HoopsHD continues its simulation of what would have happened in TTTW (The Tournament That Wasn’t). Up next it is time to kick off the First and Second rounds of the NCAA Tournament with a look at the first of four pods in the South Region. Omaha, Nebraska is the site as top seed Kansas will be looking to advance through two games and into the Sweet 16, but needs to get past 16-seed Robert Morris and the winner of the 8/9 game between Arizona and Marquette. Who would have advanced from this pod? It is time to find out!
FIRST ROUND – SOUTH REGION – OMAHA, NEBRASKA
(1) Kansas vs (16) Robert Morris
The Kansas Jayhawks went 30-4 on the season in 2019-20, but did lose in the Big 12 Tournament title game to Baylor. Despite that loss, and despite losing two of three games against the Bears this season, Rock Chalk entered the NCAA Tournament as the #1 overall seed and the favorite to cut down the nets in Atlanta. Their run to a potential title would start in Omaha with a matchup against the Robert Morris Colonials. RMU won the Northeast Conference automatic bid and knocked off Sam Houston State in the First Four with a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Jon Williams. Knocking off KU today would be a lot more difficult of a task.
The task may have been a huge one, but the first half had the eyes of the nation turned to Omaha when the Colonials stayed close for the first 16 minutes, then put together a 10-2 run to suddenly have a 40-33 halftime lead. That lead was gone 4 minutes into the second half, as the Jayhawks decided to stop playing with their food and instead got down to business. By the 10 minute mark, the KU lead was double-digits and when the game ended, it was a comfortable 91-70 Kansas victory. Devon Dotson scored 20 points and Udoka Azubuike has 12 points and 12 rebounds for Kansas. With the win, Kansas was on to the second round and waiting for the winner of the 8/9 game between Arizona and Marquette.
Final Score: (1) Kansas 91, (16) Robert Morris 70
(8) Arizona vs (9) Marquette
The Kansas Jayhawks were waiting for the winner of the second game of the day in Omaha, but neither Arizona nor Marquette was ready to even think about taking them on quite yet. Marquette entered the game featuring one of the top players in all of college basketball in Markus Howard. Despite Howard’s great season, the Golden Eagles had finished only 8-10 in Big East play and 18-13 overall. Arizona had similarly struggled despite their talent. The Wildcats finished tied for 5th in the Pac-12 and had lost 12 games during the course of the season. Both teams had talent, so the winner would definitely have the ability to test Kansas in the next round. First, they had to see who survived their head-to-head battle.
The game itself proved to be very entertaining, as both teams seemed to decide that it simply was not worth the effort to play any defense whatsoever. Arizona held a narrow 48-46 lead at halftime. The second half was back-and-forth as well, and when the under 4 media timeout was called, it was the Wildcats in front by the narrowest of margins, 85-84. Arizona quickly scored an 11-2 run over the next two minutes and hit free throws down the stretch to seal the victory, 105-96. Zeke Nnaji had 24 points and 10 boards for the Wildcats while teammate Dylan Smith has 23 points. The game’s top scorer, predictably, was Marquette’s Markus Howard with 32, but it was not enough to keep his team’s season alive. The second round matchup was set – Arizona would be the next team with a shot at top-ranked Kansas.
Final Score: (8) Arizona 105, (9) Marquette 96
SECOND ROUND – SOUTH REGION – OMAHA, NEBRASKA
(1) Kansas vs (8) Arizona
The second round matchup was set – the #1 overall Kansas Jayhawks were taking on the 8th seeded Arizona Wildcats. Kansas had gotten a scare in the first half from 16-seed Robert Morris, but took care of the Colonials in the second half to advance. Arizona, on the other hand, had survived a shootout with Marquette to move their names to the second round. The Jayhawks entered the game knowing they needed to play a lot better to get the first Sweet 16 spot of the tournament. The Wildcats knew they had a chance to blow up the bracket and send one of the most popular picks to win the whole thing home early.
An early 13-0 run by Kansas was not the start that Arizona wanted as the Jayhawks built a 9-point lead. Despite Arizona making several first half runs, the halftime score was still 36-29 in favor of KU. Arizona was able to muster more offense in the second half, but Kansas had an answer for every run the Wildcats tried to put together. When the dust settled, the Jayhawks were advancing to the South Regional and the Sweet 16 by a final score of 83-72. Ocahi Agbaji (23 points) and Devon Dotson (22 points) led Kansas in scoring while Udoka Azubuike picked up another double-double. For Arizona, it was time to return home and begin preparing for next year. For Kansas, it was time to head to Houston and begin getting ready for their next opponent.
Final Score: (1) Kansas 83, (8) Arizona 72
Updated Bracket:
