The Greatest and Worst from Day 1 of March Insanity

Three additional time video games, 4 double-digit seeds advancing, one historic upset, quite a few thrilling finishes; It might not have been one of the best opening Thursday in NCAA match historical past, nevertheless it was nonetheless spectacular.

Let’s get to all one of the best and all of the worst from the primary “true” day of March Insanity.

1. (7) Murray State 92, (10) San Francisco 87 (OT) (East)

With all due respect to the extremely aggressive, main upsets that can full this part, Murray State-San Francisco was Thursday’s finest recreation.

Whereas it might have been cool to see these two improbable mid-major squads get to take a swing at an influence convention opponent as an alternative of each other, the present they placed on within the early moments of Friday morning (no less than on the East Coast) nearly made the inequitable nature of the draw value it.

After Murray State’s Trae Hannibal missed a layup to begin additional time, these two groups mixed to make their subsequent NINE area aim makes an attempt.

That graphic solely tells a part of the story. The sequence featured some completely unbelievable shot-making on each ends of the ground. It was haymaker after haymaker after haymaker till lastly, San Francisco was the facet that blinked.

USF, taking part in in its first NCAA match since 1998, didn’t miss a area aim try in additional time till there have been simply 58 seconds to play. That was all Murray State wanted. The Racers obtained back-to-back buckets from KJ Williams and Jordan Skipper-Brown, a pair of clutch free-throws from Skipper-Brown a possession later, and that was all she wrote.

All that and we didn’t even discuss the best way regulation ended.

Only a phenomenal recreation between two phenomenal groups with two of the brightest younger stars within the faculty hoops teaching world.

2. (15) Saint Peter’s 85, (2) Kentucky 79 (OT) (East)

Thursday night time, for the tenth time within the historical past of the NCAA match, a 15-seed knocked off a 2. You don’t get to sort out sentences like that every one that usually.

With all due respect to the video games instantly above and beneath this one, the primary Thursday of the 2022 NCAA match is at all times going to be most generally known as the day Saint Peter’s beat Kentucky.

After some tense moments within the recreation’s first 37 minutes, Kentucky led Saint Peter’s, 68-62, with simply 2:58 to play. With UK’s superior measurement and the truth that the Peacocks (Peacocks!) are statistically the worst offensive workforce within the area of 68, that ought to have been all she wrote. As an alternative, the Wildcats obtained approach too free with the ball, they obtained beat on some backdoor cuts, they usually didn’t find the one Peacock (Doug Edert) they couldn’t afford to lose.

This led us to an additional time the place it nonetheless felt like, in the end, order can be restored, and the most important concern for Kentucky can be in the event that they nonetheless had the arrogance to be a real nationwide title contender. As an alternative, the Wildcats spent the additional interval trying just like the workforce that wasn’t large enough for the second. They missed free-throws, they missed layups, they usually continued to get inexplicably misplaced on protection.

When the mud settled, Saint Peter’s had pulled off one of many best upsets within the historical past of March Insanity, and Kentucky’s streak of 30 consecutive NCAA match wins over double-digit seeds had come to an unthinkable finish.

3. (12) Richmond 67, (5) Iowa 63 (Midwest)

It’s unusual to think about a 12/5 upset by way of being this huge, bracket-busting stunner, however this one definitely suits that invoice.

After rolling to the Massive Ten match championship by impressively profitable 4 video games in 4 days final week, Iowa spent its time between Choice Sunday and Thursday afternoon as one of many trendiest Closing 4 picks within the area. The assumption in Fran McCaffery’s membership was so sturdy that 85.6 % of people that stuffed out an ESPN bracket picked the Hawkeyes to beat Richmond, which is an absurdly excessive quantity for a 5/12 recreation.

There have been two main issues with this:

1) McCaffery’s Iowa groups have been notoriously dangerous in March, a lot in order that he has by no means taken the Hawkeyes to the Candy 16 in his 12 seasons on the job.

2) No workforce in faculty basketball is healthier as a double-digit seed within the Massive Dance than the Richmond Spiders.

