HoopsHD continues its simulation of what would have happened in TTTW (The Tournament That Wasn’t). Up next it is time to continue with the First and Second rounds of the NCAA Tournament with a look at the second of four pods in the West Region. The Oregon Ducks entered this pod as the 4-seed and favorite to advance to the Sweet 16, but first they had to get by Missouri Valley Conference champion Bradley and then take on the winner of the BYU-Vermont game. Who would have come out of this pod and advanced to Los Angeles to take on Gonzaga? It is time to find out.
FIRST ROUND – WEST REGION – SPOKANE, WASHINGTON
(5) BYU vs (12) Vermont
12-seed Liberty upset Auburn in the South Region. 12-seed Xavier upset Ohio State in the Midwest Region. With the first two 12-seeds already having won their first round games, the BYU Cougars were certainly on upset alert for their game against 12-seed Vermont. BYU had an amazing season, winning 24 games, finishing second in the West Coast Conference, and being one of only two teams all season to defeat Gonzaga when they knocked off the Zags 91-78 back on February 22. Vermont won the America East regular season and conference tournament titles and entered the NCAA Tournament as a popular pick to pull off the first-round upset.
The Catamounts may have been a popular pick, but it was the Cougars that jumped out early in this game, grabbing a 14-4 lead just over 5 minutes into the game. BYU held the lead throughout the first half, with only a Ben Shungu jumper at the end of the first half keeping Vermont within single digits, trailing 47-39 at the break. The second half clearly belonged to BYU as well, as Vermont was never able to make a run and the Cougars locked up the win by a final score of 99-82. TJ Haws scored 25 points and Yoeli Childs had a double-double for the victors. The Vermont Catamounts, despite 24 points from Anthony Lamb, were heading back home, their season over. BYU advanced to the Round of 32, and maybe another shot at Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 beyond that.
Final Score: (5) BYU 99, (12) Vermont 82
(4) Oregon vs (13) Bradley
The Oregon Ducks captured the Pac-12 regular season title by a game over UCLA, though they later fell to the Bruins in the championship game of the conference tournament. Despite that loss, the Ducks had done enough to capture a top-four seed in the Big Dance and a chance to play their first two rounds in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon’s first round opponent was the Missouri Valley tournament champion Bradley Braves. Bradley, despite finishing tied for third in the Valley, won Arch Madness for the second straight year in order to capture the league’s automatic bid.
Oregon was a heavy favorite heading into this game, and it was therefore no surprise that the Ducks dominated. Bradley trailed by 10 points at halftime, and the second half wasn’t even that close. At the end of the day, Oregon had a 78-55 blowout win and a date with BYU in the Round of 32. Payton Pritchard was the star of the game, scoring 21 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out 8 assists for the Ducks.
Final Score: (4) Oregon 78, (13) Bradley 55
SECOND ROUND – WEST REGION – SPOKANE, WASHINGTON
(4) Oregon vs (5) BYU
After both teams had pretty much coasted through their first round matchups, the stage was set for a 4 vs 5 battle between Oregon and BYU in Spokane. The Ducks were the favorites to win once again, but BYU had as much if not more talent than a lot of Oregon’s opponents throughout the entire season, led by TJ Haws and Yoeli Childs. The game had all the earmarks of a classic, with a berth in the Sweet 16 and a shot at Gonzaga on the line.
The first half did not look at all like the close game fans were expecting. Oregon jumped out early and built an 11-point lead 6 minutes into the game. By the under-8 timeout of the first half, Oregon looked ready to blow it open, holding a commanding 32-14 lead. But BYU was not done, as the Cougars chipped away and were able to close to within 10 at the break. BYU’s run continued into the second half, and a short jumper by Childs with 12:04 left to play tied the game at 54. The media timeout hit, and after it was over, Oregon seemed to revert to their first half form, going on a 20-4 run to build a 16-point lead. But the Cougars were still not done. They immediately struck back with an 18-3 run of their own to pull within a single point, 77-76, with just over a minute left to play. Oregon missed several free throws in the final minute, and BYU ended up having an amazing 6 different attempts to either tie or take the lead – none of which went. Misses late by Childs, Haws and Jake Toolson sealed the Cougars’ fate and Oregon somehow escaped with a 79-76 win. Payton Pritchard led the way for the Ducks with 25 points and 12 assists.
Final Score: (4) Oregon 79, (5) BYU 76
