Unpredictability Prevails in This Year’s NCAA Tournament

Kaitlyn Nielsen | Sports Editor

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At the conclusion of the second round of March Madness, it is clear to fans that once again this year wasn’t as easy to predict as originally thought. There were talks about this year being more consistent on the men’s side, higher-seeded teams were heavily favored to win, and their season stats reflected that. However, when it came down to it, they were outperformed. This occurrence even fell on the women’s side, who are historically known for having very consistent outcomes regarding higher-seeded teams beating lower-seeded teams. All around, there have been upsets and Cinderella stories, like always, this year for March Madness. 

The first round kicked off on March 19th, and right away, we saw some lower-seeded teams start to make a scene. One game in particular resulted in a lot of pearl-clutching for Duke fans. Their game against the Siena Saints on paper seems like an easy win. A sixteen-seeded team up against one of the most dominant teams in the division. However, Siena was ready to fight, creating such a stir that Duke was down by eleven going into the half. It is a rare occurrence for sixteen seeded teams to overcome and take down a top-seeded team. Duke wasn’t going down without a fight though, they were able to rally following the half and were able to score thirty nine points, winning the game 71-65. This game was a bleak reminder to all how mad this March Madness tournament can be. 

Now there were common “upsets”, where nine-seeded teams were able to beat eight-seeded teams. These wins aren’t considered as monumental as others just due to the fact that they are similar in performance. We saw these outcomes in games with Clemson vs Iowa, Georgia vs Saint Louis. Games like this are unpredictable because they can go in either direction. The only real foundation it has is who plays better that day. 

A shocking turn of events was seen in Texas’s team. Now they began their March Madness journey playing in the first four, fighting for their spot as the 11th-seeded team in the West. Their game against NC State was a nail-biter, coming down to a final score of 68-66. Normally, when my team enters the bracket following a first four game, they don’t make it past the first round. Teams like Miami (Ohio), that were very loud about their successes, did not make it past their game against Tennessee. However, Texas has been fortunate and has made it past the first round and second round and is set to play in the Sweet Sixteen against Purdue. 

These “upsets” are minuscule in comparison to the history of March Madness upsets. There have been some interesting turn of events for some teams, like Florida and High Point University. 

In the first round, High Point was set to play against the fourth-seeded Wisconsin. This entire game was a fan's worst nightmare. High Point was not giving in easily, and going into the half, there were only a couple of points separating the winner from the loser. The game came down to the final four minutes. With 55.3 seconds left in the game, the high point player Chase Johnston was able to hit a 3-pointer from the corner, to bring the score from 78-82 to 81-82. This field goal gave High Point the comeback they needed; they didn’t allow Wisconsin the opportunity to score again. 

Even more upsetting was the loss experienced by Florida in the second round against Iowa. Following their win at the NCAA tournament last year, Florida was heavily favored entering this year's bracket, and they showed up in the first round. Against Prairie View A&M, Florida put on a show, almost hurtful for the opposing team. Winning the game with a final score of 114 to 55. So, going into the second round against Iowa, the odds were in their favor. Iowa was an unforeseen competitor. Even after beating Clemson in a 67 - 61 game, many still underestimated their ability to contend with one of the top-ranked teams. This game is similar to many that have occurred before; it was a cutthroat game. The score was close, and going into the half, Iowa was up by three. It seemed promising for the team; however, they sold their lead within the second half, as Florida started to fight for their spot in the sweet sixteen. It was Isiah Brown who made the fine two-point score that sealed the game with 8.9 seconds left on the clock. The loss for Florida was heartbreaking for fans, as many brackets had the team going to the sweet sixteen; that is the spirit of the tournament.

Over on the women’s side, there has been less disappointment for fans. Many of the teams have played as they were predicted to. Teams like UConn dominate their respective games as anticipated by fans. Beating out teams such as UTSA and Syracuse by over 50 points. The women at UConn have been putting on a great show for everyone, going on a 50-game winning streak this season. Overall, they are the team to win for this year's tournaments. 

Similar to the men, there were some eight-seed and nine-seed rivalries occurring. Clemson and USC are going head-to-head, ultimately leading to USC coming out on top. But a shocking turn of events was for the Virginia Women’s team. Seeded tenth, the projection for them to win their first game against Georgia wasn’t high, even less so to counter their first-round win with a second-round win against two-seeded Iowa. This game was interesting to watch, as it went into two rounds of overtime. With 2 minutes and 11 seconds left on the clock, Virginia was down by three until Kymora Johnson was able to make a three-pointer to tie the game. Both teams were playing the entire time aggressively; it was Virginia that was just leading in points. In the last couple of minutes of the second round of overtime, Virginia was able to take their briefly tied game and extend the lead by eight points, sealing their spot in the sweet sixteen.

 An upset for one is an achievement for another, and March Madness is the blueprint for it. Disappointment and excitement fill each game and define the tournament. Fans tune in for the heat rivalries between teams, the unexpected outcomes, and for the love of the sport. I am sure there is more to come, just like every year, there will be more unforeseen outcomes, but what is March without a little Madness :)