Why Duke received, Gonzaga and Arizona misplaced, and who joins Thursday’s winners within the Elite Eight
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The March Insanity highway of a pair of No. 1 seeds ended Thursday night time, because the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Arizona Wildcats fell wanting the Elite Eight in two extra NCAA match bracket-shaking losses. The Zags, the match’s No. 1 total seed who have been pursuing the primary nationwide championship in class historical past, fell 74-68 to a fourth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks group that makes its second consecutive journey to the Elite Eight. The night time’s different Western energy, the Arizona Wildcats, couldn’t overcome the fifth-seeded Houston Cougars in a 72-60 loss that places the Coogs one step away from a second consecutive Closing 4 if they will get previous also-triumphant Villanova.
The lack of two No. 1 seeds may need been the headline on every other night time, however the Duke Blue Devils extending the final dance of head coach Mike Krzyzewski, bouncing the 3-seed Texas Tech Red Raiders 78-73, captured the curiosity of the faculty basketball universe and past.
ESPN’s group of Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway and Joe Lunardi weighed in on all the things they noticed Thursday night time, and stay up for what figures to be one other night time of thrilling Candy 16 motion on Friday.
Observe this hyperlink for NCAA tournament tip times, and go to right here to check your March Madness bracket.
Friday’s March Insanity schedule:
No. 15 Saint Peter’s vs. No. Three Purdue, 7:09 p.m. ET (CBS)
No. four Windfall vs. No. 1 Kansas, 7:29 p.m. ET (TBS)
No. eight North Carolina vs. No. four UCLA, 9:39 p.m. ET (CBS)
No. 11 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Miami, 9:59 ET p.m. (TBS)
Thursday’s matchup with Texas Tech didn’t seem like it favored betting underdog and traditionally West Coast-challenged Duke. What impressed you most concerning the Blue Devils, and what’s your early feeling on Saturday’s matchup with Arkansas?
Gasaway: First in opposition to Michigan State after which once more in opposition to Texas Tech, Duke closed the sport sturdy. We did not see this coming when Virginia Tech defeated the Blue Devils by 15, however now that loss within the ACC title sport seems like a very long time in the past. Jeremy Roach particularly has been excellent. The sophomore put up 30 factors on 21 photographs over the past two wins, and Roach added 5 assists in opposition to the Purple Raiders. We all the time knew Coach Ok’s rotation was proficient, however now this younger group’s growing earlier than our eyes.
Borzello: Roach has been one of many NCAA match’s breakout stars, and that is one thing I by no means thought I’d write a couple of months in the past. It is a participant who was moved to the bench on a number of events this season, and his final 9 video games earlier than the NCAA match got here as a reserve. However Duke has wanted one in every of its perimeter gamers to step up and create photographs off the dribble in the course of the match, and Roach has answered the decision.
He had 12 factors and 5 assists within the opener in opposition to Fullerton, 15 factors — together with a few big baskets late — in opposition to Michigan State and 15 factors and 5 assists in opposition to Texas Tech, as soon as once more making a few clutch photographs late to offer the sting. On Saturday, Arkansas goes to attempt to make the sport a bit extra chaotic than Texas Tech did, but when Mark Williams can keep out of foul hassle (Chet Holmgren could not in opposition to the Razorbacks), I believe Duke has the sting.
Lunardi: The Blue Devils received super guard play and a degree of depth from Paolo Banchero that elevated the whole group. For the primary time because the November wins over Kentucky and Gonzaga, Duke once more has that Closing 4 look. With the storybook ending for Coach Ok now close by, Arkansas has each Duke and future as opponents within the Elite Eight. The mixture might be an excessive amount of to beat.
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Houston’s Kyler Edwards drops in a trio of clutch 3-pointers within the second half because the Cougars pull off the upset in opposition to No. 1 Arizona to advance to the Elite Eight.
What proved to be Arizona’s deadly flaw in its loss to Houston?
Borzello: Arizona’s deadly flaw was enjoying the group ranked No. 2 within the nation in almost each predictive metric. Houston is an extremely robust group that excels on the offensive glass and on the defensive finish, notably with regards to forcing turnovers. Sadly for the Wildcats, they’ve had points with each defensive rebounding and taking good care of the ball — they usually have not confronted a group as bodily imposing at each ends of the ground like Houston.
The Wildcats have been by no means in a position to get into their free-flowing, up-tempo system. The Cougars imposed their will on Arizona, and the Wildcats could not reply by getting Houston out of its personal consolation zone. Bennedict Mathurin struggled, Azuolas Tubelis could not get it going and Kerr Kriisa did not make photographs till it was too late. In opposition to a disciplined, well-coached group like Houston, that merely was an excessive amount of to beat.
Gasaway: It is a case the place Arizona was bracketed with a No. 5 seed that is truly about as sturdy because the Wildcats. Tommy Lloyd’s two mainstays, Mathurin and Christian Koloko, began slowly in opposition to Houston’s stress. That is one thing a group as sturdy as Arizona can overcome in opposition to most opponents, however not in opposition to the Cougars. Each groups crashed the offensive glass successfully, however UH held the Wildcats to 34% taking pictures contained in the arc. Houston performed with a swagger that may be very acquainted to anybody who noticed this group attain the 2021 Closing 4. For its half, Arizona exceeded all expectations, going from unranked within the preseason to a prime seed within the match.
How did Arkansas beat Gonzaga, and is it repeatable in opposition to Duke?
