March Madness: The finest and worst of every little thing from Sweet 16 Friday

It wasn’t fairly the night to keep in mind that Thursday was, however Friday night time was nonetheless a historic one for faculty basketball.

Let’s recap the perfect and worst from the ultimate day of the event with a number of video games occurring on the identical time (pour one out).

(5) San Diego State 71, (1) Alabama 64 (South)

Look, Thursday night time gave us two absolute classics, and typically that’s all you may as for out of a Sweet 16 spherical.

The finest that we bought from Friday’s quartet was a contest the place the groups mixed to shoot 35% from the ground and 9-for-54 (16.7 %) from three. Neither crew bought nice efforts from their stars, as San Diego State’s Matt Bradley shot simply 2-of-9 from the sphere and Alabama All-American Brandon Miller went a woeful 3-for-19.

Despite its capturing struggles, Alabama — the event’s No. 1 total seed — gave the impression to be solidly answerable for issues with a 48-39 lead halfway via the second half. It was then that San Diego State ripped off a 12-0 run that modified every little thing. They then managed the movement of the sport, bought sufficient offense from Darrion Trammell, and suffocated the Crimson Tide of the defensive finish, ending with eight blocked pictures and 14 pressured turnovers.

Trammell, whose faculty basketball profession started at City College of San Francisco and noticed him spend two seasons at Seattle U earlier than transferring in to San Diego State, completed with a game-high 21 factors. He stated after the ultimate buzzer that he wasn’t shocked to see the Aztecs shut down the pre-tournament favourite.

“We feel like we can beat any team in the country,” Trammell stated. “We work hard, and we feel like we have the DNA of a winning team that goes far in March. We have experience. We have grit. This is what we’re supposed to do.”

SDSU, which had made prior Sweet 16 appearances in 2011 and 2014, is now headed to the Elite Eight for the primary time in program historical past.

Miami

Unlike the primary class, we had some decisions right here. Three groups gained by double figures Friday night time, however I believe it’s a must to go along with Miami, which bounced prime seed Houston within the Midwest and did so in decisive style.

The Hurricanes shot 51.7 % from the sphere, knocked down 11-of-25 from past the arc, noticed all 5 of their starters rating in double figures, and by no means trailed within the second half of a runaway 89-75 win over the Cougars.

Nijel Pack was outrageous from three, flattening seven of them — a handful from a number of ft behind the road — on his method to a game-high 26 factors.

The efficiency earned him a smooch from his head coach after the sport.

“The Pack kid, some of the shots he made were shots you hope he takes,” Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson stated. “The problem was he made them. Some of those were Howitzers.”

Miami, which misplaced to Kansas final season in its first ever Elite Eight look, will now play in a regional remaining for the second time in as many seasons.

It was an enormous for The U in each tournaments, because the ninth-seeded girls upset Villanova earlier within the day to make it to the ladies’s Elite Eight. Miami and UConn are the one groups which have each their males’s and ladies’s groups nonetheless standing.

Alabama

We had two No. 1 seeds go down, however I really feel like we now have to go along with the No. 1 total seed right here.

An Alabama crew that entered the night averaging 82.3 factors per recreation merely by no means discovered its offensive footing in Louisville Friday night time. The Tide had only one starter, huge man Charles Bediako, who shot higher than 40 % from the ground and had two of its stars — Brandon Miller and Jahvon Quinerly — play about as poorly as they’ve all 12 months.

I like the post-block thumbs down

With the loss, it’s now been a full decade because the NCAA event’s No. 1 total seed has lower down the nets. The choice committee started designating a No. 1 total seed in 2004. Since then, that crew has gone on to win the nationwide championship simply 3 times — Florida in 2007, Kentucky in 2012, and Louisville in 2013.

With the loss, Alabama additionally fell to 1-9 all-time in Sweet 16 video games, the worst regional semifinal report of any program in event historical past.

People will debate whether or not it was the off-the-court stuff or the crew’s youth or one thing else that led to the crew’s out-of-character efficiency, however on the finish of the day it doesn’t matter. When you play like Alabama did Friday night time, you’re nearly at all times going residence consequently.

