Top 10 Notable Results from Week 1 of March Madness
March is officially upon us, and this year’s opening weekend did not disappoint! With 2 separate 1 seeds out before the Sweet Sixteen, a 15 seed in the Sweet Sixteen for a 3rd consecutive year, and other notable results, this could go down among the most memorable tournaments in history! Without further ado, here are the 10 best results from week 1 of March Madness!
Note: This article was written prior to the completion of the last 6 games of the second round. As a result, the outcome of some games mentioned in the future may have already been determined upon publication. Enjoy the article!
10) Maryland edges West Virginia with outstanding post play
The first game on the list is, coincidentally, the first game in the main bracket. The 8 seed Maryland Terrapins defeated 9 seed West Virginia in a close call game. Give Head Coach Bob Huggins’ West Virginia team a lot of credit for playing the Terrapins close. Maryland had their work cut out for them to win this game, as they had the unfortunate circumstance of playing against Kedrian Johnson when he was in the zone. Johnson went 8 for 13 from the field, including hitting 4 3s, and he also hit all of his free throws. More importantly, however, he was partially responsible for locking down Maryland’s star player in Jahmir Young, who only made a single basket the entire game (he scored 7 points off of free throws to get to his total of 10). How then, did Maryland win this game? The answer comes from strong center Julian Reese, who recorded among his most impressive games all season. Reese had 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 assists. Simply put, if Reese was not on a heater, it would have been West Virginia against Alabama in the round of 32. WVU went on a 16-0 run at one point, and led by as many as 13, but Maryland pulled out a win. At the end of the game, WVU had the opportunity to seal the game with a desperation 3-pointer, but it missed, and Maryland continued dancing. With this victory, Head Coach Kevin Willard joined the short list of first year coaches this year who won NCAA tournament games. Maryland lost their next game against 1 seed Alabama, but their gritty, comeback victory against a Big 12 opponent was enough to land them a spot on this list!
9) Dylan Disu puts Texas on his back against Penn State
10 seed Penn State upset Texas A&M in round 1 of the tournament, and with less than 5 minutes to go in their game against 2 seed Texas, they held the lead. If not for a specific Longhorn, the Nittany Lions would have continued their hot streak by heading to the Sweet Sixteen. Unfortunately, forward Dylan Disu decided to be unguardable for the day. He went 14 for 20 from the field, and was essential to Texas defeating Penn State. Disu also netted 10 rebounds, and did not turn the ball over a single time. Interim Head Coach Rodney Terry is consistently demonstrating that he deserves the full time position, and he has led Texas to the Sweet Sixteen despite being thrusted into an uncomfortable situation due to Chris Beard leaving. Penn State’s Head Coach, Micah Shrewsberry, has done an excellent job with the Nittany Lions, and deserves to be proud of his team’s run. Perhaps if superstar Jalen Pickett produced in the way that Disu did, the outcome would have been different. In an incredible display of statistical power, this game was nearly identical to the Vegas odds. Texas was -5 and the over/under was 137.5 points. In the end, Texas won by exactly 5 points, and the total game score was 137 points. This fun game is further proof that the Longhorns are legit national title contenders, and they will eagerly await playing 3 seed Xavier in the Sweet Sixteen!
8) FAU wins first ever NCAA Tournament game amidst controversy
The 9 seed Florida Atlantic Owls notched their 1st ever NCAA tournament win — in their 2nd ever tournament appearance — but it did not come without controversy. At the end of the game, Memphis led by 1 point with the ball, but an errant pass from Kendric Davis gave the ball right back to FAU. However, faulty dribbling on the side of the Owls led to a scrum for the ball with 5 seconds left, and although many Memphis players attempted to call a timeout, the officials declared a jump ball and gave possession to the Owls. Memphis Head Coach Penny Hardaway was irate, but Memphis still had a chance with a defensive stop. Unfortunately, in a position where an outside factor puts a team at risk of losing in March, mentality can waver, and the Tigers were unable to stop the Owls from cashing in a game-winning layup. The win came primarily from 6th man Giancarlo Rosado, who hit 100% of his shots from off the bench. Without him, Head Coach Dusty May would not be in a position where he is a double digit favorite in the second round of the tournament (more on that later). The Owls have had a tremendous season, and they are well on their way to the Sweet Sixteen!
