March Madness 2011 Update: The Top 10 Surprises from the Sweet 16
With just one No. 1 seed left in the tournament, a No. 11 seed in the Elite Eight and the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament going down, it could be said that the 2011 NCAA tournament as a whole has been one giant surprise.
VCU, who many thought shouldn't have even made the tournament, is still dancing. Butler, a team that was left for dead midseason, is also still dancing.
And what about the highly-regarded Ohio State Buckeyes, Duke Blue Devils and Pittsburgh Panthers you may ask? All of those teams are now mere spectators just like the rest of us.
When it comes to March Madness, we have always known to expect the unexpected. But this particular tournament is defying all odds and getting downright crazy.
Here are 10 more surprises from the Sweet 16.
10. Florida State Allowed a Season-High 12 Three-Pointers
1 of 10
Coming in to the VCU-Florida State game, we knew that the Rams had the ability to shoot the lights out, but they were probably going to run out of luck because they were facing one of, if not the best, defensive teams in the country.
The problem was that even the Seminoles defense couldn't contain the three-point shooting of VCU.
During the regular season, Florida State was one of the best teams at defending the three-point line. The Seminoles held opponents to just 30 percent from downtown and really excelled at closing out on their opponent's best shooters.
That was not the case on Friday night, however.
VCU shot 12-of-26 from three, which was good for 46 percent. VCU's Bradford Burgess caught fire, hitting six from beyond-the-arc. The 12 three-pointers allowed was a season high for Florida State.
The Rams got dominated on the boards and struggled to get anything going inside for most of the night, but still were able to win because they shot so well from the perimeter.
9. Kyrie Irving Played 31 Minutes
2 of 10
Before Coach Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils took on Arizona in the Sweet 16, he said that guard Kyrie Irving was going to play "significant minutes" against the Wildcats.
He really wasn't kidding.
Irving logged 31 minutes in the game, and while he played pretty well, one is left to wonder whether or not Coach K's decision to play his freshman guard impacted the chemistry of the rest of the team.
Irving scored 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting.
Duke spent most of the season learning how to play without Irving, but then were forced to learn how to play with him on the fly. Irving barely practiced with the team before making his return, and it was evident that he and his teammates weren't always on the same page.
Nolan Smith looked lost, and Seth Curry, who was playing extremely well heading into the tournament, only saw nine minutes of action.
Yes, Irving played well and had impressive stats, but it may have also cost his team a chance to advance.
8. Kansas Won Even Though the Morris Twins Struggled
3 of 10
Marcus and Markieff Morris only combined for 18 points on 6-of-18 shooting while pulling down just 13 rebounds.
While those are good numbers for one player, the Morris twins are capable of much more. Marcus Morris averaged 17.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game by himself during the regular season.
Furthermore, Richmond got a very good game from star big man Justin Harper, who had 22 points and nine rebounds.
Still, Kansas cruised to an easy 77-57 victory, largely due to Brady Morningstar's excellent perimeter shooting. As a team, Kansas shot 47 percent from three.
The fact that the Jayhawks can still win big even if both Morris brothers have off-nights is a scary thought for the remaining teams in the tournament.
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
7. Marquette Didn't Show Up for the First Half
4 of 10
The Golden Eagles were simply awful in the first half of Friday night's game against North Carolina.
They were outscored 40-15 and shot 6-of-30 from the field, which was good for just 20 percent.
The game was close for the first few minutes. North Carolina struggled early on, but then turned it on and were getting anything it wanted for the rest of the half. Marquette couldn't find any answers for the much more talented Tar Heels.
Buzz Williams' kids never gave up, and actually outscored North Carolina 48-41 in the second half, but the damage had already been done.
The rims at the Prudential Center weren't very kind to the Golden Eagles this season.
6. Jon Leuer Only Scored 3 Points and Was 1-of-12 from the Field
5 of 10
The Butler Bulldogs have a lot of things going for them.
