Virginia’s national title in 2019 has now been packed between the first rounds of the NCAA Tournament after the No. 4 joint Cavaliers were upset 62-58 by the 13-seeded Ohio on Saturday. The Bobcats will play Creighton, No. 5, in the second round on Monday, while Virginia will return home as the latest ACC team after a grim fate in the Big Dance.
Nr. 4 in Florida State and no. 11 in Syracuse, are the only ACC teams left for the second round after Clemson, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech all joined Virginia in the losing column during the first round.
Unlike in 2018, when Virginia became the first No. 1 seed ever to lose at No. 16, Saturday’s result was not entirely unpredictable. Ohio has won nine of its last ten games, including three straight during the MAC tournament last week. With an NBA prospect in Jason Preston taking the lead, the Bobcats hit 50% of their shots off the floor and all 10 of their free throw attempts in the second half.
Virginia was also working on COVID-19 issues that the team could not bring to Indiana until Friday. But the result was still a disturbance that the Cavaliers would have a hard time dealing with. In a season full of challenges due to the pandemic, the NCAA Tournament was supposed to be a reward. For the Cavaliers, however, it only brought frustration.
Here are some other takeaways from Saturday’s action:
Maryland repeats the Big Ten
Figuring out what to make of Maryland has been a challenge this season. While the Terrapins boasted some solid wins from the Big Ten season, it was also inconsistent. Maryland dropped three of four in Saturday’s game against UConn, number 7. The Huskies, on the other hand, have been playing well for the past five weeks. But it’s March, and the results are not always meaningful.
Maryland not only beat UConn on Saturday, but the Terrapins did it pretty convincingly with a final score of 63-54. UConn made it interesting late on, but Maryland looked like the better team for much of the game. The Terrapins tackle second-seeded Alabama on Monday in a game that could get interesting.
With No. 1 seed Michigan and second seed Iowa also doing business on Saturday, it was a good day for the Big Ten after the league struggled slightly on Friday.
Gonzaga looks good
The Bulldogs have no problems with the no. Had 16 selected Norfolk States as they won 98-55 and advanced through Monday to play the No. 9 seeded Missouri. Gonzaga are now 27-0 and just five wins away from an unbeaten season.
A moment of truth comes, however. Can the Zags after a few months play mostly inferior competition other than BYU, the elite play that transported them to non-conference victories over Iowa, West Virginia, Kansas and Virginia? Oklahoma may not be a national title candidate, but the Sooners will be one of the toughest challenges the team has faced in a long time.
Big man fight is coming
Kansas center David McCormack scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, showing how much better the Jayhawks are when he gets involved. KU needed every bit of McCormack’s production to ward off East Washington for a 93-84 victory. If McCormack plays well, he looks like one of the best big men in the country.
Now he will show that he really is one of the best. A meeting with USC and the likely lottery Evan Mobley on Monday will be a clash of the titans in the post. Mobley led the Trojans with 17 points and 11 rebounds in a win over No. 11 seed Drake. Seeing him clash with McCormack will be interesting, and the fight could be the winner of the match.
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