11:00 - NC State 65, Connecticut 62
Too many 3s for NC State. It also didn't help UConn that Charlie Villanueva had no impact despite NC State not really game planning to stop him
Sadly, Duke's legacy as the last team to go back to back is secure for another year. Although to be fair, it's impossible to expect a team to have to replace people like Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor and expect them to be national champions again.
NC State plays the Wisconsin-Bucknell winner next.
2:15 - Villanova 76, Florida 65
Once again Billy Donovan's club disappoints the people who expect it to get to the Round of 16. I was surprised that they lasted one round longer than they did.
If you had told me at the beginning of the season that Villanova and West Virginia would be the standard bearers for the Big East going into the Sweet 16, I would have said you were crazy.
That said, Jay Wright's club has beaten some pretty good clubs over the course of this year, including an upset, or so we thought at the time, of Kansas. So it is really no surprise to see 'Nova advancing this far
Villanova now plays the North Carolina Tar Heels next
2:20 - Oklahoma State 85, Southern Illinois 65
Give the Salukis a lot of credit for putting Oklahoma State, the best overall team in the Big 12, on the ropes. What they couldn't do, though, is knock them out. The other thing the Salukis couldn't do: Stop Ivan McFarlin, who scored 31 points and is making a serious early case for the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Next up for the Cowboys: Arizona
2:30 - North Carolina 92, Iowa State 65
Iowa State's had a great season considering that the long shadow of scandal still hangs over this program. They beat a lot of teams that made this field of 64. However, expecting them to beat a UNC team that is this loaded was probably too much to ask.
2:30 - Michigan State 72, Vermont 61
This was a setup. Michigan State had floundered all year in the maligned Big 10, and Vermont had a great season that included an upset of Syracuse. Vulnerable, inconsistent major vs. good mid-major. Upset city, right?
Nope. Tom Izzo had his team ready to play. And the Spartans win. Now they get Duke
3:45 - Georgia Tech vs. Louisville
Rick Pitino's Cardinals had 4 starters in double figures, led by Freddy Garcia with 21.
Georgia Tech played it's way into the tournament, but played its way out in this game.
3:50 - Bucknell vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin is one of those teams that is tough to prepare for if you have only one day to do it, so the fact that they were able to keep it as close as they did for as long as they did is saying something. Unfortunately, a moral victory in March still means you are going home.
Mike Wikinson, Alando Tucker, and Zach Morley just proved to be too much for the Bison.
4:00 - Mississippi State vs. Duke
Don't get me started...
Tomorrow: The Wayback Machine.
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