1. Chaos

What else may it’s?

For the primary time within the historical past of the NCAA event, we’re about to expertise an Elite Eight that gained’t characteristic a single No. 1 seed. We’re additionally assured simply the fourth Final Four in event historical past with no No. 1 seed (becoming a member of 1980, 2006 and 2011).

If that weren’t sufficient we now additionally know that one crew out of the quartet of San Diego State, Creighton, Kansas State and Florida Atlantic goes to play for the nationwide championship per week from Monday.

Speaking of that half of the bracket, head coaches Jerome Tang (Ok-State), Dusty May (FAU) and Brian Dutcher (San Diego State) all had a grand complete of zero NCAA event wins on their resume two weeks in the past (May and Tang had by no means coached within the Big Dance), and now they’re all one win away from the Final Four.

We’ve additionally now bought an Elite Eight that options zero coaches who’ve ever gained a nationwide title earlier than.

I do know individuals love star-studded Final Fours and seeing the perfect groups within the sport go at it on the game’s largest stage, however this feels becoming. The most wide-open faculty hoops season in latest reminiscence deserved a bizarro event and probably a bizarro nationwide champion, and each of these issues is likely to be occurring. The former definitely is.

2. Jim Larranaga’s locker room dancing

It had been too lengthy.

Miami was 4-6 all-time within the NCAA event earlier than Larranaga’s arrival in Coral Gables. They’re 10-5 since with two regional remaining appearances and 4 of this system’s 5 all-time Sweet 16 appearances.

Also, this crew seems to be having a minimum of as a lot enjoyable of any nonetheless standing. I assume NIL may not be a locker room killer in spite of everything.

3. Miami’s resilience

When it involves the FBI’s now notorious “probe into college basketball,” the principle matter of debate during the last six (75?) years has been how badly the colleges concerned need to be punished.

Much, a lot much less mentioned has been this system that has already paid a steep worth due to the probe, and simply how unfair that fee has been.

When the FBI’s unique grievance took the sports activities world by storm in September of 2017, Miami and Jim Larranaga — AKA “University 7” and “Coach 3” — had been throughout it. The grievance alleged that Larranaga and Miami had actively labored with Adidas officers to funnel $150,000 to recruit Nassir Little. After the fallout from the FBI scandal, Little would in the end signal with North Carolina.

As it seems, the journey basketball coach named within the unique indictment — Brad Augustine — was merely taking the cash he was being given by Adidas and pocketing it for himself. Any discuss of him working with Larranaga or some other coaches to try to get Little paid was all made up.

Larranaga — who instantly and persistently denied any kind of wrongdoing — was faraway from the superseding indictment the FBI launched in April of 2018. Miami as a program was additionally cleared of any wrongdoing.

Basically, the FBI gave The U an “our bad” and moved proper alongside.

The “our bad” was little comfort to a Miami program that noticed its optimistic momentum fully stalled by the detrimental headlines.

Recruiting bottomed out, and a program that had gone to the Sweet 16 in 2016 as a part of a run of three straight NCAA event appearances was all of the sudden 14-18 and close to the underside of the ACC standings on the finish of the 2018-19 season. It bought worse earlier than it bought higher, because the Hurricanes completed with shedding data in each 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Miami was picked to complete twelfth within the ACC media ballot earlier than the beginning of the 2021-22 season, and there was greater than a bit of buzz that the marketing campaign is likely to be Larranaga’s final in Coral Gables if his crew wasn’t capable of dramatically overachieve. Five months later, the Hurricanes had been within the Elite Eight for the primary time in program historical past. In the method, Larranaga additionally grew to become the primary coach within the historical past of the NCAA event to guide two completely different double-digit seeds (George Mason in 2006) to the Elite Eight.

A 12 months later, Miami — which gained a share of the ACC’s common season title and was the highest seed for the league event in Greensboro — seems to have its finest shot ever at breaking via and making a Final Four.

An apology from the FBI ought to be coming any day now.