After a back-and-forth first 34 minutes the place neither workforce was capable of lead by greater than 5 factors, Richmond created some separation due to the sturdy play of 5’9 senior guard Jacob Gilyard. His three-pointer with simply over six minutes to go put the Spiders in entrance, 54-46.

Iowa made issues fascinating within the recreation’s closing minutes — and will have made them much more fascinating had a whistle been blown on an apparent foul on a Kris Murray three-point try … however extra on that later — however in the end, Gilyard’s play and a few clutch free-throws from Tyler Burton proved an excessive amount of to beat.

The win was particularly candy (and shocking) for Richmond when you think about that only a week in the past, it appeared like there was a minimal likelihood of the Spiders even being within the area of 68, not to mention profitable a recreation. They wanted to win 4 video games in 4 days because the 6-seed within the Atlantic 10 match simply to earn their spot within the Massive Dance.

For Iowa, it was a poor time to provide their worst taking pictures efficiency of the season. The Hawkeyes had been a woeful 6-of-29 (20.7%) from three, and shot 36.4 % from the sector total. First Group All-American Keegan Murray struggled for a lot of the afternoon, however nonetheless managed to complete with 21 factors and 9 rebounds in what was nearly definitely his ultimate collegiate recreation.

1. North Carolina

No disrespect to Thursday’s double-digit seed winners, however No. 1 on this checklist is a no brainer.

Firmly on the NCAA match bubble as lately as a few weeks in the past, Eighth-seeded North Carolina rolled into the second spherical by blasting Marquette, 95-63. The 32-point margin of victory was the biggest in an 8/9 recreation in NCAA match historical past, and by a large margin. The earlier file was held by Purdue, which beat Eighth-seeded LSU, 80-56, in 2003.

Whereas the Tar Heels didn’t shoot it fairly in addition to you might need guessed based mostly on the ultimate rating, they did knock down 13 three-pointers, matching a college file for many made triples in an NCAA match recreation. The extra spectacular stat? Twenty-eight assists on their first 31 made photographs and 28 assists on 34 made photographs for the sport.

2. Saint Mary’s

Indiana taking out Saint Mary’s was a far trendier 12/5 upset choose than Richmond over Iowa, and but it was the Gaels who on Thursday appeared like they could have been seeded a line or two low.

The 82-53 beatdown that Saint Mary’s handed Indiana was the worst NCAA match loss within the historical past of Hoosier basketball. And fairly frankly, it might have been worse.

Did Indiana’s grueling latest schedule — this was the Hoosiers’ fifth recreation in seven days they usually needed to go straight from Dayton after Tuesday night time’s win all the best way to Portland for Thursday night time’s recreation — play some half on this lopsided affair? Virtually definitely, however even IU’s finest night time seemingly wouldn’t have been sufficient to advance previous Saint Mary’s on this night. The Gaels shot 51.7 % from the sector to Indiana’s 34.0 %, they pressured 13 Hoosier turnovers and out-rebounded the No. 12 seed by 11.

Saint Mary’s now finds itself a win over UCLA away from its third journey to the Candy 16 in program historical past, and its first since 2010.

3. Saint Peter’s

The large boys who took care of enterprise in a serious approach on Thursday — taking a look at you, Baylor, Tennessee and Kansas — might all definitely argue they deserve the ultimate spot on this checklist, however I feel it’s necessary that we acknowledge simply how actually outstanding Saint Peter’s efficiency in opposition to Kentucky was.

Going into Thursday night time’s contest, Saint Peter’s offense was ranked:

—260th in adjusted offensive effectivity.

—273rd in free-throw proportion.

—317th in 2-point area aim proportion.

—317th in turnover price.

Needless to say there are solely 358 groups in Division-I, so these numbers are … yeah … very, very dangerous and they need to have spelled bother for the Peacocks in opposition to nearly each workforce the sector, not to mention the match’s high No. 2 seed.