Gasaway: The Razorbacks received with protection, holding Gonzaga to 68 factors in a 77-possession contest. Within the field rating it seems like an ordinary Drew Timme 25-point efficiency. Actually, Arkansas collapsed on Timme with a number of defenders all night and made him take 19 photographs to get these factors. Then, when he handed out of double- and even triple-teams, his teammates could not hit 3s. The Bulldogs have been simply 5-of-21 from past the arc. The Zags have lengthy made their identify with correct taking pictures, however two of their worst performances from the ground within the final three years occurred simply inside the previous six video games (the opposite being the loss at Saint Mary’s). Eric Musselman’s group shut down Gonzaga, the Hogs had one of the best protection within the league in SEC play they usually can completely repeat this efficiency of their subsequent outing in opposition to the Blue Devils.
Lunardi: In its final 14 NCAA match begins earlier than tonight, Gonzaga averaged 82.9 factors per sport. The one different time it scored as few as 68, the Bulldogs nonetheless received. Credit score the Arkansas defensive sport plan and much more so its execution. The Zags clearly have been by no means snug on the offensive finish and it is going to be fascinating to see the Razorbacks strive for a repeat efficiency in opposition to Duke. Regardless, Arkansas is 40 minutes from its first Closing 4 in virtually three a long time, and we should not put something previous the Muss Bus at this level.
Borzello: Arkansas went into the sport considering it wanted to maintain Gonzaga from getting straightforward baskets in transition as a way to win the sport. And whereas the Zags have been nonetheless in a position to get fast-break factors from time to time, Arkansas’ transition protection did its job. Andrew Nembhard was not often in a position to get a head of steam and get baskets in opposition to an unsettled protection (he wasn’t in a position to get baskets, interval; he was 2-for-11 on the night time). Forcing Gonzaga to create offense in opposition to a set half-court protection has been the recipe for slowing them down all season — the Zags merely haven’t got the perimeter playmakers and shot-makers they did final season. And that is what Arkansas made them do.
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Saint Peter’s coach Shaheen Holloway joins GameDay to debate his group’s run to the Candy 16.
On to Friday night time, how stunned would you be to see Saint Peter’s win one other sport?
Gasaway: Effectively, it is March and this can be a Saint Peter’s group that already eradicated Kentucky. I count on Purdue to win, however the Peacocks working wonders opposite to my expectations would hardly be a primary. Shaheen Holloway’s group is taking pictures significantly better in opposition to NCAA match groups than it did all season lengthy within the MAAC. In principle, that taking pictures may cool off in some unspecified time in the future, but it surely’s simply as possible {that a} sport with the Boilermakers may very well be a shootout the place each groups put factors on the board.
Borzello: I might be very stunned — however I used to be additionally shocked to see Saint Peter’s beat Kentucky and fairly stunned to see the Peacocks beat Murray State. So I am not counting them out! They are a super defensive group, and I believe they’re going to trigger points for Purdue at that finish of the ground — regardless of being at a extreme drawback with regards to measurement down low. The priority comes on the different finish of the ground, but it surely’s price noting that Purdue has struggled defensively for a lot of the second half of the season. If Saint Peter’s continues to make photographs prefer it did within the first two rounds, the Peacocks have a shot.
Lunardi: Much more shocked than after the victory over Kentucky. Not as a result of it wasn’t a surprising outcome, however the Wildcats at the least had the “we had no thought” excuse. That rationale would not apply to Purdue, which ought to and will probably be extraordinarily ready for regardless of the Peacocks have left within the tank.
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North Carolina blows a 25-point lead within the second half however manages to carry on for a 93-86 OT win over Baylor.
Which different Friday Candy 16 matchup intrigues you most?
Gasaway: I am wanting ahead to seeing blue bloods conflict as North Carolina takes on UCLA. The Tar Heels have been doubted just about all season lengthy as a result of they lacked high quality wins. Then they received the season finale at Duke convincingly, but it surely nonetheless looks like this group is being considerably undervalued. Brady Manek‘s a quantity scorer on either side of the arc, and the Tar Heels pressure misses within the paint whereas limiting you to at least one shot. A win in opposition to the Bruins will surely make an announcement to the doubters, but it surely’s not going to be straightforward.
Mick Cronin’s group is great on either side of the ball. I simply hope Jaime Jaquez Jr. has recovered from his sprained ankle and is ready to play in opposition to UNC. He is the center and soul of the Bruins. One secure guess on this one is that UCLA will get loads of first photographs. The Bruins take wonderful care of the ball, and the Heels do not pressure many turnovers.
Lunardi: I will be in Chicago and might’t look ahead to the opener between Kansas and Windfall. The Jayhawks have been my preseason decide to win the nationwide championship and about the one factor that may nonetheless go proper in my private bracket. And the Friars have been amongst my favourite groups to observe all season, partially due to their story and much more as a result of they all the time discovered a strategy to win. By no means has the time period, “Crushed ’em by three…” been utilized so effectively. No thought who’s going to win, simply glad I will be in the home to search out out.
Borzello: I am going to take Miami and Iowa State — one double-digit seed goes to be 40 minutes from the Closing 4 come Friday night time. The battle on the perimeter must be improbable. Miami’s guard trio of Charlie Moore, Kameron McGusty and Isaiah Wong is among the many finest within the nation, and all three are unafraid to take huge photographs in late-clock or late-game conditions. On the opposite aspect, Iowa State is an elite defensive group and imposes its model on its opponent. Usually, that results in video games within the 50s. Will Miami be snug with that? Tyrese Hunter and Izaiah Brockington are going to must make photographs for the Cyclones, which Brockington has completed all season and Hunter did within the first spherical in opposition to LSU. The sport will come all the way down to the backcourts and the turnover battle.
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