NCAA Basketball Tournament – Week One Highlights
The first week of the NCAA Basketball Tournament has been put to rest. Here are the highlights:
1. Kyrie’s back
Before freshman sensation Kyrie Irving injured his toe in December, defending national champions Duke hadn’t lost a game, and there was talk of an undefeated season. While it was assumed Irving would be out for the season, the 6-foot-2 inch point guard made a surprise return for the tournament, and was key in the Blue Devils advancing to the Sweet 16.
2. The Big Least
The Big East entered into the tournament with a record shattering 11 teams. Now only two remain. Since Connecticut and Marquette beat other Big East teams to reach the Sweet 16, that means not a single Big East team was able to beat a single non-Big East team after the first round.
3. You got Jimmered
Jimmer Fredette, the nation’s leading scorer and player-of-the-year favorite, hasn’t disappointed, averaging 33 points and 6.5 assists so far. Led by Fredette, the BYU Cougars are on their deepest tournament run since 1981.
4. VCU silences their critics
VCU was singled out by many as the most unworthy selection into this year’s field of 68. The Rams made their critics eat those words by crushing big conference powers USC, Georgetown and Purdue on their way to the tournament's second week.
5. The Butler did it again
Butler, who wore the Cinderalla slipper all the way to the final game in 2010, are at it again.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs knocked off Southeast region number 1 seed Pitt in a game that featured perhaps the wildest finish in tournament history.
- Contributed by Jeremy Taylor