They have a stud point guard, a clutch forward, an excellent coach and a ton of tournament experience.
However, one thing they don't have is a big, physical front line. Matt Howard is a bit undersized and Andrew Smith is still very raw at this point.
That is why it was such a surprise that Wisconsin's Jon Leuer had absolutely no success against Butler. The 6'10" senior couldn't take advantage of the matchups, scoring just three points and grabbing only six rebounds. This was a guy who averaged almost 19 points per game during the regular season.
Leuer spent way to much time on the perimeter, but struggled when he went inside as well.
His draft stock also took a major hit in this one.
5. Kenny Boynton Played 40 Minutes on a Bad Ankle
6 of 10
Coming into Thursday night's game between BYU and Florida, there were major questions about whether Gator guard Kenny Boynton would be able to play due to a sprained ankle suffered against UCLA.
Not only did he play 40 minutes in the Gators' 83-74 overtime victory, but he was one of the most effective players on the court.
On offense, Boynton knocked down some clutch threes and was able to score 17 points. His biggest impact on the game, however, came on the defensive end of the court.
Boynton was given the task of guarding BYU's All-World guard Jimmer Fredette, and Boynton did not disappoint. While Fredette managed to score 32 points, he needed 29 shots to do so and wasn't able to get anything going for his teammates. Fredette was also just 3-of-15 from long range.
It was a very courageous effort from the Florida guard.
4. Jamaal Franklin Was Called for a Technical Foul After Kemba Walker Flopped
7 of 10In case you missed it, the video to the left is a slow-motion replay of the technical foul that was called on San Diego State player Jamaal Franklin.
The Aztecs had just went up by four points, forcing Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun to call a timeout. On the way to his bench, Franklin was fired up and trying to get the rest of his teammates fired up when he accidentally bumped into Kemba Walker, Connecticut's star guard.
Walker immediately threw up his arms and fell to the ground, obviously flopping to sell the call. The officials reviewed the play and called a technical foul on Franklin as a result.
It is a complete joke that the officials reviewed the play and still got the call wrong. It was very easy to see that Walker was barely touched, and that his fall was just an act.
Walker hit both free throws, swinging the game's momentum en route to UConn's win.
Look out for Mr. Walker. He may just be coming to a theater near you.
3. Kyle Singler Only Attempted 11 Shots
8 of 10
Singler came out red-hot against Arizona on Thursday night, hitting shots from all over the floor. He was constantly getting good looks, and also knocked down two shots from downtown as well.
Singler scored 12 points in the game's first 13 minutes, but just six from that point on.
Why the Blue Devils decided to go away from Singler for the rest of the game is beyond me.
Singler still managed 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, but should have had many more attempts with the way he was playing early on.
The return of Kyrie Irving definitely had a negative effect on Singler.
2. Jimmer Fredette Is Indeed Human
9 of 10
Hard to believe, isn't it?
Fredette managed to score 32 points on Thursday night against Florida, but needed 29 shots to do so. He was only 3-of-15 from downtown and also turned the ball over six times.
He was bothered all night by the athleticism and quickness of Florida's guards, especially Kenny Boynton. Almost every shot Fredette took was contested, and the Gators were eventually able to wear down the BYU star.
1. Josh Harrellson Neutralized Jared Sullinger
10 of 10
Kentucky's Josh Harrellson stole the show in Newark on Friday night, leading his team in both points and rebounds, while also playing great defense on Ohio State's Jared Sullinger.
Who in their right mind saw that one coming?
Sullinger wound up with 21 points and 16 rebounds, but had to work extremely hard for everything he got. Harrellson did an excellent job of denying the entry pass from the perimeter and also was able to stay out of foul trouble.
Sullinger tried to take it to the basket with the game on the line but couldn't get around Kentucky's center.
Harrellson will need to have another outstanding game against North Carolina's Tyler Zeller if the Wildcats are to advance to the Final Four.
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
