The second day of the 2017 NCAA tournament was built up as one that would feature a handful of the highest-scoring teams in the field of 68 squaring off against one another in highly competitive contests where defense would seem at times to be optional.
The best and worst of everything from March Madness Day 2
It’s time to recap everything that went right and everything that went wrong on day two of the most exciting postseason in sports.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Things didn’t play out exactly like that, but as it always does, the first Friday of the big dance provided us with some of the moments and images that are destined to be remembered from this tournament when all is said and done. We had two early session games go right down to the final buzzer, we had one ridiculous dunk that’s going to be hard to dunk over the next two weeks, and we had some ridiculous and hilarious things happen both on and off the court.
Still, it’s hard not to feel just a bit unsatisfied at the moment. Perhaps the real madness is waiting for us in the days to come.
Before we find out whether or not that’s the case, let’s get into all of the best and the worst from the second day of first round action at the NCAA tournament.
3 BEST GAMES
1. (11) USC Trojans 66, (6) SMU Mustangs 65 (East)
Everybody knows about the success that 12 seeds have had in the first round of the tournament over the years. Even with that being the case, the wildest phenomenon currently at play in March Madness might be the fact that at least one at-large team from the First Four has won one or more games in the main draw of the tournament in every season since the advent of the First Four in 2011.
USC made sure that trend will live into 2018 by erasing a 12-point deficit to stun an SMU team that many believed could play its way deep into the tournament. Elijah Stewart’s corner three-pointer with 36 seconds to go proved to be the game-winner. SMU had one final chance to answer, but star guard Shake Milton’s potential game-winning floater came up just short.
The victory was especially painful for SMU when you consider that the Mustangs were beaten in similarly heartbreaking fashion in their last tournament appearance. Facing an 11th-seeded UCLA team that had advanced out of the First Four, the 2014-15 Mustangs were beaten in the closing seconds on a controversial goaltending call. Despite its recent success, SMU still hasn’t won a game in the big dance since 1988, and it hasn’t won multiple games since 1956.
2. (7) Michigan Wolverines 92, (10) Oklahoma State Cowboys 91 (Midwest)
Depending on your own personal criteria for what constitutes a “great game,” there’s certainly a case to be made for this game sitting at No. 1 on the list. No tournament game so far has been more consistently entertaining than the offensive showcase clinic that Michigan and Oklahoma State put on Friday afternoon.
Red-hot Michigan made a school record 16 three-pointers, and it needed every last one of them to take down the Cowboys. In the second half alone, the Wolverines were 11-of-15 from beyond the arc, with star guard Derrick Walton’s 6-of-9 effort leading the barrage. Walton is looking an awful lot like former Michigan star Trey Burke these days, and his team just might be riding more momentum than any other still dancing. It’ll put that momentum (which includes beating a plane accident) to its toughest test yet on Sunday against the second-seeded Louisville Cardinals for a trip to the Sweet 16.
3. (10) Wichita State 64, (7) Dayton 58 (South)
It wasn’t the most cleanly played game of the day, and some erratic calls in the game’s final minutes disrupted the flow of what should have been a great finish, but no game on Friday was more intense for 40 minutes than Wichita State-Dayton. It’s also a game that had no business being played in the first round, but we’ll get to that in a bit.
THE 3 TEAMS THAT WON IT BEST
1. The No. 1 seeds
We ripped on No. 1 seeds for looking lackluster on Thursday, so we feel obligated to reward the North Carolina Tar Heels and Kansas Jayhawks for doing the exact opposite on day two. UNC wasted no time breaking the will of the Texas Southern Tigers and could have named whatever score it wanted in a 103-64 first round romp. Kansas started a little slower, but still had absolutely no issue dispatching of the UC Davis Aggies, 100-62. The dream of a 16 seed playing its way into round two will have to hibernate for another year.
Honorable mention goes to the Baylor Bears for exorcising their first round demons of the past two years and taking care of New Mexico State by 18.
2. Michigan State
The Spartans trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half before connecting on 15 of their next 19 field goal attempts to seize total control of the game. That hot shooting span included a 20-2 run in which Michigan State appeared to kill Miami’s spirit before the game even reached halftime.
It’s been an up and down season to say the least for Tom Izzo’s team. If they’re able to bottle Friday night’s 78-58 performance and turn it into a win over top-seeded Kansas on Sunday, then the latest up will reach a high that was unthinkable for most of the year.
3. South Carolina
The Gamecocks have fielded some pretty solid teams over the years, which makes the fact that Friday night was their first NCAA tournament win since 1973 all the more difficult to believe. Between then and now, 203 other Division-I teams had won tournament games. Now that streak is broken thanks to monster performances from stars Sindarius Thornwell and P.J. Dozier in a 93-73 rout of Marquette.