That Saint Peter’s workforce, the identical one with the offensive statistical profile outlined above, did the next:

—Hung 85 factors on a Kentucky workforce that had not given up that many to anybody else this season.

—Shot 50.9 % from the sector.

—Shot 52.9 % from three (9-of-17).

—Went 18-of-21 (85.7%) from the free-throw line.

—Turned the ball over simply two extra occasions than the Wildcats did.

—Pulled off the fourth-biggest level unfold upset within the historical past of the NCAA match.

Saint Peter’s over Kentucky isn’t going to dethrone UMBC over Virginia for the title of greatest upset in NCAA match historical past, however whenever you bear in mind the numbers talked about, in addition to issues like this …

… there’s no query that it’s one of many extra unbelievable ends in the historical past of faculty basketball.

Peacocks.

1. Kentucky

There’s actually no different alternative right here.

Thursday night time represents the worst NCAA match loss in Kentucky basketball historical past (“worst,” not most painful — that’s seemingly reserved for 2015 in opposition to Wisconsin or 1975 in opposition to UCLA or another recreation the place the stage was bigger), and maybe the worst lack of John Calipari’s teaching profession. Including to the ache is the truth that this was purported to be UK’s “revenge tour” after having one of many worse seasons in program historical past in 2020-21, one the place they failed to succeed in double-digit wins for the primary time since 1927.

As talked about earlier, the Wildcats appeared to have issues beneath management on the finish of regulation, main by six with lower than three minutes to go. Then, Shaheen Holloway switched to zone, added some full-court stress and designed some halfcourt units to get the ball into the fingers of his finest shooter, Doug Edert. Kentucky responded to all of those changes by shedding its collective thoughts.

The unraveling would have made extra sense if this had been a Calipari workforce of years previous, one loaded with youth and missing a pacesetter to grab management in a tense second on the game’s greatest stage. However this was some of the veteran-led groups Cal has had since his arrival in Lexington 13 years in the past. For a lot of the key moments on Thursday night time, UK was taking part in three grad transfers, a junior and a sophomore.

The ten 12 months anniversary of Calipari’s solely nationwide championship is only a few weeks away. Kentucky followers thought a second title (in a Closing 4 that, like in 2012, goes to be performed in New Orleans) might be coming with it. As an alternative, it’ll now be greater than a decade between titles, no less than eight years between Closing 4 appearances, and no less than 4 years between NCAA match wins for one among faculty basketball’s most storied applications.

2. Iowa

Let me say this proper from the bounce: That is extra about us than it’s about you. We knew your historical past, the blowout loss to Oregon from final 12 months was nonetheless recent in all of our minds, and we purchased in anyway. We informed ourselves earlier than the Massive Ten match that we wouldn’t do it regardless of how damned spectacular you appeared, and by God we nonetheless did it.

You ought to be embarrassed by what occurred on Thursday. All of us needs to be extra embarrassed.

3. UConn

Nobody is happier about Thursday’s Kentucky and Iowa losses than Connecticut is. The Huskies weren’t as stylish a Closing 4 choose because the Wildcats or Hawkeyes had been, which might be why so few individuals are speaking concerning the third high 5 seed to fall on the match’s opening day.

UConn’s offense was removed from pristine, however the unforgivable a part of the Huskies’ efficiency got here on the opposite finish of the ground. New Mexico State has one man on its roster with the power to beat you nearly single-handedly, one man that you simply completely can’t let get right into a zone and drop a flurry of factors in your head. UConn let that one man (Teddy Allen) dangle 37 on them.

That simply can’t occur for those who’re seeking to keep away from the 12/5 upset bug.

1. Teddy Allen

SPEAKING OF.

The New Mexico State star was completely lights out Thursday night, taking part in together with his typical toughness and aptitude, hitting large photographs on the greatest moments, and in the end scoring extra factors (37) on the match’s first day than another participant who took the court docket.

Now, we’re all privileged to obtain no less than yet one more serving to of Event Teddy.

