The field of 68 that started the NCAA Tournament earlier this week is now down to 32. Over the span of the next two days, that field will shrink to 16. There is a lot at play over the weekend. Eight games are on tap on Saturday, including a matchup of two icons in the sport. On Sunday there is a matchup of former Pac-12 foes representing the Big Ten and Big 12 respectfully. The Oregon
Ducks will face the
Arizona Wildcats with a Sweet 16 berth on the line. Before the games tip off, we break down our five takeaways from round one.
The lack of big upsets in the Round of 64
We love March Madness for the upsets that destroy brackets, but the first round left a lot to be desired. None of the top four seeds in each region moved on to the next round. We did see a pair of No. 12 seeds pull off wins against teams that were expected to move on. We are looking at you, Memphis, and Clemson. Zero 13, 14, 15 or 16 seeds in the Round of 32 for the first time since 2017 and just the sixth time since the tournament expanded in 1985.
The Big 12 is (mostly) still intact
The Big 12 came into the tournament with seven teams representing the conference. As the Round of 32 gets underway on Saturday, six of those teams are still in play. The only team from the conference to get bounced was the Kansas Jayhawks. Houston, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Baylor, BYU, and Arizona all moved on with wins. BYU might have the toughest matchup as they face a good Wisconsin team in the Round of 32.
ACC is all but eliminated from the tournament
All that was left for the ACC after the 32 games spanning the first two days of March Madness were the
Duke Blue Devils . They quickly dispatched Mount Saint Mary's in their matchup. The Louisville Cardinals fell to Creighton, the North Carolina Tar Heels couldn't complete the comeback against
Ole Miss , and the
Clemson Tigers were upset by No. 12 McNeese. A conference once viewed among the basketball powers in Division I went out with a whimper. The only opportunity for any conference pride falls on the shoulders of Duke, who might win it all.
The No. 1 seeds are still on pace to make it to the Final Four
The top seeds in all four regions absolutely dominated their opposition in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The closest game featured Auburn vs Alabama State, the Tigers won by 20. The Houston Cougars won by 38, the Duke Blue Devils won by 44, and the
Florida Gators won by 26. Can Gonzaga, Baylor, UConn, or Creighton put up a better fight as we narrow the field to 16 after the weekend?
We're getting a blast from the past in Arkansas vs St. John's
The Arkansas Razorbacks and St. John's Red Storm may not have any notable history, but we are traveling back in time with a matchup of Rick Pitino facing John Calipari. Two coaches who once coached the Kentucky Wildcats to a national championship. This is the fifth meeting in their history which dates back to 1992 when Pitino was at Kentucky and Calipari was at UMass. Each coach has won two matchups and this will be the earliest they have met. Calipari beat Pitino back in 2014 when Kentucky advanced to the Elite Eight with a victory over in-state rival Louisville. This meeting has the feel of two mob bosses getting ready to start a turf war.