THE 3 TEAMS THAT WERE THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
1. SMU
It’s hard to label a team that was a few inches away from winning as a “disappointment,” but this was a Mustang squad that a lot of people believed was under-seeded and would play its way into the second weekend. You can say what you want about USC making all the plays down the stretch and I won’t disagree with you, but what’s disappointing about SMU’s early exit is that it was even in that position in the first place. The Mustangs seemed to be in control of the contest for most of the afternoon, and had ample opportunity to put the game away before it entered the closing seconds.
2. Miami
When you’re a better-seeded team that loses by 20 in the first round of one of the chalkiest starts to a tournament we’ve ever seen, yeah, you’re going to find yourself on this list. The Hurricanes raced out to an early lead and then seemed stunned when Michigan State collected itself and started punching back. The game was over the moment the first few Spartan blows landed.
3. Creighton
With everyone in the world seemingly picking against them, you’d think the Bluejays would have come out with all the motivation in the world. Instead, they seemed willing to play into their pre-written destiny from the moment the ball was tipped. It’s a shame things had to end this way for a team that just two months ago appeared to be a legitimate threat to play its way to the season’s final weekend.
THE ALL-DAY TWO TEAM
Derrick Walton Jr., Michigan Wolverines
Nobody is hotter on America’s hottest team than Walton. He drilled 6-of-9 three-pointers, scored a game-high 26 points, and dished out 11 assists in Michigan’s 92-91 win over Oklahoma State.
Giga almost single-handedly kept the Gamecocks in their game with Louisville, scoring a career-high 30 points on 11-of-13 shooting. He also grabbed nine rebounds. Giga had made just eight three-pointers heading into Friday’s game, but was 5-of-5 from beyond the arc against the Cardinals. He had scored 20 points just once before this game.
Frank Martin’s star of stars looked the part on Friday, scoring a game-high 29 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds in South Carolina’s 20-point win over Marquette. If Thornwell and P.J. Dozier play like this against Duke, things could get interesting in round two.
Despite being in college for what feels like a decade, it still seems Kingsley is one of the more under-appreciated players in the country. Perhaps scoring 23 points on 10-of 13-shooting, snagging six rebounds, and blocking four shots against the Seton Hall Pirates will help change that.
Playing in his final college game, Smith carried Dayton as far as he could. He scored a game-high 25 points, had four assists and made four steals in the Flyers’ 64-58 loss to Wichita State.
FIVE DAY TWO JEERS
1. Pretty much everything that happened at the end of Arkansas-Seton Hall
This could have also just been the entire Arkansas-Seton Hall game since both sides did some really ridiculous things throughout, but let’s just focus on the end.
For starters, Seton Hall’s Khadeen Carrington -- who was terrific for most of the day — did this with his team down by a single point in the game’s final minute.
Arkansas attempted to give the ball right back with an inexcusable travel of its own, but the officials refused to let them be so generous.
What the officials did call was an extremely questionable flagrant foul on this play:
The call gave Arkansas two shots and the ball and effectively ended the game. NCAA National Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating J.D. Collins attempted to explain the call after the game, but his words did little to ease the pain of Seton Hall fans.
Arkansas won, 77-71, and will face top-seeded North Carolina on Sunday.
2. Butler Blue still being banned from the tournament
Butler Blue III is the official mascot of Butler Bulldog athletics, as well as a noted very good dog. Unfortunately, BB3 (as his friends call him) won’t be in attendance when his guys take on the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders in a big second round game on Saturday. The reason is because the NCAA has a ban against live mascots in the early rounds of championship competitions. This is very dumb, and there is a simple and persuasive counter-argument for each one of the NCAA’s points.
#FreeBB3
3. The missed dunk trend continuing
Players getting rejected by the rim on uncontested dunk attempts was both the most troubling and kind of hilarious storyline from day one at the big dance. The trend carried over into day two, with Jaylen Johnson doing this early on in Louisville’s game against Jacksonville State.
And then later, South Carolina’s Chris Silva.
Don’t let anyone tell you lay-ups aren’t cool, kids. They count for two points and the risk/reward ratio is much, much better for the bulk of you.
Lotta people watchin’ this month. There’s no shame in playing it safe.
4. The lack of competitive games
Look, we’re not greedy people. We’re not asking for a 16 to beat a 1 or for five buzzer-beaters on the same night. It’d just be nice to get more than four freaking games — Kentucky doesn’t count, I don’t care what the final scoreboard said — decided by single digits over the course of an entire day. And yeah, a major upset or two wouldn’t have hurt either. We don’t mean to keep bringing up 2016, but 2016 gave us a bunch of both this time last year. And 2016 didn’t even brag about it.
You know ... it’s just that you wait around all year for something, and you’re patient, and you think that in the end that it’s going to be all worth it, and—you know what just forget it. If we have to lay out for you all the reasons why we’re so upset right now, then it isn’t even worth it.
5. Wichita State’s 10 seed
We all knew this was bogus when it came out on Selection Sunday, and it looks even more bogus today. Wichita State is currently the No. 5 team in the country according to Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, they’ve now won 10 games in the NCAA tournament over the last five years, and yet they’re technically a double-digit seed.