7) Xavier’s Jack Nunge stuffs Kennesaw State’s upset dreams
This tournament saw a 16-1 upset, 15-2 upset, and 13-4 upset, but a 14-3 upset was curiously absent. This may be due to Xavier’s rampant comeback in the final minutes. Despite being down 51-38, Xavier managed to stay composed en route to a 5 point victory over 14 seed Kennesaw State. The team out of the ASUN conference has a lot to be proud about, as the team made the tournament for the 1st time in program history this year, and was close to making more history. In fact, as the game approached the final whistle, Kennesaw State had a golden opportunity to either tie the game or take the lead. However, in the pivotal moment, is was a Musketeer who came up big. Xavier’s Jack Nunge had the most monstrous block of the tournament to date, and put the team on his back to save Xavier from being another victim of a huge upset. In addition to his clutch play, Nunge recorded a double double on defensive blocks alone, and had a fantastic day for Head Coach Sean Miller’s squad. Miller has led Xavier to the Sweet Sixteen, where they will play Texas in a hotly anticipated matchup! March is a month of both celebration and heartbreak, and while this highly entertaining game had both, it was nonetheless easily able to secure a spot on this list!
6) TCU and Mike Miles storm back against Arizona State
Historically, a First Four team wins at least 1 additional game in the tournament. In fact, UCLA made a First Four to Final Four run in 2021, so the teams that get a game to get in the March groove tend to do well. Pitt dethroned Iowa State and kept the trend alive, but for most of the game, it looked like the Sun Devils would do it too. However, despite a double digit lead, the Horned Frogs dominated the game in the final minutes en route to a victory. Most of the credit for this win can be attributed to Head Coach Jamie Dixon and star guard Mike Miles. Dixon deserves a lot of credit for keeping his team composed in the final minutes, and he was fired up during the game. As for Mike Miles, the star guard scored 26 points. This was in no small part due to his ability to draw the foul, as Miles hit 12 free throws that put the Horned Frogs in position to sneak away with the win. However, in the end, it was 6th man JaKobe Coles who hit the game winner for the Horned Frogs. Dixon’s trust in his players was on full display, as not many coaches across the league would trust a bench player to hit that shot. It clearly worked out, and TCU moved onto fight against Gonzaga.
5) Kansas State and Kentucky go blow for blow in a thriller
This Wildcat showdown was the most thrilling non-upset in the tournament thus far, and it came down to the wire. Kansas State managed to pull ahead of a game that saw numerous lead changes, incredible shots, and excellent individual performances. For Kentucky, Oscar Tshiebwe was unsurprisingly incredible. He posted a 25/18 double double, and was the catalyst for Kentucky’s strength. However, he had considerable help from freshman phenom Cason Wallace. Wallace is among the best defenders in the sport, and will be a great player in the NBA. Here though, he went a staggering 9/11 from the field, and was a rebound away from a guard double double (for a guard at 6’4”, this is unreasonably impressive). However, despite their best efforts, they were no match for 2nd half Markquis Nowell. Nowell had 23 points in the second half alone, and hit some clutch 3s as the game wound down. Nae’Qwan Tomlin was a monster of defense, as he recorded 4 blocks and marched the Wildcats to the Sweet Sixteen for the 1st time since 2018 alongside Nowell. Head Coach Jerome Tang just took over at K State, and was picked to finish last in the Big 12. The Wildcats are still going strong, and are eyeing down either Michigan State or Marquette for their next game.
4) Arkansas Hops on the Muss Bus to beat Kansas
Eric Musselman is one of the most emphatic coaches in the sport, and he was no different on the court against Kansas. The Hogs had an up and down season riddled with injuries and poor stretches, but they got their act together in time to deliver a stunning upset to the 1 seed. Arkansas’ roster was chalk full of NBA talent, with guards Nick Smith and Anthony Black both projected to go to the NBA. However, it was their older leadership that paved the way for this upset, as “Devo” Davis and Ricky Council IV both had tremendous performances. Davis went 9 for 15 from the field, and gave an emotional postgame speech about resilience. Make no mistake, this game proved Arkansas is the most passionate team in college basketball. Unfortunately, this win has a significant asterisk, as Kansas Head Coach Bill Self was absent with a heart issue. Considering the final score was 72-71, and Kansas was up by double digits in the 2nd half, it is not farfetched to believe that Self’s leadership would have kept the Jayhawks composed enough to eke out the win. While Kansas almost won, as the old adage goes: “almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Arkansas will have a chance to make their 3rd straight Elite Eight, and cement Musselman as a top 10 coach of the last 5 years!
