or, frankly, any Bluejay—gets on another heater, this team will be making history.
Loser: Clock Striking Midnight on Cinderella
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You might have heard that for just the second time in NCAA tournament history, a No. 16 seed upset a No. 1 seed two days ago. Fairleigh Dickinson pulled off the most literal David vs. Goliath upset of all-time when the shortest roster in the nation knocked off Purdue and its 7'4" National Player of the Year Zach Edey.
Unfortunately, though, we were not treated to the first-ever instance of a No. 16 seed reaching the Sweet 16.
FDU sure did put up a fight against Florida Atlantic. When the Owls pulled ahead 27-16, it looked like the rout was on. But the Knights of Hackensack battled back and led 49-44 midway through the second half.
From there, however, it was too much Johnell Davis.
Over the final 12 minutes, FDU scored 21 points. But so did Davis.
He carried the Owls from that five-point deficit to an eight-point victory, finishing with 29 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals in one of the best individual performances in a long time at the NCAA tournament.
Just like that, everyone's favorite Cinderella watched its magical carriage turn back into a pumpkin.
But fret not, friends, because unlike 2018 when UMBC lost to Kansas State, this time, Cinderella lost to another Cinderella.
Florida Atlantic may have finished the year top-25 on KenPom, but the Owls had never won an NCAA tournament game before and were given basically no chance of surviving a pod including Memphis and Purdue.
Make no mistake about it, though: This team can come out of the East Region. FAU could be the next George Mason, VCU or Loyola-Chicago that shocks the world by reaching the Final Four.
Winner: Hurricane Season of Runs
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A lot of people had No. 5 seed Miami losing to No. 12 seed Drake in the first round.
Even more had the Hurricanes biting the dust in this second-round matchup with No. 5 seed Indiana.
But after a frenetic come-from-behind win over the Bulldogs on Friday night, Miami finished with a similar flourish against the Hoosiers on Sunday to reach a second consecutive Sweet 16.
The circumstances were much different in this game. The 'Canes were down eight in the final five minutes against Drake compared to trailing by just two with more than 13 minutes remaining against Indiana.
But they finished the former on a 16-1 run and effectively ended the latter with a 16-2 run.
Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller combined for 11 of those 16 points and for 46 of Miami's 85 total points on the night. That was a night-and-day difference from Friday, when those two leaders shot a combined 3-of-17 from the field for 12 points.
Perhaps even bigger than those points on Sunday were the 17 rebounds and defensive impact of big man Norchad Omier. He went to war with Trayce Jackson-Davis and somewhat held Indiana's star big man in check. TJD did get 23 points and eight rebounds, but he only had 10 official field-goal attempts, which was a win for Omier and the Hurricanes.
Similar to the way FDU upset Purdue, Miami's goal was to make it as difficult as possible for that frontcourt phenom to have his way in the paint, daring the rest of the team to be the reason the Hoosiers won the game.
And, well, they couldn't. Jalen Hood-Schifino finished with 19 points, but 11 of those came in the final five minutes when the game was already just about out of reach.
Miami will move on to face Houston in the Sweet 16. It should be a fascinating showdown between teams that haven't faced each other in more than half a century.
Loser: Big 12
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"It's the best conference ever..."
"It's the deepest conference ever..."
"All 10 teams are good enough to be in the NCAA tournament..."
We really beat y'all over the head with our love for the Big 12 over the past 4.5 months, and I still believe the league was outstanding and fully deserving of the seven single-digit seeds it received.
But the Big 12 was also the only league to suffer multiple losses on Sunday—Baylor vs. Creighton; TCU vs. Gonzaga—and is now down to just two teams left in the dance: Texas and Kansas State.
(Either of those teams could absolutely still win it all and eliminate any narrative about the league falling flat in the dance. And, come on, Kansas won last year and Baylor won the year before that. The Big 12 can't win every year.)
At least TCU put up more of a fight than Baylor did.
That nightcap between the Horned Frogs and Bulldogs was just an incredible cherry on a four-day sundae.
(Unless you had Gonzaga minus-4.5, in which case you may have suffered a heart attack during that final 15-second, 12-point sequence that ended with Damion Baugh tossing in an otherwise meaningless three-pointer at the buzzer to make the final score 84-81.)
TCU jumped out to an early 25-15 lead and looked like it was going to just out-muscle the Zags into submission. But just like last year's second-round game against Memphis, Drew Timme caught fire and led his guys to a big comeback victory.
And now the most unforgettable Zag since Adam Morrison will be dealt the same hand his predecessor was: a Sweet 16 showdown with UCLA. That 2006 game ended with Morrison in tears. Maybe this one ends with a Timme mustache salute.
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