March Madness arrived with visions of chaos. Based on last year’s bracket, there was little reason to doubt it.
The only surprise so far has been the lack of pandemonium.
All eight top-two seeds are headed to the regional round for the fifth time. One double-digit seed will join them. Most of the Cinderellas that put the madness in March busted out of the bracket long before midnight.
The bluebloods and big boys are headed to the Sweet 16 — and they all want more.
“I didn’t come back to make the Sweet 16,” Purdue big man Zach Edey said after the Boilermakers’ 106-67 victory over Utah State. “I came back to make a run, a deep run. Nobody is satisfied with where we are now.”
Last year’s Final Four was unlike any other, a bracket-busting foursome with no teams seeded better than No. 4 for the first time since the bracket expanded in 1979.
Reigning national champion UConn has looked good in its bid to repeat this year, but there wasn’t a dominant team during the regular season, opening the door for what was expected to be a wild NCAA Tournament.
It didn’t happen.
The upsets that punctuate March have been limited and the only true buzzer-beater was a tying 3-pointer by Texas A&M’s Andersson Garcia to force overtime against Houston. The average margin of victory in the first two rounds was 15.8 points, second-highest since 1985.
Purdue erased some of the disappointment of last year’s historic first-round flameout with a pair of lopsided wins, setting up a Sweet 16 matchup with a Gonzaga team back in the underdog role. Fellow No. 1 seeds North Carolina, UConn and Houston also are through to the Sweet 16.
The Cougars were the only ones tested, needing overtime to beat Texas A&M 100-95. No other game involving a No. 1 seed was less than 16 points.
No. 2 seeds Arizona, Tennessee, Marquette and Iowa State also advanced, marking the fifth time — first since 2019 — that all eight top-two seeds reached the Sweet 16 since the start of seeding in 1979.
No. 3 seeds Illinois and Creighton, along fourth-seeded Duke and Alabama also got through. The average seed for the Sweet 16 is 3.3, right behind the 3.1 in 2019 and 2009.
Double-digit seeds
Oakland’s Jack Gohlke took the first big star turn of the NCAA Tournament, pouring in 10 3-pointers — second-most ever — in the 14th-seeded Golden Grizzlies’ upset win over No. 3 seed Kentucky. Gohlke hit six more 3s against N.C. State, but the Wolfpack outlasted Oakland in overtime to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015.
That leaves No. 11 N.C. State, which had to win the ACC tournament just to get into the bracket, as the only double-digit seed left after San Diego State blew out No. 13 Yale in the final game of the second round.
“I think that’s what March is about,” N.C. State big man DJ Burns said. “Some teams got here by winning their conference just like us and that doesn’t mean they’re a bad team.”
Undefeated ACC
The ACC had what was considered a down year with just four teams making the NCAA Tournament.
Those four are making the most of it.
Top-seeded North Carolina, Duke, Clemson and N.C. State are all through to the Sweet 16, giving the ACC an 8-0 record through the first two rounds.
The ACC is the sixth team to get four teams through to the Sweet 16 since the NCAA Tournament expanded in 1985. The Big East was the last to do it in 2003.
Big East beast
Big East coaches, players and fans were frustrated with the bracket reveal when just three teams made it into the tournament.
The league is rolling so far with three teams getting through to the Sweet 16 and a 6-0 record.
UConn is looking good in its bid to become the first repeat champion since Florida in 2006-07, winning its first two games by an average of 28 points.
Marquette ended its early-exit woes, reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016. Creighton is also into the regional round after coming within seconds of reaching the Final Four a year ago.
“You’ve seen how other leagues that got the bids that our league deserved has underperformed,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “Obviously the mistake was made. It sucks.”
Big ratings
The limited buzzer-beaters and lack of Cinderella runs hasn’t quashed interest in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
The first two rounds averaged a record 8.3 million viewers. Interest climbed even more for Saturday’s second-round games, averaging 10.8 million viewers, another record.
In the world of college basketball, March Madness is in full swing as the top seeds have advanced to the Sweet 16 in the men’s tournament. The tournament, which features 68 teams competing for the national championship, has seen some exciting games and upsets along the way.
The top seeds, including teams like Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan, and Illinois, have lived up to their expectations so far, winning their first two games and securing their spots in the Sweet 16. These teams are considered the favorites to make a deep run in the tournament and compete for the title.
One of the standout performances so far has been from Gonzaga, who entered the tournament as the number one overall seed. The Bulldogs have been dominant in their first two games, blowing out their opponents and showing why they are considered one of the best teams in the country. Led by star players like Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert, Gonzaga is a force to be reckoned with and will be a tough team to beat in the later rounds.
Baylor, another top seed, has also looked impressive in their first two games, showcasing their strong defense and high-powered offense. The Bears have a balanced attack with multiple players who can score at a high level, making them a dangerous team for any opponent to face.
Michigan and Illinois have also shown why they were deserving of their high seeds, with both teams playing well and advancing to the Sweet 16. Michigan, led by standout freshman Hunter Dickinson, has been solid on both ends of the court, while Illinois, led by Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn, has shown their ability to compete with the best teams in the country.
As the tournament moves into the Sweet 16, fans can expect more exciting games and intense matchups as the top seeds battle it out for a spot in the Elite Eight. With so much talent and skill on display, this year’s March Madness tournament is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and thrilling in recent memory. Stay tuned to see which team will emerge victorious and cut down the nets as the national champions.