The 2015 NCAA Tournament hit a major milestone on Saturday -- Villanova became the first No. 1 seed to lose this year after NC State knocked them out in the round of 32. For most people, this meant another round of busted brackets, but for Villanova and its fans, it's just the same sad song.
NCAA Tournament 2015 scores: Everything you need to know from Saturday
Villanova suffered another heartbreaking March loss, while Kentucky looked like its usual self. All that and more from a busy Saturday of tournament action.
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Update: Here are Sunday’s NCAA Tournament scores.
The Wildcats haven’t seen much tournament success since reaching the national title game in 2009. Despite making the tournament in five of the past six years, they haven’t made the second weekend in that span. 2015 may end up being the most bitter disappointment yet. Villanova entered the tournament with 15 straight wins, easily winning the Big East Conference and climbing up to No. 2 in the AP poll. There was some naysaying about them getting a No. 1 seed over the likes of Arizona or Virginia, but for the most part the Wildcats were expected to do good things this year.
That all came crashing down like so many bricked layups against NC State. Villanova shot a pitiful 31.1 percent from the floor, making just 9-of-28 three-pointers. Darrun Hilliard carried the team with 27 points on 8-of-18 shooting, but nearly every other star player faltered:
Dylan Ennis: six points, 2-of-12 shooting
Ryan Arcidiacono: four points, 2-of-8 shooting
Daniel Ochefu: four points, 1-of-7 shooting
Villanova should be back in the thick of the Big East race next year, but the March disappointments continue to pile up for Jay Wright. This was one of their best squads in years and they have little to show for it.
★★★
Wake up! It’s Basketball: ‘Nova falls, UK rolls
★★★
4 other things we learned:
1. If you want to beat Kentucky, “hanging in there” isn’t enough. Cincinnati hung with Kentucky about as well as any team this season and looked to make things interesting at halftime. But then the Wildcats ended the first half with a 10-0 run and kept the Bearcats at arm’s length the rest of the way, finishing with a 64-51 win.
Kentucky showed some vulnerabilities and shot just 37 percent from the field, but their defense held Cincinnati to a 31.7 field goal percentage. When Kentucky flips on the switch and decides to start wrecking shop, nobody in the country can touch them. With every passing round, it’s becoming increasingly harder to see any team knocking them off their perch. Only four games left before 40-0.
2. We may have seen D'Angelo Russell's final college game. Ohio State's star freshman carried his team about as far as he could go, but it wasn't enough against Arizona. Despite trailing by just one point at halftime, the Buckeyes couldn't keep pace and the Wildcats ran away with a convincing 73-58 win, reaching the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row. T.J. McConnell dominated with 19 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Russell struggled to find the basket all game, finishing with nine points on just 3-of-19 shooting. He did have seven rebounds and six assists for a fine all-around performance, but Russell’s poor shooting hand was a big part of the lopsided score. If this is to be his last game in the collegiate ranks, it’s a rather sour note for Russell to go out on, but his NBA prospects remain high.
3. No Cinderella teams left this year. After a wild upset-filled Thursday, the tournament has settled into mostly chalk results. This should ensure high-quality games for the rest of the tourney, but that means almost no true mid-major underdogs are left for America to rally behind. No. 14 seeds UAB and Georgia State bowed out Saturday, and if No. 11 Dayton falls on Sunday, the only double-digit seed in the Sweet 16 will be ... UCLA. Should you consider UCLA a Cinderella team? No, no you should not, even if they weren't supposed to make the tournament. Tony Parker is pretty cool, though.
Before you ask, NC State doesn’t count as a Cinderella because no ACC team should count. However, it’s acceptable to cheer them on for sentimental reasons.
4. Pat Connaughton does it all for Notre Dame. He didn’t shoot the ball very well, but Pat Connaughton was vital for Notre Dame in the Irish’s 67-64 overtime win against Butler. He was at his best down the stretch. While Notre Dame went cold during the final stretch of regulation, Connaughton made sure the Irish saw overtime with a huge block at the end of regulation. In overtime, he cashed in on his first made three-pointer, part of a impressive five minutes that sent Notre Dame to the Sweet 16. For the game he finished with seven points, nine rebounds and five blocks, including the biggest play of the game.
Play of the night:
RIP Quadri Moore, death by Willie Cauley-Stein.
5 fun things:
Georgia State may have lost, but Ron Hunter will forever live in our hearts. Here are Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith trying out his scooter.
Even if D’Angelo Russell couldn’t score, he wasn’t any less fun to watch. Check out this crazy no-look pass and assist he made against Arizona.
R.J. Hunter made another deep three-pointer. It wasn't enough to win this time, but still.
What’s the worst/best thing about tournament upsets? Crying students. Take it away, Villanova band member.
This NC State player really wants to know what’s wrong with President Obama.
Final scores:
No. 11 UCLA 92, No. 14 UAB 75
No. 1 Kentucky 64, No. 8 Cincinnati 51
No. 1 Arizona 73, No. 10 Ohio State 58
No. 6 Xavier 75, No. 14 Georgia State 67
No. 8 NC State 71, No. 1 Villanova 68
No. 5 Utah 75, No. 4 Georgetown 64
No. 4 North Carolina 87, No. 5 Arkansas 78
No. 3 Notre Dame 67, No. 6 Butler 64
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