2. The late night time shut calls

Saint Peter’s, Richmond and New Mexico State are going to seize all of the Friday morning headlines, and understandably so, all three of them obtained the job carried out and are marching on. However we’d be remiss if we didn’t no less than acknowledge the pair of 13-seeds that nearly obtained the job carried out.

Within the late, late window — which was super — each Akron and Vermont got here oh-so-close to taking down UCLA and Arkansas, respectively. Each ended up shedding by 4.

Not each recreation that includes a teen seed is usually a stunner, nevertheless it’s at all times higher when the holding of serve by the single-digit seed comes right down to the sport’s ultimate moments. Props to each the Zips and Catamounts for leaving us furiously scrambling to determine which recreation to give attention to.

3. All the pieces Saint Peter’s

Look, this isn’t overkill. When a 15-seed with a Peacock mascot advances within the NCAA match, you absorb each ounce you probably can from it.

Shaheen Holloway’s postgame interview? Superior.

Doug Edert’s pre-pubescent stache? Unbelievable.

The Peacock victory celebration again on campus? What March is all about.

This stat? Bonkers.

The “I don’t imagine what I simply noticed” second from the Peacock mascot? Jack Buck can be proud.

Enjoyable reality: Saint Peter’s is the one faculty who performs any sport on the Division-I stage whose mascot is a Peacock. For the Saint Peter’s girls’s groups, the mascot was once a Peahen, however now all groups play beneath the Peacock umbrella.

Be at liberty to make use of that on the bar this weekend. Assured success.

4. Windfall taking part in up its underdog standing as a 4-seed

Windfall and its fan base have seemingly been at warfare with everybody this season. They detest Ken Pomeroy, they hate analytics, they’ll’t stand predictive metrics, they usually wretch and the sound of anybody claiming that as a result of the Friars gained so many shut video games this season it would imply they’re not a respectable risk to crash a Closing 4 or declare a nationwide title.

For the final three days, they’ve actually not preferred the truth that South Dakota State over Windfall gave the impression to be the trendiest upset choose in America, a title sometimes reserved for a 12/5 matchup.

To their credit score, Windfall took care of enterprise on Thursday, limiting the nation’s second-highest scoring workforce to only 57 factors, and forcing the nation’s finest three-point taking pictures workforce right into a 7-for-23 (30.4%) efficiency from past the arc.

“We proved the entire world fallacious,” PC’s Al Durham stated after the sport. “I hope we proceed to be fortunate, and preserve dancing.”

Appears a bit sturdy for a 4/13 recreation the place Windfall was favored to win by 3 and gained by 9, however that is clearly working for them, so I say preserve it rolling. Richmond is up subsequent, and though the Spiders are a 12-seed that wanted to win the A-10 match simply to get into the Massive Dance, let’s go forward and say the entire world thinks you’re going to lose that one too.

You do what you’ve gotta do with a purpose to survive and advance. That’s all that issues.

5. Hero Indiana cheerleader

The loudest cheers of the night time from the Hoosier devoted got here right here.

Improbable.

BONUS CHEER: Overtimes

There have been no true buzzer-beaters on Thursday, however 4 double-digit seeds advancing and three video games going to additional time greater than made up for that absence. And if you wish to toss within the two overtimes from the First 4 recreation between Notre Dame and Rutgers that ended after midnight on the East Coast, then bam, 5 additional time day.

Not too shabby.

1. The Mountain West

We haven’t even hit the second day of the primary spherical, and all 4 Mountain West groups have already been despatched packing. Not solely that, however all 4 groups failed to succeed in the 70-point mark, with Wyoming and Boise State each failing to get to 60.

Regardless of its standing as a close to perennial multi-bid league, the Mountain West is now simply 3-15 within the NCAA match since 2015 and has despatched only one workforce to the match’s second weekend over that very same time span. Since 2016, the convention is 1-11 in first spherical video games.

The newest embarrassment made the Mountain West simply the third convention in NCAA match historical past to complete 0-4 or worse in a single March Insanity. The one different two occasions this has occurred got here from the SEC (0-5) in 1989 and the the Pac-10 (0-4) in 1985.

