Editor’s Note: This article was written on Saturday, March 29.
The NCAA men’s March Madness tournament is already to the Final Four, so let’s recap the tournament so far. The tournament began with the University of North Carolina making the tournament after a very disappointing year, which had basketball fans up in arms, thinking UNC did not deserve the spot. The 16-school Southeastern Conference (SEC) had a record-setting 14 teams in the tournament, including two of the four No. 1 seeds (Auburn University and University of Florida). The SEC also set a record for the number of teams in the Sweet 16 with seven. The SEC is usually considered a football conference and historically, it has not been a great basketball one. However, this year’s SEC could be the best college basketball conference ever.
The main story of this year’s tournament is the lack of upsets and so-called Cinderella teams — the lower-seed teams that make an unexpectedly deep run against higher-seed teams. In the first round, only four teams ranked ten or higher made it to the round of 32. There were only two big upsets: No. 12 McNeese State University beating No. 5 Clemson University in the first round and No. 10 University of Arkansas beating No. 2 St. John’s University in the second round. For the first time since 2007, there will be no teams No. 11 or higher in the Sweet 16.
Cinderella teams are what make March Madness so exciting. It’s a time for small schools to shine, take down some of the top programs in the country and make a name for themselves on the national stage. Some are saying that the lack of Cinderella runs this year is ruining the tournament, but that feels like an overreaction. Upsets don’t happen every year, and that’s part of what makes them special. Cinderella teams are memorable because they’re rare — they’re not supposed to be the norm. One tournament without a Cinderella run isn’t going to ruin March Madness or diminish what makes it great.
However, there are some possible reasons for the lack of upsets. First, the best teams this year are that good. For the first time since 2008, all No. 1 seeds — Duke University, University of Houston, Florida and Auburn — made the Final Four. The new landscape of college sports (transfer portal, NIL deals and conference realignment) could be contributing to the lack of exciting upsets as well.
Many Cinderella stories start with a team that has been together for years, building up for their run in March. However, with the transfer portal and NIL money, these players leave the smaller programs for the major ones. Major programs are building their teams with transfers, and many of those players are from smaller schools.
First Round Highlights:
No. 12 McNeese State University beat No. 5 Clemson University 69-67.
While this year’s tournament lacked upsets, McNeese delivered one of the few of March. McNeese held Clemson to just 13 points at the half, nearly setting a record for fewest points scored in the first half of a tournament game. McNeese started the game as a 7.5-point underdog. While Clemson made a run in the second half to almost win the game, McNeese held on for the school’s first tournament win. They played No. 4 Purdue in the second round and lost 76-62.
No. 11 Drake University beat No. 6 University of Missouri 67-57.
This was a good matchup, with Drake being one of the country’s best-scoring defenses and Missouri having one of the country’s top-scoring offenses. Drake put up a 15-point lead in the second half, but Missouri pushed the pace and reduced the lead to one point. However, Drake was able to finish the game with a ten-point win to move on to the second round. Drake lost to No. 3 Texas Tech 77-64 in the round of 32.
No. 5 University of Michigan beat No. 12 University of California San Diego 68-65.
While the rankings may not look like it, UC San Diego (UCSD) was one of the teams the country was most excited about. This was UCSD’s first year of eligibility for the tournament after moving from Division II to Division I in 2020. Even though they are new to Division I, UCSD has one of the best records this season, with the longest win streak of 15 games going into the tournament. However, Michigan also came into the game off a hot streak after a surprising Big Ten championship win. UCSD had a slow start to the game and had a 15-point deficit early in the second. Once UCSD finally settled in, they came back and secured their only lead of the game, 65-63, with just over two minutes left. Unable to score in the final two minutes, Michigan was able to outlast UCSD and move on to the next round, where they beat Texas A&M 91-79 but lost to Auburn in the Sweet 16.
Second Round Highlights
No. 10 University of Arkansas beat No. 2 St. John’s University 75-66.
This game was a rematch of two historic men’s Division I basketball coaches. These two coaches faced off in the 1996 Final Four, and have each been back several times. Arkansas Head Coach John Calipari is in his first season with the team after being at the University of Kentucky for 15 years, and he built his team largely off of transfers. St. John’s Head Coach Rick Pitino was looking to send a record fourth school to the Final Four. Arkansas led by as much as 13 in the first half, but St. John’s clawed their way back to make it a two-point game late in the second. However, poor shooting by St. Johns let Arkansas pull away to finish the game and send the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16. Arkansas then faced No. 3 Texas Tech where they lost 85-83.
No. 1 University of Florida beat No. 8 University of Connecticut 77-75.
Florida ended back-to-back champions UConn’s chance for a third straight title. This was a hard-fought and exciting game between two great teams. Florida was just coming off of an SEC championship in the best conference in basketball this year. Florida was the 9.5-point favorite to win this game, and having one of the best offenses and defenses in the country, they are one of the favorites to win it all. The game was tied at 31 going into halftime, and the largest lead by either team was only six points. But the Florida Gators outlasted the reigning champions to move onto the Sweet 16 to play Maryland, whom they beat 87-71.
No. 4 University of Maryland beat No. 12 Colorado State University 72-71.
The Colorado State Rams were hoping to be this year’s Cinderella team and make their first Sweet 16 since 1969. And it looked like the Rams could pull this off, leading by 12 during the first half. However, Maryland came back, using their height to their advantage, and went up 70-68 with 22 seconds left on the clock. But Colorado State was able to drain a three-pointer to make it a one-point game, 71-70, with 3.6 seconds left. But that was just enough time for Maryland player Derik Queen to make the game-winning shot to send Maryland to the Sweet 16 against Florida. However, there was a lot of controversy after the game ended about whether Queen traveled during the game-winning play. Many fans who hoped to see Colorado State make the Sweet 16 believe that Queen traveled and Colorado State got robbed of advancing to the next round. However, rules experts explained during the following game’s halftime that Queen did not travel.
Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Looking Ahead
The Sweet 16 featured big moments, like No. 2 Alabama’s commanding 113-88 win over No. 6 Brigham Young University. For the first time in program history, Alabama reached the Elite Eight in back-to-back years. However, they fell to Duke 85-65. Other matchups, including Auburn vs. Missouri, Florida vs. Texas Tech University and Houston vs. Tennessee, resulted in all four No. 1 seeds advancing to the Final Four. The Houston Cougars will take on the Duke Blue Devils and the Florida Gators will face the Auburn Tigers at the Alamodome Stadium in San Antonio on Saturday, April 5.