BONUS CHEER: Timmy Allen’s halfcourt shot

We hadn’t had an excellent one in all these within the event but.

See you on “One Shining Moment,” Timmy.

1. Brandon Miller

He’s nonetheless nearly definitely going to be a prime 5 decide within the upcoming NBA Draft, however Miller’s first and final March Madness expertise was brutal. He began by failing to attain within the crew’s first spherical win, he then shot simply 5-for-17 two days later, and was 3-for-19 and appeared misplaced in Saturday’s defeat.

Maybe it was the load of the off-the-court questions, perhaps it was his youth. Whatever it was, I’m certain Miller couldn’t be extra keen to show the web page to his skilled profession.

2. Dylan Disu’s damage

They didn’t want him of their decisive 83-71 win over Xavier, however Texas huge man Dylan Disu enjoying simply 2 minutes Friday night time due to a bone bruise in his left foot was a significant bummer.

Disu began the sport for UT per regular, however was clearly bothered by the damage and left the ground simply two minutes into the sport. When he re-emerged from the crew locker room, he did so with a boot on his left foot.

The worst a part of this was that Disu was coming off of the sport of his life, a 28 level, 10 rebound efficiency in Texas’ second spherical win over Penn State. In 5 postseason video games, the 6’9 senior had been averaging 17.8 factors on 39-of-54 capturing (72.2 %) and has added seven steals. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big 12 event two weeks in the past.

Texas didn’t want Disu to roll over the Musketeers, but it surely’s onerous to examine them successful a nationwide championship with out him being concerned. Here’s hoping the foot can heal sufficient for the large man to get again on the court docket.

3. NIL doomers

One of the principle criticisms surrounding NIL these final couple of years has been that “the rich will only get richer” and that the largest and baddest applications in faculty basketball will solely get higher and the parity which individuals love might be non-existent.

Well … no.

We watched Princeton and Creighton play within the Sweet 16 final night time, and now we’re about have the primary Elite Eight with no single No. 1 seed for the primary time ever. There are simply two groups standing from the “Power 5” conferences with probably the most cash, and solely one in all them goes to make the Final Four.

We haven’t had gamers entering into all-out brawls as a result of one is being paid lower than one other, and we definitely haven’t had the bluebloods put distance between themselves and the remainder of the game.

Per regular, faculty basketball isn’t simply “fine” or “surviving,” it’s thriving.

Nijel Pack, Miami

The Kansas State switch was unstoppable on Friday, drilling 7-of-10 threes and scoring a game-high 26 factors.

Tosan Evbuomwan, Princeton

It what may need been his remaining recreation with the Tigers, Evbuomwan stored Princeton inside shouting distance of Creighton by scoring 24 factors, handing out 9 assists, and grabbing six rebounds.

Darrion Trammell, San Diego State

Trammell was the principle supply of offense in a recreation that featured little or no, flattening 9-of-16 pictures, together with 3-of-5 from three, on his method to a game-high 21 factors.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton

Princeton merely had no reply for the 7’1 junior, who scored 22 factors on 9-of-12 capturing.

Adam Kunkel, Xavier

Kunkel stored issues respectable for Xavier in opposition to Texas, hitting 8-of-10 from the sphere and 5-of-6 from three on his method to 21 factors.

Charles Bediako, Alabama

Not an awesome night time for dunks.

1. The sweetness

Photo by Joe Robbins/NCAA Photos by way of Getty Images

2. Hook ‘em

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

3. The struggle to be elite

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

1. “It’s just parity. That’s what it is. There’s not a lot of difference between the best team in the country and the worst team in the country. You’re seeing that on this stage.” —San Diego State head coach Brian Dutcher

2. “We were all hyped up. We love when Coach L dances. That’s probably the best celebration we could look forward to.” —Miami ahead Jordan Miller

3. “At the end of the day, there’s just eight teams left, and to be one of those eight teams is just crazy. It’s what you work for all year. It’s what you work for since you get here on campus in the summer, and this is all the hard work paying off now.” —Creighton middle Ryan Kalkbrenner

Let’s make some reminiscences.