While it created a tougher than it should be road to the tournament’s second weekend for Gregg Marshall’s team, the real loser here is Dayton. The A-10 champions had no business having to play this game in round one, and head coach Archie Miller said as much afterward.
“A No. 4 seed,” Dayton coach Archie Miller said when asked where Wichita should have been seeded. “I don’t think you’re going to get a 30 or 31-team with that depth who can fire that amount of bodies at you. Their depth and size in the 3, 4, and 5 position is as good as anyone in the country.”
Arizona last year, Kansas the year before and a bunch of teams in 2013 feel your pain. Hopefully the introduction of new metrics to the Selection Committee’s process next season will keep this from happening going forward.
BONUS JEER: Whoever didn’t call out this screen and got Wichita State’s Zach Brown laid out
Shockers are supposed to look out for one another.
FIVE DAY TWO CHEERS
1. The First Four magic continuing
In every season since its inception in 2011, the First Four has produced at least one at-large team that has won at least a game in the main draw. It’s also spawned one Final Four team and four Sweet 16 squads. That last number has the potential to grow this season after USC’s upset of SMU.
The Trojans advanced to the main draw after toppling the Providence Friars in Dayton on Wednesday. In both of their tournament wins, Andy Enfield’s team trailed by double-digits. They’ll face Baylor on Sunday with a trip to the tournament’s second weekend on the line.
2. LeVar Burton’s handling of misguided LaVar Ball hecklers
To be fair, both the overbearing father and the Reading Rainbow host have a shared belief in the notion that anything is possible.
Friend to know
Ways to grow
And a son named Lonzoooo
3. Everybody being right about picking the Rhode Island Rams to “upset” the Creighton Bluejays
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen America so united in a belief that a double-digit seed was going to win an NCAA tournament game before. Congrats, everybody. We all nailed it. Free pizza for everyone tomorrow.
If you picked Creighton, you still get pizza, but it has to have pineapple on it.
4. Jayson Tatum’s rim protecting
The world knows about Duke’s star freshman, but this month could be an opportunity for the world to really know about Duke’s star freshman.
5. Roy Williams’ first round record
Is 27-0 all-time good? The fact that in all those years, not once has a Roy Williams team ever gotten picked off in round one is remarkable.
THE 3 BEST DAY TWO DUNKS
1. Semi Ojeleye, SMU
It’s going to be hard for anyone else in this tournament to top what Semi Ojeleye did on Friday.
2. Lavone Holland, Northern Kentucky
Holland tried the best he could later in the day.
3. T.J. Leaf, UCLA
If Leaf’s ankle isn’t 100 percent right now, he’s certainly hiding it well.
THE BEST DAY TWO PICTURE
It feels almost wrong to refer to something like this as “the best,” but the obvious emotion flowing out of Iona’s Jordan Washington in the final moments of the Gaels’ loss to Oregon was a brutal reminder of the other side of March Madness. This photo was especially moving.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
THE BEST DAY TWO QUOTE
“We’re playing against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. So I’ve never seen -- I watched the second half. I’ve never seen shooting like that since I’ve been a coach. It’s incredible the way they shoot the basketball.”
—Rick Pitino discussing Michigan’s shooting performance on Friday and his team’s matchup against the Wolverines on Sunday
FULL SATURDAY SCHEDULE
If I told you that you could have more of this, would that be something you might be interested in? You’re in luck then. The show isn’t stopping.
No. 4 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 12:10 p.m.
West region | Buffalo, N.Y.
TV: CBS | Announcers: Verne Lundquist, Jim Spanarkel, Allie LaForce
No. 1 Villanova Wildcats vs. No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers, 2:40 p.m.*
East region | Buffalo, N.Y.
TV: CBS | Announcers: Verne Lundquist, Jim Spanarkel, Allie LaForce
No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 8 Northwestern Wildcats, 5:15 p.m.
West region | Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: CBS | Announcers: Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Jamie Erdahl
No. 3 Florida State Seminoles vs. No. 11 Xavier Musketeers, 6:10 p.m.
West region | Orlando, Fla.
TV: TNT | Announcers: Ian Eagle, Steve Lavin, Evan Washburn
No. 4 Butler vs. No. 12 Middle Tennessee, 7:10 p.m.
South region | Milwaukee, Wisc.
TV: TBS | Announcers: Carter Blackburn, Mike Gminski, Debbie Antonelli, Lisa Byington
No. 2 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 7 Saint Mary’s Gaels, 7:45 p.m.*
West region | Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: CBS | Announcers: Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Jamie Erdahl
No. 4 Florida Gators vs. No. 5 Virginia Cavaliers, 8:40 p.m.*
East region | Orlando, Fla.
TV: TNT | Announcers: Ian Eagle, Steve Lavin, Evan Washburn
No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones, 9:40 p.m.*
Midwest region | Milwaukee, Wisc.
TV: TBS | Announcers: Carter Blackburn, Mike Gminski, Debbie Antonelli, Lisa Byington
*game time estimated, after the conclusion of previous game in region
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