So, yeah, it had been some time.

2. The foul name on the finish of Windfall/South Dakota State

With lower than a minute to go and Windfall clinging to a 60-57 lead over surging South Dakota State, PC’s Jared Bynum clanked a deep three-pointer from the left wing. The miss appeared to provide the Jackrabbits the ball with 29 seconds to go and an opportunity to tie the sport or inch to inside some extent.

The issue? A foul was whistled on SDSU’s Douglas Wilson.

Was it the suitable name? You be the choose.

It definitely seems as if the one main contact right here was initiated by Bynum contorting his physique and kicking his leg out. In fact, that’s a lot simpler to see on a slow-motion replay than it’s in actual time.

There’s no assure that South Dakota State wins or forces additional time if the whistle is swallowed right here, nevertheless it definitely would have been good to have no less than seen a clear end to the sport.

3. The non-foul name on the finish of Richmond-Iowa

Generally the opening days of March Insanity will present us with some weird symmetry. Often it’s cooler than this.

In yet one more recreation the place the rating was 60-57 with lower than a minute to play, Iowa’s Kris Murray rose for a three-point try that he hoped would tie the sport and preserve alive the Hawkeyes’ hopes of escaping Richmond’s upset bid.

Murray seemed to be, very clearly, fouled on the arm by Richmond’s Matt Grace. Despite the fact that Murray’s shot was clearly not blocked, and though it got here up roughly 10 toes wanting the rim, no whistle was blown.

Possibly that is only a state of affairs the place we would have liked a ref swap. Did the fallacious guys work the fallacious video games? Was there a morning commerce that occurred with out anybody understanding about it? Was the no-call merely a misguided and complicated try and countervail the decision from the primary recreation? Who’s to say?

Maybe we will combine and match these two crews earlier than Saturday’s recreation to keep away from an analogous controversy within the second spherical. Simply to be protected.

4. Boise State’s streak of match futility

Boise State was doubled up by Memphis (38-19) within the first half, and whereas the Broncos made issues no less than considerably fascinating after the break, it by no means felt like they had been ever actually threatening to return all the best way again and earn a date with Gonzaga within the second spherical.

With Thursday’s 64-53 loss, Boise State is now 0-8 all-time within the NCAA match. That ties them with Jap Kentucky for the undesirable title of most match appearances with no single victory.

5. Todd Golden’s youth

I don’t like that Todd Golden is a really profitable Division-I head basketball coach who’s a 12 months youthful than I’m. I actually don’t like that Todd Golden is a really profitable Division-I head basketball coach who seems like he’s about 12 years youthful than I’m.

Picture by Andy Lyons/Getty Photographs

Are we 100% sure that this man isn’t truly 14 or 15? May there be some kind of Little Massive League state of affairs at play that no person outdoors this system is aware of about?

I’m simply asking questions.

BONUS JEER: Kansas-Texas Southern being the final recreation on

This can be a jeer for the sickos. Regular individuals would see Kansas blowing out Texas Southern as the ultimate recreation standing and say, “thank goodness, no less than I can go forward and fall asleep.” We aren’t these individuals.

With the late session offering pure electrical energy from fairly begin to end, we would have liked our ultimate picture of the night to be one which totally embodied the night time. Not Kansas rolling to a simple 27-point win over Johnny Jones’ Texas Southern squad.

Murray State-San Francisco going into additional time made this recreation’s solo air time far lower than it might have been in any other case, however we shouldn’t let the schedule-makers off the hook right here. You count on us to have the ability to sleep after Saint Peter’s-Kentucky, UCLA-Akron, Arkansas-Vermont, UConn-New Mexico State and Murray State-San Francisco? Not occurring. We’re watching till the bitter finish at that time, and there’s no motive for the tip to be fairly that bitter.

