The NCAA Tournament schedule on Sunday was one filled with intrigue. It had an in-state showdown, a couple of rematches from last year's tournament and a pair of 4-5 matchups.
NCAA Tournament bracket update: A pair of No. 2 seeds fall as the Sweet 16 is set
Virginia and Kansas were both bounced from the tournament on Sunday, while West Virginia, UCLA and others advanced to the Sweet 16.
The day did not disappoint.
Sure, there weren’t any thrillers quite like the Notre Dame-Butler epic on Saturday night, but fans were treated to a couple of upsets and a few more statement wins.
It all started shortly after noon when No. 7 Michigan State led No. 2 Virginia for virtually the entire game. The Spartans held on to eliminate the Cavaliers for the second year in a row, 60-54. Michigan State held Virginia below 30 percent shooting for the game, while Travis Trice poured on 23 points and a 4-of-8 performance from beyond the arc.
Michigan State advances to face No. 3 Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. The Sooners outlasted a tough, upset-minded Dayton team, 72-66.
Wichita State was the other No. 7 seed to knock off a No. 2 on Sunday. In a long-awaited game between two teams from Kansas, the Shockers dominated the second half en route to a 78-65 win against Kansas. That put Wichita State in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years, while the Jayhawks were sent packing in the third round for the second straight year.
Fortunately for Gonzaga, the Bulldogs had no such trouble advancing. The No. 2 seed in the South advanced to the second weekend for the first time since 2009 with an 87-69 blowout win over Iowa. That snapped a streak of five consecutive Round of 32 losses for Gonzaga.
But it wasn't just the No. 2 seeds in action. The day ended with a pair of No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchups, each competitive throughout. West Virginia topped Maryland, 69-59, pulling away late after Melo Trimble was forced from the game due to injury. Shortly thereafter, Louisville earned a 66-53 win over Northern Iowa. The Cardinals are now in the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year and will face No. 8 NC State next.
3 other things we learned:
Kansas and Wichita State should play more. First off, the Shockers won the game, so they certainly aren’t below the mighty Jayhawks. Kansas and Wichita State are two schools with outstanding fan bases, in close proximity, and an annual game could provide either team with a quality non-conference win. Their game on Sunday only highlighted that.
Gonzaga is for real. If you’ve been watching college basketball at all this year, you already knew that. But the perception around the Bulldogs has been that playing in a weak conference has inflated their record to a point where they are overrated and unprepared come March. The Zags proved that’s not the case this season. They dominated Iowa to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in five years.
It’s still not safe to bet against Tom Izzo in March. What else is new? The Spartans are again playing their best basketball when it matters most and for the second straight year, they knocked off Virginia to advance. Sparty will now face Oklahoma for a spot in the Elite Eight.
Play of the night:
Justise Winslow does not take kindly to layup attempts.
5 fun things:
You were probably watching the games all day, but Charles Barkley might not have been. Here he is telling us that the suspended Cliff Alexander had a “pretty good” first half.
Remember that blood-curdling noise you heard whenever Virginia took a free throw today? Yeah, that was Travis Trice's mom.
Even though we didn't have many thrilling finishes today, there were plenty of thrilling blocks to keep us going, as you may have noticed above. In addition to Winslow's heroics, Buddy Hield had something to say about this attempted layup. Darion Atkins took it a step further, rejecting the very idea of Michigan State trying to dunk.
When two teams from the same state meet, it’s understandable for the governor to have a tough time choosing who to root for. But Kansas governor Sam Brownback took it to a new level Sunday when he showed off just how much of a bandwagoner he really is.
Gonzaga was excited about making the Sweet 16, and rightfully so. Here’s Mark Few doing a handstand during the celebration.
Final scores:
No. 7 Michigan State 60, No. 2 Virginia 54
No. 1 Duke 68, No. 8 San Diego State 49
No. 7 Wichita State 78, No. 2 Kansas 65
No. 3 Oklahoma 72, No. 11 Dayton 66
No. 2 Gonzaga 87, No. 7 Iowa 68
No. 1 Wisconsin 72, No. 8 Oregon 65
No. 5 West Virginia 69, No. 4 Maryland 59
No. 4 Louisville 66, No. 5 Northern Iowa 53
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