3) A devastating turnover catapults Furman over Virginia
As mentioned many times, March is a month of heartbreak just as much as it is a month of celebration. No game better illustrates that then Fruman’s 68-67 win over Virginia, which was single handedly-caused by Kihei Clark’s horrible pass at the end of the game. Clark, after being double-teamed, hurled the ball directly into the hands of the Paladins’ JP Pegues, who promptly ripped the game-winning 3. Virginia led by double digits in the 2nd half, but absolutely did this to themselves. Most importantly, they shot an unacceptable 16.7% from 3. Furman Head Coach Bob Richey has deserved the Socon auto-bid for years, as Furman has been in the top 3 of the Socon standings the last 8 years. While he got his big shot here, one cannot help but feel for the Cavaliers. While they won the national championship in 2019 — proving Head Coach Tony Bennett’s coaching wisdom to be viable — they have lost to double digit seeds in their other 3 most recent tournament appearances. Additionally, every game in Virginia’s 2019 run was incredibly close. Simply put, perhaps Bennett needs to take a close look at his team’s slow paced, defensive strategy and reevaluate whether that can succeed in a March Madness setting. While Furman did lose to San Diego State in the next round, the Paladins will go down in March Madness history for this upset that had among the most thrilling conclusions in college basketball history.
2) Princeton honors Pete Carril with another legendary upset
In 1996, Princeton’s Pete Carril stunned the nation by defeating defending champion UCLA in the first round. 27 years later, Princeton is in the Sweet Sixteen after stunning Arizona and whalloping Missouri. The focus here is obviously the 15-2 upset over Arizona. Princeton did not shoot well, and also did not defend the interior that well either. However, their tremendous accomplishment stems from the fact that they limited Arizona’s lineup of strong guards. Forward duo Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo combined for 35 of Arizona’s 55 points, and more importantly, made 15 of Arizona’s 24 shots. Comparatively, Kerr Kriisa, Pelle Larson, and Courtney Ramey made went just 6 for 20, and went 1 for 10 from 3. If Ramey or Kriisa makes a few more shots, Arizona avoids the upset, but Princeton managed to hold them off due to superior defense. Tommy Lloyd was stunned, and this game was not his fault. As was a theme this tournament, teams that got upset had strong play from big men and no help surrounding them. Pete Carril died in 2022, so this upset was more meaningful for hte Ivy League team. As someone who picked Arizona to win the bracket, perhaps this should have been more apparent, as Arizona lost to inferior Pac-12 play all season. In any event, Princeton will face off against either Baylor or Creighton on the road to be the 2nd ever 15 seed to make the Elite Eight (remember St. Peter’s from a year ago). No matter what happens though, Princeton alumni have even more ammunition to look down upon other universities, as they have now trounced 2 basketball schools en route to the Sweet Sixteen.
Fairleigh Dickinson calls its shot to beat Purdue
“The more I look at Purdue, the more I think we can beat ‘em.” These were the words uttered by FDU coach Tobin Anderson after their First Four win against Texas Southern. Nobody took them seriously. However, at the end of 40 minutes of regulation, FDU emerged victorious over Purdue in a shocking David vs Goliath story. Again, it was Purdue’s horrendous guard play that sealed their fate. Braden Smith might be the most hated man in Indiana now that he gave up as many turnovers as he scored points and went an atrocious 2 for 10 from the field. Zach Edey, the National Player of the Year (rightfully so), seemed to have no help from his fellow Boilermakers this game. As for the Knights, the star performance comes from Sean Moore, who recorded 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Considering that FDU was the smallest team in the tournament, and was 299th at KenPom coming into the game, there is a legitimate argument that this is the single greatest upset in March Madness history. In fact, Fairleigh Dickinson did not even win their conference tournament, as they lost to Merrimack, but Merrimack was ineligible for the tournament due to being in a D-1 transition year. This is the stuff movies are made about. FDU faces off against the aforementioned FAU, where one of these teams that had never won in the NCAA tournament before will reach the second weekend. The incredible upset comes with heartbreak, as Matt Painter, Zach Edey, and the fans really could not do much considering the poor play from the rest of the Boilermakers. One thing is for sure though: Tobin Anderson’s iconic quote rang true at the end of regulation, as he was right to think they could beat Purdue. FDU can cement their legacy with a win over FAU, but no matter what happens, they have done more than enough to be talked about for generations to come!