Teddy Allen, New Mexico State

We already gave Teddy his flowers within the Cheers part, however he’s additionally the plain option to headline the All Day-1 workforce. The Aggie star hung 37 on UConn and is the most important motive the Aggies are dancing into the weekend.

Brady Manek, North Carolina

The UNC sharpshooter buried 5-of-10 from three, made all 5 of his photographs from contained in the arc, and completed with a game-high 28 factors to go together with 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Jamaree Bouyea, San Francisco

The senior guard was out of his thoughts on the finish of regulation and in additional time, hitting large shot after large shot on his option to 36 factors. Not a nasty approach for the longtime bucket-getter to wrap up his USF profession.

Jacob Gilyard, Richmond

Not surprisingly, the engine that makes Richmond go was at or close to the middle of a lot of the constructive issues that occurred within the Spiders’ upset of Iowa. Gilyard completed with a game-high 24 factors in addition to six assists and 6 rebounds.

Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky

In what might need been his ultimate collegiate recreation, the potential Nationwide Participant of the Yr was his typical dominant self, scoring a game-high 30 factors and grabbing a game-high 16 rebounds. The double-double was Tshiebwe’s twenty eighth of the season (a Kentucky file) and his sixteenth straight. He’ll end three shy of David Robinson’s NCAA-record 31.

Not one of the best day for dunks, however not each a part of each improbable March Insanity opening Thursday goes to be good.

1. Drew Timme, Gonzaga

Timme hung 32 factors on a Georgia State workforce that saved issues fascinating for a lot longer than most had anticipated, however his first two might need been essentially the most spectacular.

2. Jordan Fulkerson, Tennessee

Tall white guys dunking impressively, but in addition simply barely awkwardly goes to be a theme right here.

3. Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga

As we stated earlier than …

4. Terrance Jones, Norfolk State

Baylor put the Spartans away fairly early, however this was a pleasant second.

5. Chandler Jacobs, Colorado State

Like I stated, fairly lame day for dunks, however this one no less than acknowledges Michigan-Colorado State, which we’ve barely carried out on this wrap.

1. Hovering Spiders

Not as scary because it sounds, until you’re an Iowa fan or somebody who purchased into the Hawkeye hype.

Picture by Joshua Bessex/Getty Photographs

2. Steve Pikiell will get memed

I’m counting it since Notre Dame-Rutgers ended after midnight on the East Coast. It’s wonderful how a lot he seems like the man.

3. Unhappy Fran

This won’t be the 12 months Fran McCaffery lastly will get Iowa over the hump and into the Candy 16 for the primary time beneath his watch.

Picture by Elsa/Getty Photographs

4. Racing into the weekend

Most entertaining recreation of the day. Unreal shot making and athleticism had been on full show for 45 minutes.

Picture by Andy Lyons/Getty Photographs

5. Zip ‘em up

It didn’t finish the best way they needed, however the Akron bench was fired up because the Zips pushed UCLA to the brink.

Picture by Ezra Shaw/Getty Photographs

1. “I do know our fanbase has not been hungry for it. They’ve been ravenous for it.” —New Mexico State head coach Chris Jans on the Aggies snapping a 12-game NCAA match shedding streak and profitable within the Massive Dance for the primary time since 1992

2. “It’s unhappy as a result of I’ve been wanting this second for a very long time. I even informed my teammates, ‘this isn’t going to be simple for us. If we’re not keen to struggle, any workforce in March Insanity — they make it that for a motive.’ I did one of the best I might. It simply occurs.” —Kentucky large man Oscar Tshiebwe

3. “This recreation might be the worst recreation we performed all 12 months, and I don’t suppose it’s shut. So it’s undoubtedly not feeling in our stomachs proper now.” —Iowa senior guard Connor McCaffery

4. “Gotta win some video games.” —Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson

5. “If I keep in mind, coach Fisher began 5 freshmen.” —Michigan head coach Juwan Howard after being requested about beginning three freshmen in Thursday’s win over Colorado State

Full Friday Schedule

Put together your thoughts, put together your physique, and put together your soul to do that entire factor over again.

Go basketball.