It’s a common reaction: One of the best players on one of the nation’s best college basketball teams is lost for the season due to injury and his teammates begin pressing.
NCAA Tournament
Jacob Parker is what you might expect from a Cinderella story in the NCAA Tournament, a free spirit who happens to be the leading scorer on a team that has won 29 straight games and last lost Nov. 23.
The Review-Journal’s Adam Hill, Kelly Stewart and Matt Youmans compete against handicappers Bruce Marshall, Paul Stone and Ken Thomson in a contest covering NCAA Tournament games Thursday through today.
Ben Brust hit a 3-pointer with 1:07 left and the second-seeded Badgers overcame seventh-seeded Oregon’s transition game for a thrilling 85-77 win Saturday night to get into the Sweet 16.
Led by a career-high 26 points from Branden Dawson, the fourth-seeded Spartans (28-8) moved onto the Sweet 16 for the 12th time in the last 17 seasons. They’ll play Virginia or Memphis next Friday at Madison Square Garden.
Dyshawn Pierre scored 14 points and Jordan Sibert hit a key 3-pointer with 47.7 seconds left as Dayton stunned Syracuse 55-53 Saturday night to earn a spot in Sweet 16 for the first time in three decades.
Xavier Thames scored 30 points, and fourth-seeded San Diego State reached the round of 16 for the second time in school history, ending the run of No. 12 seed North Dakota State 63-44 on Saturday in the third round of the NCAA tournament.
Nik Stauskas and Michigan are headed back to the Sweet 16.
Luke Hancock scored 21 points and defending national champion Louisville shrugged off a cold shooting performance to beat Saint Louis 66-51 on Saturday and advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the third straight year.
Scottie Wilbekin scored 21 points and top-seeded Florida beat Pittsburgh 61-45 in the NCAA tournament Saturday, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year.
Cinderella lives all over the NCAA Tournament bracket and has now assumed a spot in this land of fish tacos and stunning coastline, all because Virginia Commonwealth lost a basketball game on Friday night the only way it possibly could.
It can be a Florida Gulf Coast shocking a Georgetown or a Lehigh or a Mercer beating Duke. It also can be Butler, VCU or George Mason the Final Four. Weird things happen on the hardwood at this time of the year. How weird? Here’s a look at 10 memorable upsets in NCAA Tournament history:
This is a truth that March bears: That no matter how celebrated a college basketball player might be, no matter the hype surrounding his game, no matter projections of an NBA lottery pick, nothing is given when the NCAA Tournament arrives.
The Review-Journal’s Adam Hill, Kelly Stewart and Matt Youmans compete against handicappers Bruce Marshall, Paul Stone and Ken Thomson in a contest covering NCAA Tournament games.
This is what UCLA is supposed to do in the NCAA tournament. Win.