-The only Sweet Sixteen game that featured two protected seeds ended up being one of the biggest clunkers of the whole day, and perhaps even the whole tournament. Neither Florida State or Michigan looked all that much like protected seeds, or for that matter even NCAA Tournament teams, for a good portion of that game, but Michigan finally pulled it together and ended up waxing the Seminoles. The Noles picked perhaps the worst day possible to have one of their worst days of the season.
-USC opened it up against Oregon and has earned the right to take on Gonzaga. Everyone has been impressed with the Zags, and rightfully so, but USC has blown through some really good teams in this tournament as well, so there is perhaps reason to think they can step up on the Zags and give them a game. Speaking of the Zags…
-It’s crazy to say this, but I thought Creighton played really well for a lot of that game. They hung tough in the first half, they kept playing hard when Gonzaga opened it up, and did a lot of things right. They still got blown out, but Creighton looked pretty good. That is the level of Good that Gonzaga is on. They can play a really good opponent, that team can play really well, and Gonzaga still wins huge.
-UCLA took down Alabama in the only game of the day that was exciting, but DAMN was it exciting!! Just about ten days ago, UCLA was down to Michigan State by double digits and no one thought they’d make it this far. Shortly before that, there was debate over whether or not UCLA belonged in at all. Funny how quickly things can change…
As for tonight’s games…
-IT’S AN OLD FASHION SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE SHOWCASE!! We’ve got Baylor and Arkansas in one game, and Houston taking on outsider Oregon State in the other. Both games have fascinating story lines…
-Baylor was bad at basketball for the longest time, and really exploded onto the scene under Scott Drew. They are now a blue blood and while they’ve been this far before, they’ve not been to the Final Four since he arrived.
-Arkansas has a rich basketball history, but this is their first time getting past the second weekend since 1996 and they are on the cusp of making it to the Final Four.
-Oregon State is a team that three weeks ago no one thought would be in the NCAA Tournament, and they wouldn’t have been had they not won the Pac 12 Tourney, but are now just one game away from the Final Four. This is a team that throughout its history almost never makes the NIT, but that now has a chance of going to the Final Four.
-Houston was a basketball wasteland prior to the arrival of Kelvin Sampson. That program is now back on the national stage and has a chance catapult its brand over the moon if they can win tonight.
It should be fun! Enjoy the games!!