Stylish first-round upset picks do not all the time wilt once they step onto the NCAA event stage.
Generally they ship performances that recommend they’re able to toppling multiple extremely seeded power-conference group.
That’s precisely what James Madison did Friday evening in Brooklyn with its 72-61 first-round victory over fifth-seeded Wisconsin. The Twelfth-seeded Dukes stormed to a double-digit lead within the first half’s opening eight minutes and withstood each counterpunch, gaining confidence with each dagger 3-pointer and each key defensive cease.
The closest Wisconsin got here to placing actual second-half sport strain on James Madison was a Max Klesmit wide-open driving layup try that hung tantalizingly on the rim however didn’t fall. Noah Freidel then banged a transition 3-pointer, a five-point swing in a matter of seconds that prolonged the Dukes’ result in 9 with lower than eight minutes to play.
By outclassing a Wisconsin group that reached the Large Ten event title sport lower than per week in the past, James Madison validated what already was a breakthrough season for its program underneath fourth-year coach Mark Byington.
James Madison began the season by outlasting Michigan State in East Lansing for its first win over a Prime 25 opponent in additional than three a long time. The Dukes briefly cracked the AP Prime 25 themselves in December and solely misplaced three video games all season, piling up a gaudy 31-3 document coming into NCAA event play.
“We’ve been ready to get right here to point out how arduous we are able to play,” junior Terrence Edwards informed CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson after Friday’s win. “We actually some dawgs from 1 to 13, walk-ons, everyone. We simply confirmed the world immediately.”
The world will actually be watching on Sunday when James Madison takes intention at considered one of faculty basketball’s most tradition-rich packages. It will likely be the Dukes versus Duke in one of many Spherical of 32’s most intriguing matchups. Do not anticipate James Madison to be intimidated.
“All 12 months we’ve been preaching that we are able to play towards these varieties of gamers,” Edwards mentioned. “Right here we at the moment are.”
Whereas No. 12 seeds have toppled No. 5 seeds greater than 50 instances because the NCAA event expanded to 64 groups in 1985, James Madison is the primary to do it this 12 months. Gonzaga blew away fashionable upset decide McNeese on Thursday and San Diego State held off UAB on Friday afternoon.