Pittsburgh. Not exactly inspiring lots of confidence for those of us who swore by this team – though this is how they won in the regular season; hanging with an opponent and running away at the finish.
Xavier. In case you can’t get enough of this storyline – Sean Miller, X coach, is totally from Pittsburgh and interested in the Pitt job when Jamie Dixon bolts. (Though, honestly, doesn’t he have a good thing going at Xavier?)
Villanova. The most impressive team of the second round, absolutely shredding a UCLA team that isn’t all that bad; try and forget the Wildcats played at home.
Duke. If Jon Scheyer’s moronic save-and-chuck toward the end of that game had resulted in a setup for a Texas three, would it still have been a genius, gritty play?
North Carolina. Sweated LSU for a while before dispatching of them; I’m excited for their regional semifinal against Gonzaga.
Gonzaga. Paging Mark Few; this is the marquee win your program yearns for, much better than the Virginia slugfest in 2001. (Remember when they beat Donald Hand?!)
Syracuse. Just a guess here, but don’t you think Jim Boeheim will remember No. 800 much better if it comes against Oklahoma rather than next fall against Colgate?
Oklahoma. Playing in a regional only 7 hours from home – how many Sooner fans make that trip?
UConn. Until further notice, the best-looking no. 1 seed waltzes on, maybe unchallenged until the national semifinal.
Purdue. Matt Painter is a very good coach, but I really thought playing Wash U in Portland would be their undoing.
Missouri. Nice clear-out for Tiller at the end of the game; and it’s tough not to feel bad for ‘Quette’s Lazar Hayward, who slipped across the end line with the penultimate turnover. In other news, how was it NEVER reported by any Big East media, Milwaukee media, or opposition media, that Dominic James might return to play in the second round of the NCAAs? I’m sure Vegas loved that.
Memphis. I’m always down on Memphis, this year I’m down on the ACC, and in case the media really wonders, they would have finished third in the ACC – they are the exact same team as Wake Forest.
Louisville. Do not wake a sleepwalker… do not wake a sleepwalker … do not wake a sleepwalker.
Arizona. In the fractured world of sports logic, we are supposed to believe that Arizona’s Sweet 16 run is proof they “belonged in the tournament after all.” Nice analysis, braintrust, but you’re wrong. They absolutely did not belong in the tournament, and it is to their credit that they’ve seized the opportunity. The two circumstances are not causally related. Please stop shouting. (Jay Bilas just threw something at me.)
Kansas. When was the last time each and every 1, 2, and 3 seed advanced to the round of 16? No wonder that bitch in accounts receivable is winning the pool.
Michigan State. I expected USC to beat them today. So, naturally, the Spartans won.
