Day 1 of the NCAA males’s match is within the books, and brackets are already overwhelmingly busted.
Thursday marked an exciting, upset-filled begin to the match with a trio of No. 11 seeds and Jack Gohlke guaranteeing that 99.9% of good brackets had been toast earlier than the late video games even tipped. In the event you’re within the 0.1%, congratulations. Go purchase a lottery ticket.
For the remainder of us, let’s sit again and luxuriate in what’s already been an entertaining NCAA match.
Beware the 11 seeds
Whereas Oakland stole the present with its upset of Kentucky, it was Duquesne and Oregon that obtained the celebration began.
No. 11 Duquesne tipped issues off within the early slate of video games in opposition to No. 6 BYU. The Cougars had been again on their heels from the beginning. The Dukes opened scoring with a 3-pointer en path to a 9-0 lead. They took a 38-30 edge into halftime that they prolonged to 46-32 three minutes into the second half.
The Cougars fought again to tie the sport at 60. However the Dukes wouldn’t be denied as they outscored the Cougars 11-7 down the stretch to safe a 71-67 upset that few noticed coming. Duquesne’s win simply two video games into the match left simply 16.3% of good bracket’s standing.
Oregon retains the upsets coming
Then got here Oregon, which plenty of people — together with these in Las Vegas — did see coming. Regardless of taking part in as a No. 11 seed in opposition to sixth-seeded South Carolina, Oregon entered the sport as a 2.5-point favourite.
The Geese exceeded expectations. Oregon opened a 34-29 halftime lead that was lower to 5 by a miracle Ta’Lon Cooper 3-pointer from past halfcourt that beat the first-half buzzer. Oregon wasn’t fazed.
Led by ex-Gamecock Jermaine Couisnard, Oregon opened up the second half en path to an 87-73 win.
Couisnard performed three seasons for South Carolina earlier than becoming a member of Oregon final season amid a training change that noticed the Gamecocks fireplace Frank Martin in favor of Lamont Paris. He beforehand advised the Oregonian that lack of communication from Paris performed a task in his resolution to enter the switch portal.
That sequence of occasions finally got here again to chew the Gamecocks in an enormous manner on Thursday as Couisnard scored a career-high and Oregon NCAA tournament-record 40 factors to ship his former group again to Columbia and not using a match win. He was scorching from the sector on a 14-of-22 effort whereas hitting 5 of 9 3-point makes an attempt.
NC State follows go well with
NC State saved the development alive on Thursday evening.
The Wolfpack, after a dominant run via the ACC match final week, saved No. 6 Texas Tech at arm’s size of their opening matchup in Pittsburgh. They rolled to an 80-67 win to achieve the second spherical of the match for the primary time since 2015, which was the identical 12 months they shocked No. 1 Villanova.
NC State solely took a slight lead at halftime earlier than lastly breaking open a 13-2 run within the second half. From there, the Wolfpack merely cruised to seize the 13-point win — which arrange a matchup with Oakland on Saturday. Ben Middlebrooks led the Wolfpack with 21 factors off the bench, and senior DJ Burns Jr. added 16 factors whereas capturing 11-of-17 from the sector.
NC State has now received six straight video games, together with its spectacular five-win stretch on the ACC match.
Are 11-6 matchups the brand new 12-5?
Thursday marks the fourth straight match during which no less than one No. 11 seed has superior. Three of these tournaments have seen a number of No. 11 seeds win, and a number of other have superior deeper within the match.
Final 12 months, No. 11 Pittsburgh upset No. 6 Iowa State then misplaced to No. 3 seed Xavier within the second spherical. In 2022, three No. 11 seeds superior. Iowa State beat No. 6 LSU after which No. 3 Wisconsin en path to the Candy 16. Michigan additionally made it to the Candy 16 with wins over No. 6 Colorado State and No. 3 Tennessee. Notre Dame beat No. 6 Alabama after which misplaced to No. 3 Texas Tech within the second spherical.
However 2021 introduced us one of the profitable No. 11 seeds of all time. UCLA beat No. 6 BYU, No. 14 Abilene Christian, No. 2 Alabama and No. 1 Michigan en path to the Remaining 4. There it misplaced to Gonzaga in an all-time thriller of a nationwide semifinal.
Now we’ve Duquesne, Oregon and NC State. New Mexico would be the final No. 11 seed to play its NCAA match opener. It is a 2.5-point favourite over Clemson on Friday. Are any certain for the Candy 16 or a deep run like 2021 UCLA?
Jack Gohlke torches Kentucky, busts most brackets
Jack Gohlke is the following massive NCAA match star.
Gohlke led No. 14 Oakland to an enormous upset win over No. 3 Kentucky on Thursday evening. Gohlke dropped 10 3-pointers and had 32 factors within the beautiful win, which marked simply Kentucky’s newest struggles within the postseason. That, after all, renewed requires head coach John Calipari’s job.
Gohlke was only one made 3-pointer shy of matching the all-time single-game match report, which was set by LMU’s Jeff Fryer in 1990. Gohlke had seven of his 10 3-pointers within the first half, after which helped push the Golden Grizzlies to the win within the second half.
Whereas he turned loads of heads along with his efficiency, it isn’t too stunning. All however eight of the guard’s subject purpose makes an attempt through the common season had been from behind the arc.
The Grizzlies will tackle NC State within the second spherical on Saturday.
Because of the upset, nearly each remaining good bracket was busted. Greater than 95% of Yahoo brackets had picked Kentucky to maneuver onto the second spherical. So by the point that upset went via, solely 0.1% of brackets made via Yahoo Sports activities had been nonetheless good.
Then, on the finish of the evening, solely 116 had been left. If that is you, better of luck on Friday. You are going to want it.
Marcus Domask leads Illinois with triple-double
Marcus Domask joined an elite group of school basketball gamers on Thursday afternoon.
Domask turned simply the ninth participant in NCAA match historical past to report a triple-double on Thursday whereas main No. 3 Illinois to an 85-69 win over No. 14 Morehead State. He put up 12 factors and had 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and hit his triple-double with a 3-pointer late within the second half.
Domask is the primary participant to have a triple-double since Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant did so with Murray State in 2019. Golden State Warriors star Draymond Inexperienced is the one participant to take action twice. Michigan’s Gary Grant was the primary to take action in 1987. Shaquille O’Neal, David Cain, Andre Miller, Dwayne Wade, and Cole Aldrich spherical out that record.
Domask and Illinois will advance to the second spherical to tackle Duquesne on Saturday.
Kansas sneaks previous Samford after controversial foul
Kansas practically blew a 22-point lead late on Thursday evening.
However due to a late burst, and a controversial foul name within the remaining seconds, the Jayhawks are transferring into the second spherical.
No. 4 Kansas obtained previous No. 13 Samford, 93-89, of their first-round sport late on Thursday evening. Regardless of nearly blowing a 22-point lead within the second half, it was a foul name within the remaining seconds that sealed the deal.
Kansas’ Nicolas Timberlake caught a cross on a quick break and went up for a dunk with simply 14 seconds left when Samford’s A.J. Staton-McCray got here flying behind and blocked the shot. Timberlake went crashing right down to the courtroom, and finally went to the free throw line — the place he made each of his photographs and gave Kansas a three-point lead.
However a better take a look at the play clearly confirmed that Staton-McCray didn’t contact Timberlake in any respect. He obtained all ball.
However the name stood because it was made on the courtroom, which finally led to Kansas’ four-point win.
So Kansas will now advance to the second spherical and can tackle No. 5 Gonzaga, which beat McNeese with out a lot subject in its first-round sport on Thursday.