NCAA Bracket Update 2011: Latest Scores and Highlights from Thursday's Games
Thursday was an outstandingly entertaining opening day to the NCAA Tournament.
We have seen some awesome upsets including 13th-seeded Morehead State knocking off fourth-seeded Louisville. We also saw 12th-seeded Richmond upset fifth-seeded Vanderbilt.
Buzzer beaters have been abundant with five games being decided by three points or less during this first full day of tournament action.
Here, we will be going through five opening round games and talking about the possible matchups they could be looking at before the weekend is over.
How is your bracket looking? Let us know if any of today's games busted your brackets. Also, be sure to head over to our March Madness Hub for updates on each game of the tournament.
Buzzer Beater Lifts Butler Past Old Dominion
1 of 5(8) Butler vs. (9) Old Dominion
Final Score: 60-58
Last year, Butler made an improbable run to the National Championship game where they came within a missed half-court heave of knocking off the heavily favored Duke.
This year the Bulldogs are trying to make another run through the tournament, however, this time they will be going without Gordon Hayward who is now in the NBA. They also will not be sneaking up on anyone this year and that became apparent during a first-round matchup with Old Dominion.
The Bulldogs needed a buzzer beater from Matt Howard, who was a key part of their run last year, to beat the dangerous Monarchs.
Obviously, the Bulldogs are going to need a better effort in the second round to knock off a potential No. 1 seed but, if there is a team that could do it, it seems like this is the one.
On the other hand, Old Dominion is a team that probably deserved a higher seed than a No. 9 so it actually is a good win for Butler.
You also have to like the experience that Butler has. Their best two players this year, Howard and Shelvin Mack, were both key pieces to the Bulldog’s run a season ago. Experience is a key component that can give teams an edge over talent.
Butler is definitely a team to keep an eye on going forward.
Brandon Knight's Lone FG Gives Kentucky Win over Princeton
2 of 5
(4) Kentucky vs. (13) Princeton
Final Score: 59-57
According to Scout.com, Brandon Knight was the sixth-rated prospect in the country when he was being recruited to play for John Calipari at Kentucky. Well, after a terrible game by the freshman, he made the biggest play of his young career by hitting a layup with just two seconds left to get past a frisky Princeton team. It was the only shot the freshman made all game.
The good news for Knight was that he had been feeding the hot hand all day, collecting five assists and he had just one turn over. However, on a cold shooting night, the fact that the freshman had the mentality to keep looking for his shot in a tied game late makes him a truly solid basketball player.
It’s tough to trust freshmen in the NCAA tournament because they just don’t have the big game experience or the ability to come through when it matters most, but maybe Knight is in the same mold as Carmelo Anthony.
Either way, the win sets ups a 4-5 matchup against West Virginia out of the Big East.
I will say that if Knight has a game where he goes one for eight shooting again I don’t see how the Wildcats can come away with a win.
I also have to ask where was Terrence Jones? All I have heard about all year was how good he has been for the Wildcats but he really didn’t do anything noteworthy aside from a big block on the outside.
Honestly, I was not impressed with Kentucky, and I don’t see them going much farther in the tournament.
San Diego State Aztecs Get First March Madness Win
3 of 5
(2) San Diego State vs. (15) Northern Colorado
Final Score: 68-50
While a win by a No. 2 seed over a No. 15 seed might not seem that historic, it is when you consider the fact that it is the first win for the two seed in six trips to the NCAA tournament.
That’s right, San Diego State picked up the first NCAA tournament win in school history.
Many had high expectations for the Aztecs this year, but my biggest question surrounding them has always been how they would cope with being favored.
I have no doubts that this team has the talent to compete with some of the best teams in the country but experience plays as much of a role in a team’s success as talent does.
Now that the Aztecs have gotten that elusive first win, it will be interesting to see how they can build on that.
The Aztecs have an interesting game to look forward to with Temple looming on Saturday. Temple head coach Fran Dunphy is among the best in college hoops, albeit very underrated. He led Penn to 10 NCAA tournament bids in his 17 years there, and now, he has led the Owls to four in a row since his arrival. However, this is his first win in the tournament as the leader of this flock.
I think you have to give the nod to the Aztecs in this one. Neither team had the advantage of experience, but this SDSU team is stocked full of talent, and that will end up being the difference in one of the more interesting third-round matchups of this tournament.
However, the defensive minded Owls could be real trouble for the Aztecs.
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Temple Escapes Upset Bid by Penn State
4 of 5
(7) Temple vs. (10) Penn State
Final Score: 66-64
Temple is back in the Tournament for the fourth season in a row, but unlike the previous years, head coach Fran Dunphy has led the Owls to a tournament win this year against an upset-minded Penn State team. It is the Owls first tournament win since 2001 when they were led by the eccentric John Chaney. That year they reached the Elite Eight.
Standing in the way of the Owls in the first round this year was a frisky Penn State team that was able to play their way into the tournament with a strong Big Ten tournament run.
The Nittany Lions gave the Owls all they could handle and even tied the game late with a deep three-pointer by Talor Battle. However, an up-and-under jumper by Juan Fernandez with 0.4 seconds left carried the Owls into the second round for the first time under Dunphy.
While the win was a good one for the Temple program, the real test comes Saturday when they face No. 2 San Diego State.
The Aztecs are among the most skilled teams in the country, but they have not really played anyone all that great aside from BYU.
The key to this game is going to be who is able to play their game. The Owls are a rugged defensive team that could really be a tough matchup for the Aztecs.
SDSU loves to get to the rim and make a living on outworking people on the offensive glass, however, the Owls are a team that likes to force teams to hit jump shots to beat them.
This will be a make or break game for SDSU. If they get past the Owls, they could make a deep run into the tournament.
Florida Makes Quick Work of an Overmatched UCSB
5 of 5
(2) Florida vs. (15) UC Santa Barbara
Final Score: 79-51
After making a second straight NCAA tournament, the UCSB Gauchos were hoping to build on a solid performance in the 2010 tournament against Ohio State, however the Florida Gators came ready to send the 15th seed home with little question.
The SEC Player of the Year Chandler Parsons really put his stamp on the game despite scoring just ten points. He came within three rebounds of a triple-double after grabbing seven boards and dishing out 10 assists.
The Gators also got a solid contribution from Erving Walker who put up 18 points on just eight shots, and added six assists.
While many questioned why the Gators deserved a No. 2 seed, they certainly looked like they deserved it in this one.
However, with a game against the winner of the UCLA and Michigan State matchup looming, the Gators just wanted to get out of the first round without having to over exert themselves to prevent an upset. They certainly did that.
Now this isn’t by any means the same type of Florida team that won two national championship in a row, but if Parsons is playing the role of playmaker, they could end up being a real sleeper.
After all, remember that the first Gators team that won the national championship was really a surprise team. It is possible that this Gators team could follow that same route.
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