Men’s NCAA Tournament winners, losers: Purdue … oof. But FDU and college basketball fans win big
Fairleigh Dickinson shocked the nation with a 63-58 upset.
If there’s a winner besides every single FDU graduate and fan, it’s probably Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who is now not the only coach to lose to a No. 16 seed. Yikes. Talk about a club you don’t want to join.
FDU’s win now makes 16 seeds’ overall record 2-150. It was also FDU’s first-ever win in the regular 64-team tournament (they’ve won three times in the First Four, including this year).
Perhaps the biggest winners are fans of college hoops. That we’ve now seen two 16-seeds beat 1-seeds in the last five years is proof that parity continues to grow in college hoops, which makes the NCAA Tournament more unpredictable and ultimately, more fun.
Follow the madness: Latest Men’s NCAA Tournament College Basketball Scores and Schedules
And here’s more good news — we’re only two days into this.
Winners
Kam Jones
No big deal, Marquette’s sophomore guard just went on a solo 17-point scoring blitz in the second half. Jones, who also grabbed four rebounds and handed out two assists, exploded after the break to finish with 19 points. He’s directly responsible for Marquette getting separation in the second period, which eventually resulted in a 78-61 win for the No. 2-seeded Golden Eagles. He was also one of five Marquette players in double-figures.
Purdue is the choke artist program of the decade after another March Madness implosion
MEN’S SCHEDULE:Complete 2023 NCAA Tournament schedule, results and times
Pitt
For the 11th time in 12 years, a First Four team has advanced in the main tournament. The Panthers embarrassed Iowa State, winning 59-41 just two days after surviving Mississippi State 60-59 in Dayton, playing terrific defense and making the Cyclones look more than overmatched. So much for the ACC being soft. Pitt’s win sets up an intriguing matchup with Xavier, which is coached by former Pitt star Sean Miller.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s upset against Purdue shows March Madness is perfect the way it is