Well, yesterday's games didn't quite have the drama of the best opening day in the history of March Madness, but we still saw close games and upsets all throughout the day. First up is a recap of all the action on Friday, and then we'll pick Saturday's 2nd round games.
1) Biggest Winner - Cornell Big Red
-As a 12 seed, Cornell had to feel unjustified. The Ivy champs almost beat Kansas in Lawrence and were in the Top 25 this season. You knew they were the best candidate for an upset facing off against Temple. However, it wasn't an upset. Cornell was simply the better team. Louis Dale and Ryan Wittman are talented enough to lead Cornell to the Sweet 16 with a win on Sunday.
2) Biggest Loser - Utah State & Siena
-Similarly, Utah State was a popular double digit seed pick to make the Sweet 16. They dominated the WAC regular season and were a popular pick to knock off Texas A&M. Siena had a senior laden roster that beat Ohio State in the first round last year and was playing a reeling Purdue team without Robbie Hummel. However, both these teams were run off the court in the second half. Utah St was never close to A&M and Siena got as close as 5. A disappointing day for two leading mid-majors.
3) Best Performance - Jordan Crawford Xavier
-Over 8 million people have seen his secret dunk over LeBron James that the King kept under wraps. Now, we know Crawford has the game to go along with dunking over global icons. Crawford had 28/6/5 to lead the X-Men over Minnesota. He had 17 in the second half and hit the game-clinching 3 in the final minute. A shout out to Ohio State and Jon Diebler's 7 3's and Dallas Lauderdale's 8 blocks.
4) Best Game - Mizzou 86 Clemson 78
-This game wasn't a classic in the purest sense, but it was one of the most enjoyable, and the highest tempo you will see in the NCAA tournament this year. Steals, acrobatic layups, dunks, three pointers, and everything you want in an exciting game... oh, and Gus Johnson on the mic of course. The fastest 40 minutes in basketball struck again, and Missouri will be a legit threat to upset West Virginia Sunday with their frantic style.
5) Biggest Escape - Big 10 Powers
-Both Michigan State and Wisconsin survived big upsets to New Mexico State and Wofford respectively. These games weren't popular upset picks because we traditionally think of these teams as solid squads that have success in the NCAA tournament. But, NM St and Wofford took it to the Big 10 teams, and just lost out in the final minute. Michigan State was perhaps the biggest surprise with Kalin Lucas needing a career high to move on. The Aggies had 2 chances to tie MSU down by three at the end, and probably were unlucky not to have more time added to the clock for one final chance. We didn't see the amount of upsets yesterday, but again many teams came close.
6) Biggest Choke Job - None
-As much as I was hoping for Louisville to make a huge comeback against Cal, it didn't happen. Gonzaga tried to blow an 18 point lead against FSU, but held on. Sadly for us havoc loving bloggers waiting to rip choke artists to shreds, there were none yesterday. Darn.
7) Highlight of the Day - William Buford Ohio St.
-This acrobatic lay up at the beginning of the video was the play of the day. This is just sick...
8) One Shining Thought - The Elites Shine
-Yesterday was a day where the elite teams shined through. We know that there are really only about 7 or 8 teams capable of winning this tournament from the 1 and 2 seed lines, and those teams were impressive yesterday. Syracuse and Duke blew out their 16 seeded opponents, West Virginia blitzed Morgan State after falling down 10-0 early, and Ohio State saw players not named Evan Turner step up in a big way. While the 12/5 and 6/11 and 4/13 games provide great upsets and great theater, the chalk of the bracket will still reign supreme in the end.
SATURDAY PICKS
St. Mary's (10) vs Villanova (2)
-Villanova had the great escape in Round 1 surviving a stern test from Bob Morris. Saying they're lucky to be here is an understatement. St. Mary's looked very good in dealing with Richmond easily. Many times we see teams that escape danger in Round 1 go for long tournament runs though. Villanova's opening round skittishness will be a distant memory after they cruise against the Gaels.
Pick: Nova
Murray State (13) vs. Butler (5)
-Murray comes in riding high after a buzzer beating win against Vandy, while Butler ran away from UTEP in the 2nd half thanks to 7 3's from Shelvin Mack. Butler matches up well with the mid-majors because... well... they are a mid-major. Butler to advance.
Pick: Butler
Ohio (14) vs. Tennessee (6)
-If the Ohio team that shows up today is the one that scored 97 points against Georgetown, then they will move into the Sweet 16 and beyond. Their performance as a below-.500 MAC team might be the most stunning in the last 5 years in the NCAA tournament. Logic would dictate that there's no way they can duplicate it against the Vols, but has logic ever worked in picking these games?
Pick: Tennessee
Northern Iowa (9) vs. Kansas (1)
-Out of the #1 teams, Kansas has by far the easiest 2nd round opponent. They'll waltz past UNI and into the Sweet 16.
Pick: Kansas
Old Dominion (11) vs. Baylor (3)
-Call me a skeptic, but I do not believe in Baylor. Yes, they're a 3 seed, and yes, the Big XII had a fantastic first round, but I'm not a Baylor believer. ODU has the talent and the poise to win a close game, and beat the Bears. If they can keep the tempo down and frustrate Baylor, they're going to the Sweet 16.
Pick: ODU
Washington (11) vs. New Mexico (3)
-This is one of the most compelling games of the day. Washington and Cal were 2 for 2 in Round 1, showing us the Pac 10 isn't the pile of garbage we thought it was. On the other hand, New Mexico didn't exactly rid themselves of all of their skeptics after an unconvincing win in R1. For me, it's a toss up, but since I have New Mexico advancing in my bracket - I'm picking Washington. It's called reverse psychology people!
Pick: Washington
BYU (7) vs. Kansas St (2)
-Jimmer Fredette was the star of R1 as BYU battled past Florida State in 2 OT's. They'll need to improve over that performance, and could need 40 from Fredette to get past the Wildcats. K State is the most underrated 2 seed, and a real threat to make it to Indy. Their guard combo of Pullen and Clemente might be the best in the nation.
Pick: Kansas State
Wake Forest (8) vs. Kentucky (1)
-UK was the only team to hit the century mark in the first round against ETSU. I think Kentucky will be relieved to not face a more talented Texas team in Round 2. Cousins and Patterson will cancel out Aminu on the inside and look for Eric Bledsoe to continue to step out of the shadow of John Wall.
Pick: UK
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