The first weekend of The Dance gave us two years worth of madness. Filled to the brim with huge performances, late-night clutch moments, huge upsets and heartbreakers. Let’s reflect on the story’s that captured the first weekend of the best tournament in years.
1. Oral Roberts Breaks Through to Sweet 16
The Golden Eagles undoubtedly play the role of Cinderella in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Paul Mills’ group is only the second #15 seed to reach the second weekend after FGCU’s magical run in 2013. Two dramatic wins over Ohio State and Florida captured the nation’s attention.
At the center of the roster are two superstars: the nations leading scorer Max Abmas and forward Kevin Obanor. The two put the team on their back over the course of the 85 minutes of gameplay. Abmas has the feel of the classic mid-major guard making a national name of himself and carrying his team through March. The explosive quickness and unlimited range make him a joy to watch.
His partner in crime Obanor has been just as good this weekend. He put up 28 and 30 point double-doubles and his 3-point barrage brought them back against Florida. Consider this dynamic-duo must watch television against Arkansas this Saturday. Could we see a #15 reach the Elite Eight for the first time ever?
2. The B1G and Big 12 Struggle
The Big 10 and Big 12 were undoubtedly the two best conferences in the country this season. The Big 10 had four of the top eight seeds while the Big 12 saw 70% of its teams get in the field. With this, it is hard to believe that only one team from each conference represents their conference in the Sweet Sixteen
The B1G suffered from awful match ups throughout the bracket and some horrible play. Devastating draws and poor performances plagued Illinois and Iowa in the Round of 32. Ohio State and Purdue suffered almost unthinkable upsets against mid-major competition. The rest of the conference showed a lack of the depth we thought it had the whole season. They failed to beat top-tier teams, the most sad of which was Rutgers to Houston. The Scarlet Knights were in control the whole second half against the Cougars only to have the game slip away in the final minute.
Arguably as disappointing was the Big 12. All seven of their tournament teams were in the Top 25 for a significant part of the season. Of the seven, only Baylor remains. The other six suffered from humiliating upsets and crushing defeats from better teams. Texas and Oklahoma State were the most disappointing. The Longhorns suffered another first round exit under Shaka Smart at the hands of #14 Seed Abilene Christian. Oklahoma State’s tops the list as most demoralizing considering the Midwest Regions #1 Illinois lost earlier in the day. This gave Cade Cunningham and Co. an excellent chance of reaching the Final Four until their crumble against Oregon State.
3. The Conference of Champions!
How about the PAC 12?! The often ballyhooed conference made a huge statement in the opening rounds of the tournament. Bill Walton’s favorite league sent four out of five teams to the Sweet 16 in convincing fashion.
Oregon and USC have the most impressive wins of the group. They decimated Iowa and Kansas respectively Monday in games that were impressive start to finish. The Mobley Brothers for USC are starting to gain the national attention they have deserved all season. The Ducks on the other hand are playing their best basketball. Chris Duarte and Co. looked like a well-oiled machine against Iowa in a game they controlled the whole second half. The two will battle Sunday night for the right to play in the Elite Eight.
On the other hand, UCLA and Oregon State have been unlikely advances out in their region. UCLA barely escaped the play-in game before decimating BYU and getting a fortunate draw against aforementioned Abilene Christian. The Beavers have taken part in two unlikely upsets. The Conference Tournament Champions convincingly beat Tennessee and Oklahoma State despite being significant underdogs in each game.
4. Syracuse and Buddy Buckets
Once again, Jim Boeheim’s group has made us feel like fools. For the third time in the last six tournaments, Syracuse has parlayed a double digit seed into a Sweet 16 appearance. The Orange have been wildly impressive in their first 80 minutes of play. A dominating win over #6 San Diego State previewed an equally as impressive effort over #3 West Virginia on Sunday.
The catalyst for the run on the court has been none other than the coach’s son, Buddy Boeheim. The Jr. wing came into the tournament red-hot with standout performances in the ACC Tournament. It has been his play in March Madness that has made him one of the darlings of the tournament. 30 points against San Diego State was impressive; six made threes against a vaunted West Virginia defense was arguably better. When his team needed it most, he countered a Mountaineers second half run with a barrage of clutch threes, willing Syracuse to the Sweet 16. Houston’s defense provides the ultimate challenge for Boeheim, but if we see similar performances, look for the Orange to dance into the Elite Eight.
5. Cameron Krutwig’s Encore
After playing a supporting role on the 2018 Final Four team, Cameron Krutwig returned to the NCAA Tournament with Loyola Chicago in 2021. College basketball’s most intriguing player finally got his chance on a national stage. He certainly did not disappoint.
In a standalone game Sunday morning, Loyola Chicago’s Cameron Krutwig almost single handedly dominated #1 Illinois. Krutwig displayed his entire repertoire against 2nd team All-American Kofi Cockburn. Brad Underwood allowed the big man to operate relentlessly from the top of the key allowing Krutwig to do what he does best. There were slick bounce passes, crafty finishing and elite defense. Highlight plays included a tip finish off a lob and a one-handed touch pass while falling out of bounds. Impressive play from a player of Krutwig’s stature.
Krutwig and the rest of Porter Moser’s group look to continue their run this weekend. The matchup with fellow underdog Oregon State. The Ramblers are incredibly just two games away from their second Final Four in three tournaments.
