NFL
By: Ty Reeves
No one was lying when they said, This. Is. March. This year’s March Madness men’s tournament has been nothing less but madness. In the first two rounds, we’ve seen some of the biggest teams in college basketball sent home, including some analyst’s overall favorites to win the tournament. With that, we’ve seen the rise of some of the most random teams enter the Sweet Sixteen. I will give you my overall thoughts on the first two rounds of the tournament and what to expect as we head towards the final four.
Quickly And In Large Numbers
Upsets have been coming quickly and in large numbers as we move into the Sweet Sixteen. After one day, Oral Roberts busted my bracket with its win over Ohio State. Kevin Oibanor was the main guy for the Golden Eagles as he finished with 30 points on 9 of 21 shooting to launch ORU past Ohio State in overtime.
As a proud UConn student, I have to give credit where it is due. The University of Maryland came with a gameplan and executed it perfectly, forcing Connecticut to play one of its worst games of the season. Their defense was spot on, and they all but took James Bouknight out of the game. (He finished the game with 15 points.) Eric Ayala balled out with 23 points on 8 of 14 shooting leading the Terps to a 63-54 victory.
In the battle between two schools from the lone star state, Abilene Christian walked away victorious after defeating the Texas Longhorns. It was a low-scoring game with lots of defense as Texas guard Andrew Jones led all scorers with 13 points. In the end, the Longhorns sabotaged their chance after giving up a foul with two seconds remaining while clinging to a one-point lead. Abilene Christian guard Joe Pleasant knocked down both free throws, sealing the deal for the Wildcats.
Overall this tournament has brought fans to the precipice of sports transcendence. The next round will be crucial for every team as we get down to the tournament wire.
Teams to keep an eye on in the Sweet Sixteen:
The 2021 #Sweet16!
RT if your team is still dancing! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/qUZV5d0MjZ
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 23, 2021
Alabama
After blasting through their conference tournament, the Crimson Tide continued rolling. They knocked off 15th seeded Iona and 10th seeded Maryland in the first two rounds on their way to the Sweet Sixteen. Both of those wins came by double-digits as the Crimson Tide is arguably one of the most talented teams remaining.
Gonzaga
As expected, Gonzaga has continued to show their dominance this season. They picked up double-digit wins in the first two rounds as they squared off against 16th seeded Norfolk State and 8th seeded Oklahoma. There’s not much more to say about the Bulldogs. With three All Americans, a 32-0 season looks well within their grasp.
USC
The Trojans have played their best basketball at the right time as they get ready to square off against Pac-12 rival Oregon in the Sweet Sixteen. To keep their season going, the Mobley brothers will need to keep playing at a high level. USC will also need Tahj Eaddy to keep up his consistent play at the point guard position to fight off the Ducks.
Oral Roberts
Everyone loves a good Cinderella story, and Oral Roberts has something to prove. Basketball, and sports in general, rely heavily on momentum. And Oral Roberts has that momentum going in their favor. Kevin Obanor is averaging 29 points through two tournament games, and if he can continue to produce those numbers, the Golden Eagles can fly to basketball paradise.
Lack of Sanity
With only 16 teams remaining, it may seem the craziness is slowing. Perish the thought! All 16 excellent programs fight vehemently to walk away with the National Championship. In the next two weekends, the USA basketball fandom army will be watching, transfixed. And God forbid our eyes to wander from the screen for the briefest second in the world’s best men’s basketball tournament.
