Basketball fans couldn’t ask for much more in the 2nd round of the tournament which saw six overtime games but it’s a quick turnaround with the third round starting Saturday and it is sure to be full of surprises.
In what may end up being the biggest upset in the tournament, and the biggest bracket buster, number 14 ranked Mercer knocked off number 13 ranked Jabari Parker and the Blue Devils. Mercer will go on and face eleventh seeded Tennessee, who beat UMass handily, 86-67.
Also hoping to put on their glass slipper is eleven seeded Dayton, who are coming off a thrilling last second win against Ohio State. They will go up against Syracuse who is trying to get back on track. Another potential Cinderella, North Dakota State needed overtime to move past fifth seeded Oklahoma. Their next opponent, No. 4 SDSU, also needed five extra minutes against New Mexico State.
In a jaw-dropping ending, Stephen F. Austin, a school no one thought had a chance to beat VCU, rallied to beat them and will go on and play either No. 4 UCLA or No. 13 Tulsa.
Perhaps the most disappointing team, No. 9 Oklahoma State, lost to No. 8 Gonzaga who will have their hands full with top ranked Arizona.
Backed by Adreian Payne, who scored a career high 41 points in the Spartans 93-78 win over Delaware, No. 4 Michigan State will take on No. 12 Harvard. No. 7 Texas slipped by Arizona State in the closing seconds and earned a matchup against No. 2 Michigan who are led by sophomore Nik Stauskas. No. 4 Louisville, who survived a scare against Manhattan will now have to face No. Saint Louis who survived in overtime against NC State.
No. 2 Kansas sputtered out of the gate but came through down the stretch behind a career high 17 points from Jamari Traylor, moving on to face No. 10 Stanford. Another No. 2, Wisconsin really put it on American and No. 7 Oregon coasted by BYU as the two teams will move on to face each other. Doug McDermott and Creighton will face sixth seeded Baylor.
