March Madness 2019: Bracket updates and highlights from Sunday

Heading into its final day, the NCAA tournament’s opening weekend was still in desperate need of a defining moment. Sure, there had been some notable performances and a few double-digit seeds advancing, but through three full days of play, the tournament’s most recognizable characteristic was probably its overall lack of excitement.

That changed on Sunday thanks to one game in particular. We’ll start with that, and then dive headfirst into all the other best and worst from the final day of the first week of March Madness.

1. (1) Duke 77, (9) Central Florida 76 (East)

Where do you even start here?

Aubrey Dawkins being brilliant, Zion Williamson vs. Tacko Fall being fascinating, the blown alley-oop UCF would give anything to have back, Zion’s heroics, R.J. Barrett’s big moment, the brutal final two shots for the Knights, and the other handful of moments (and calls) that Duke haters and lovers alike will be talking about all day tomorrow.

Duke vs. Central Florida was exactly the type of can’t look away theater that comes to mind when we think about this time of year.

Simply put: This was easily the best and most intense game of the tournament so far, and there’s a decent chance it’s still holding both those titles in two weeks. It was also a game that will only grow in legend if Duke goes on to win the national championship.

2. (2) Tennessee 83, (10) Iowa 77 (OT) (South)

For the second straight day, the first solo window delivered in a major way. Although if you stopped watching the game after the first half (an understandable move), you would have never known it.

Tennessee thoroughly dominated Iowa for the first 23 minutes on Sunday, leading by 21 points at halftime and as many as 25 overall. The Hawkeyes then staged a furious rally that nearly resulted in a win that would have been tied for the largest overall comeback in NCAA tournament history, and would have owned the record for the largest halftime deficit overcome in the Big Dance.

Both teams had their chances in the final minute of regulation, but a missed three by Tennessee’s Jordan Bone in the closing seconds ensured that the pair were headed to overtime. Ironically, this was the second time in five years the two teams have played an overtime game in the tournament. In a 2014 First Four game from Dayton, the Volunteers outscored the Hawkeyes 14-1 in the extra frame and eventually made a run all the way to Sweet 16.

The overtime domination wasn’t quite as thorough this go round, but Tennessee still controlled the action for all five minutes. Back-to-back SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams assumed control, making plays on both ends of the floor to secure a 6-point win. Williams finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks.

Perhaps the oddest thing about the end of the game for Tennessee was the fact that Admiral Schofield, who also scored 19 points, wasn’t in on the final possession of regulation and didn’t see the court at all in overtime. Head coach Rick Barnes explained after the game that the decision was Schofield’s. His senior star reportedly said that he couldn’t defend the way he wanted to with four fouls, and that he believed playing Kyle Alexander gave the Vols a better chance to close out the game. Whatever works, I guess.

The win was sweet vindication for many Tennessee players who were on the team that was stunned in this same round by another double-digit seed, Loyola-Chicago, a year ago.

3. (4) Virginia Tech 67, (12) Liberty 58 (East)

For the second straight day we had two no-brainers for the top two games and nothing overly sexy for the third spot. We’ll go with Virginia Tech’s triumph over Liberty, since the Flames were within striking distance for most of the second half, and since it was the only other game on Sunday (and only the fifth for the whole second round) that was decided by single digits.

Perhaps the best thing about this game for Virginia Tech was the play of point guard Justin Robinson. The school’s all-time assist leader made his return to the floor on Friday and looked a little rusty in his first action since missing 12 games because of a foot injury. He was much better in round two, knocking down 5 of his 9 field goal attempts and finishing with four assists in 29 minutes.

With the win, the Hokies advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1967 and for just the second time ever. They’ll face top-seeded Duke, a team they knocked off back on Feb. 26.

1. Texas Tech

While the rest of the world was watching Duke battle for its tournament life against Central Florida, Texas Tech was quietly dismantling a sixth-seeded Buffalo squad that spent almost the entire 2018-19 season ranked in the top 25.

The Red Raiders smothered the Bulls, who had won 13 games in a row and entered the day averaging over 85 points per game. Buffalo shot just 36.5 percent from the field against Texas Tech, and finished with a season-low 58 points. That point total was just one more than the Red Raiders allowed Northern Kentucky to score in round one.

