By: Ella Fowler, Kelsey Bruzek, Tyler Elzholz, and Jaiden Basinger
March 24, 2021
The first two rounds of March Madness certainly lived up to the hype. This past weekend was full of intense basketball, dramatic finishes, and major upsets.
After USC and Kansas finished off their game this past Monday, the teams were then set for the upcoming Sweet 16.
The list of teams still playing includes Gonzaga, Michigan, Loyola of Chicago, Syracuse, Florida State, Creighton, USC, Oregon, UCLA, Alabama, Baylor, Villanova, Arkansas, Oral Roberts, Houston, and Oregon State.
According to ESPN, the top four teams to cut down the nets are Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan, and Alabama.
So, how did some of the teams reach the Sweet 16?
Gonzaga (the overall #1 seed) holds the first spot due to dominating the first and second rounds of the tournament. The Bulldogs crushed Norfolk State 98-55 and went on to beat Oklahoma 87-71.
Baylor destroyed Hartford in a 79-55 win in the first round. In the second round, they beat #9 seed Wisconsin 76-63.
This past weekend, Michigan defeated the #16 seed Texas Southern by a score of 82-66. Also, the Wolverines beat #8 seed LSU 86-78 in the second round resulting in them advancing to the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight tournament.
Alabama came in hot with a 68-55 win over the #15 seed, Iona. The Crimson Tide used this momentum to get to the second round, where they beat Maryland 96-77.
Loyola of Chicago (the number one sleeper) won their opener against Georgia Tech 71-60 and then came out strong to take down #1 seed Illinois in the round of 32. The Ramblers dominated the entire game, winning 71-58. Talk about a bracket buster!
Syracuse, a strong tournament team, was able to sink their shots and defend well in beating San Diego State 78-62. The Orange advanced to the second round and upset #3 seed West Virginia, 75-72.
Oral Roberts (#15 seed) shocked the college basketball world by defeating #2 seed Ohio State by a score of 75-72. The Golden Eagles advanced to the second round where they caused another huge upset to #7 seed Florida by three points, 81-78.
For the first time since 2012, the Ohio University Bobcats made an appearance in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. OU came out strong upsetting #4 seed Virginia in the first round with a score of 62-58. The Bobcats played tough in the second round, but #5 seed Creighton came out on top with a final score of 72-58. Nice run, Bobcats!
Is it possible for March Madness to get any better? We will have to wait until the tournament resumes on Saturday, March 27. The Sweet 16 schedule is listed below:
Saturday, March 27:
(8) Loyola Chicago vs. (12) Oregon State – CBS (2:40 p.m.)
(1) Baylor vs. (5) Villanova – CBS (5:15 p.m.)
(3) Arkansas vs. (15) Oral Roberts – TBS (7:25 p.m.)
(2) Houston vs. (11) Syracuse 9:55 – TBS (9:55 p.m.)
Sunday, March 28:
(1) Gonzaga vs. (5) Creighton – CBS (2:10 p.m.)
(1) Michigan vs. (4) Florida State – CBS (5:00 p.m.)
(2) Alabama vs. (11) UCLA – TBS (7:15 p.m.)
(6) USC vs. (7) Oregon – TBS (9:45 p.m.)
Let the madness continue!
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 