Chris Beard lost five of his seven top scorers from last season’s Elite Eight team (including First Team All-Big 12 performer Keenan Evans and No. 16 overall draft pick Zhaire Smith), and yet somehow has the Red Raiders one win away from another regional final. Texas Tech had never played that deep into the tournament before last year, and had only been to the Sweet 16 five times.

2. North Carolina

Mike Hopkins’ 2-3 zone presented a stark contrast in style to the run and gun Iona Gaels that North Carolina faced in the first round. The Tar Heels passed the second test with even more ease than the first, shooting 50.8 percent from the field and rolling to an 81-59 win over 9th-seeded Washington.

Coby White rattled the Husky defense early by burying four three-pointers in the first half. That created some space for guys like Luke Maye, who finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds, and Cam Johnson (13 and 7) to operate. Nassir Little also came off the bench to play arguably the best game of his freshman season, netting 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds.

The trip to the Sweet 16 is North Carolina’s 34th, the most of any team in college basketball history besides Kentucky.

3. Oregon

After UC Irvine briefly took a lead in the second half, Oregon put the clamps down and ended any talk of the Anteaters becoming this tournament’s definitive Cinderella. The Ducks used their superior size and athleticism to go on a 15-3 run that effectively ended Irvine’s 17-game winning streak.

As a 12-seed, Oregon is the worst-seeded team remaining in the tournament, but it’s hard to view them as any sort of plucky underdog. The Ducks began the season ranked No. 14 in the preseason AP poll, and Dana Altman’s supremely talented roster — which lost five-star freshman for the season back in early January — appears to have finally figured some things out in recent weeks. Payton Pritchard is running the show effectively, Louis King and Ehab Amin have been playing like stars, and Kenny Wooten’s absurd length and athleticism has never been more fully on display.

Oregon will be a heavy underdog next week against Virginia, but the Ducks have the weapons and now the confidence to make that a very scary evening in Louisville for the top seed.

1. Washington

It’s hard to be overly “disappointed” in any team since every favorite won every game on Sunday. The only fair way to crown the biggest disappointment seems like going with the team that lost by the most points.

Sorry, Washington. Your 22-point L leaves you wearing the crown. I’d feel worse about this if your game hadn’t been in the second solo window, leaving us with nothing to watch in the late afternoon.

2. Duke

I’m not going to go so far as to say you “should have lost” (you should have), but you certainly shouldn’t have been in that position. Was this the early round escape game that so many eventual national champions seem to have? Or was it a sign that the Blue Devils aren’t the lock for Minneapolis that so many have had them pegged as?

Whatever it was, it shouldn’t have happened.

3. UC Irvine

We needed a true Cinderella. We needed a deep dive on the history of the Anteater mascot and why he used to look so weird.

Seriously, what the hell is that? Why does he look annoyed? Are those acne scars? Are the acne scars making him annoyed?

We needed all of that to help hold us over for the next three days, and now it’s not going to happen. I get it, Oregon was great and you guys ran out of gas. There’s nothing to be ashamed of on your end ... but we’re still allowed to be disappointed.

Plus, you have a Rutherford starter. That could have been a big deal for me.

1. Underdogs

Eight games were played on Sunday, and the better seeded team won all eight. In all, the second round gave us a grand total of zero upsets when it comes to point spread. The only better-seeded team to lose was 4-seed Kansas, which went off as a 1-point underdog against 5th-seeded Auburn on Saturday.

These Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds had better be loaded with classics.

2. The lack of Roy Williams appreciation

Everyone knows Roy Williams is great, but it does seem like his name doesn’t get put on the top (or near the top) of the mountain as often as it should when the topic of college basketball’s pre-eminent coaches comes up.

Three trips to the national title game in four years could go a long way towards changing that.

3. The odd parallels between this tournament and the 2009 tournament

There have only been two NCAA tournaments where three teams from the same conference have earned No. 1 seeds: This one and ten years ago in 2009.

Oddly, this year’s tournament so far has played out almost exactly like the one a decade ago did.

I’m only jeering this because it’s starting to freak me out a little bit. And it doesn’t stop there.

In that tournament, the No. 1 overall seed (Louisville) was beaten in the Elite Eight by second-seeded Michigan State. In this tournament, the No. 1 overall seed (Duke) would have the potential to play second-seeded Michigan State ... in the Elite Eight.

The only double-digit seed to make the second weekend in ‘09 was an underachieving but talented Arizona squad out of the Pac-12 that beat a 13-seed in the second round. The only double-digit seed to make the second weekend this year is an underachieving but talented Oregon squad out of the Pac-12 that beat a 13-seed in the second round.

The eventual national champion in 2009 was North Carolina, the only No. 1 seed that wasn’t from the Big East.

This is all starting to look really good for Gonzaga.

1. UCF

In a game that on paper was interesting only because it afforded us the opportunity to see Zion Williamson go up against a 7’6 dude and Johnny Dawkins go up against Coach K, Central Florida gave a performance nobody saw coming. That performance made the first weekend of the tournament exponentially better.

For two hours, Aubrey Dawkins looked like the best player in college basketball. Tacko Fall wasn’t just a 7’6 sideshow, he was a legitimate force in the paint on both ends of the floor, one that had Duke’s vaunted frontcourt on tilt. B.J. Taylor didn’t have his typical stroke, but when the lights got the brightest, he stepped up the way a senior star is supposed to.

This was their moment. It just wound up being something less than it should have been.

That locker room scene is really something, and I’m glad the powers that be at UCF opted to share it with the world. That level of shared commitment and of connection with your teammates, that’s such a big part of what this whole thing is supposed to be about. Rarely is it as wholly on display as it is in that postgame scene.

Thanks to the Knights for a Sunday performance that will be remembered forever by anyone who watched.

2. The Houston Cowboy Hat Brigade

When one of your own gets made fun of on national TV, you rally together to have his back.

Houston is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1984, and Phi Slamma Hatta is coming with the Coogs to Kansas City.

3. The iron’s love/hate relationship with Duke over the last calendar year

When Central Florida’s Aubrey Dawkins’ potential game-winning tip-in rolled around the rim and then off in the final seconds of Sunday’s Duke-UCF classic, the first thing I thought of was how much it reminded me of Grayson Allen’s shot at the end of regulation against Kansas last season.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one.

Those shots came exactly 364 days apart. One ending Duke’s dream of a national title, the other sustaining it.

Feel free to insert here whatever cliche you prefer about outcomes being determined by a unit of measurement or iron’s general congeniality, or lack thereof.

1. Kenny Wooten, Oregon

Two games, two appearances on this list for Wooten.

2. Tyler Cook, Iowa

3. Mamadi Diakite, Virginia

BONUS DUNK: Tacko Fall, Central Florida

They may not be the most graceful highlights in the world, but I will never fail to be fascinated watching a dunk where the dunker doesn’t have to leave his feet. There were like seven of those highlights to choose from with Fall’s performance on Sunday. Here’s one:

I’m going to miss it.

1. Making Zion Williamson look small is a task only a few people in the world can complete. Tacko Fall is one of them.

2. Ducks dance on

3. Relief and euphoria at the same time for Zion. A wide range of emotions in the crowd behind him.

—”Coach K talks a lot about the basketball gods. They had our backs today.” —Zion Williamson

—”He didn’t want to play. He kept saying leave Kyle in the game. Kyle is important. With four fouls, he knew they would come right at him. He said, Coach, I can’t guard the way I can guard. I’m going to foul. So you have to leave Kyle in. That was his decision. He said, leave Kyle in the game.” —Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes on Admiral Schofield not playing at the end of regulation or in overtime

—“Sorry we made you guys panic. Go Vols.” —Tennessee F Grant Williams

—”It’s my first time in the Sweet 16. Everyone is talking about a Final Four, but I’ve never been to a Sweet 16. Just the opportunity to play with this group again for a whole ‘nother week and practicing with this group and traveling with this group, that’s what means the most, I think. Just to keep playing with this group of guys.” —Virginia G Ty Jerome

—“It was up there forever, I felt like, in slow motion.” UCF G Aubrey Dawkins on his potential game-winning tip-in

Rest up. Next weekend is going to be fantastic.

All times ET

West: No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 4 Florida State, 7:09 p.m. (CBS)

South: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Purdue, 7:29 p.m. (TBS)

West: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Texas Tech, 9:39 p.m.* (CBS)

South: No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 12 Oregon, 9:59 p.m.* (TBS)

East: No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 3 LSU, 7:09 p.m. (CBS)

Midwest: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 5 Auburn, 7:29 p.m. (TBS)

East: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Virginia Tech, 9:39 p.m.* (CBS)

Midwest: No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Houston, 9:59 p.m.* (TBS)

*start time is approximate, following earlier game