Pac-12 has been defamed as a basketball league in recent years, and the conference was deprived of the opportunity to show its improvements on a national stage in 2020, when the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But Monday produced a very impressive reality: there will be four Pac-12 teams on Sweet 16 and only one team on Big Ten.
This was solidified during the completion of the second round action, when Oregon’s No. 7 defeated Iowa’s runner-up. Then UCLA number 11 defeated Abilene Christian to become the third Pac-12 team bound for this weekend’s regional semifinals. The USC increased the total to four by defeating Kansas 85-51 in the final game of the second round.
The Big Ten hit nine teams on the 68 field and the Pac-12 hit just five. Four of the nine teams in the Big Ten tournament were number 1 or number 2, while the highest seed in the Pac-12 was Colorado, which landed as the 5th seed. Ironically, the Buffaloes were the only Pac-12 team to lose in the second round, as they lost 71-53 in Florida’s decision on Monday.
Another surprising element to the Pac-12’s collective staying power in Big Dance is that Arizona, one of the league’s most prominent basketball schools, underwent a self-imposed post-season ban this season that left it ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. . But even without the Wildcats, the Pac-12 proved to be stronger than expected.
Pac-12, with its 9-1 NCAA Tournament record, is a big winner so far in this NCAA tournament, and the Big Ten is an obvious loser. Here are some of Tuesday’s other action winners and losers.
Winner: Michigan saves something
Michigan’s No. 1 kept the day from a total loss for the Big Ten when dealing with business in a 86-78 victory against a brave LSU team. The victory ensured that the championship had a team at Sweet 16. If there is one that really deserves it from the Big Ten, it is probably the Wolverines squad. In just his second season directing the program, coach Juwan Howard assembled a deep and versatile team that totally exceeded the preseason’s expectations. The loss of senior leader Isaiah Livers may have drained this team. Instead, it is proving to be a resilient group that plays with confidence and discipline. A clash with number 4 in the state of Florida is next for this group.
Winner: Leonard Hamilton’s legendary status
Speaking of those Seminoles, how about what Leonard Hamilton has done in the past four seasons. This team is going for its third consecutive Sweet 16, and last year’s team had more than enough talent to do the same before the NCAA tournament was canceled. It is never glamorous and there is rarely a must-see superstar on your list, but Hamilton has a way of getting the most out of his list. Monday’s defensive performance in the 71-53 victory against a Colorado team that destroyed Georgetown on Saturday was masterful.
Loser: those who doubt Alabama
Are there still people out there condemning Alabama’s heavyweight 3-point style as a clumsy operation that won’t stay in a simple elimination tournament? Surviving mostly off his defense on the way to the SEC Tournament title and a first round victory over Iona on Saturday, the number 2 seed Crimson Tide proved that there is more to his mojo than just an external shot. And seed number 10, Maryland, has learned the hard way how lethal Alabama can be when, in fact, it’s hitting the outside. Crimson Tide hit 16 of 33 rock bottom attempts against the Terrapins in a dominant 96-77 victory. The next game for Crimson Tide is a game with No. 11 seed UCLA. The Bruins have been fighting to defend the 3-point line throughout the season.
Winner: Isaiah Mobley goes up
Don’t forget that USC star fledgling Evan Mobley is the younger brother of another great, capable man who also plays for the Trojans. Older brother Isaac reminded Kansas of this on Monday, when the USC ended the runoff action with an 85-51 over Kansas. Young Mobley scored 14 of his 17 points in the first half, with the Trojans opening a 40-21 lead over the Jayhawks. The next for USC is a Sweet 16 showdown with opponent from the Oregon conference, which the Trojans defeated 72-58 on 22 February. Winner: Oregon doing it again
Winner: Oregon doing it again
The Ducks have been to seven NCAA tournaments under coach Dana Altman and have now won at least one game at a time. After the impressive 95-80 victory against Iowa on Monday, the Ducks are heading for their fifth Sweet 16 under Altman. This is a heavy transfer group that is solidifying offensively, and Monday’s offensive explosion was a real revelation about what the roof might be for this team. Some will want an asterisk next to everything that Oregon performs at the NCAA Tournament, as it moved forward in the first round due to problems with the VCU’s COVID-19. But there was nothing illegitimate about the way it destroyed Iowa on Monday.
Winner: history showing for underdogs
This year’s Sweet 16 seed totaled 94, the largest in the history of the NCAA Tournament. The previous total seed record was 89 set in 1986. On Monday No. 11 UCLA seeds added No. 15 Oral Roberts seeds, No. 12 Oregon State seeds, No. 11 UCLA seeds and No. 11 Syracuse seeds on Sweet 16 , which starts Saturday.
Loser: Iowa NCAA tournament fights continue
This was supposed to be Iowa’s year, but instead ended with another dose of disappointment from the NCAA Tournament for a program that was – at the very least – planning to make its first Sweet 16 since 1999. The Hawkeyes spent 10 weeks this season. the top five of the AP’s Top 25, and the pain of an early exit will only be magnified by the fact that it looks like an era is coming to an end. Pivot Luka Garza was as phenomenal as expected this season, but the program’s all-time top scorer leaves without a conference title or any significant postseason success on a legendary school curriculum.
Winner: Gonzaga’s perfect season lives on
Despite having an eight point disadvantage in the first minutes against a fervent Oklahoma team, No. 1 seed Gonzaga on Monday hit the turbo as only Gonzaga can, advancing to Sweet 16 with a 87-87 victory -71. Behind Drew Timme’s 30 highest points in his career, the Bulldogs (28-0) managed to turn their eight-point hole into a half-point advantage and never resigned from there. It is a strong victory for the program, giving Gonzaga his sixth consecutive participation in Sweet 16. But also for this historically large team, which has now won 27 of its 28 games by a double-digit margin.
Winner: UCLA destroys Abilene Christian
Umm, Texas? Care to explain yourself? Abilene Christian was one of the best stories of the first round with her Texas size change of Longhorns number 3, and Monday brought a reminder of how unlikely that result was. Seed No. 11 UCLA roared past Wildcats 67-47 and entered Sweet 16 without any noticeable problem. The Bruins ‘relatively easy win made Texas’ poor performance even more confusing. How did the 12 Big 12 champions, led by a trio of veteran guards, produce such a dismal performance against Abilene Christian?
Winner: Creighton looks good
Few teams have the ability to switch between excellent and mediocre like Creighton. But a quality version of No. 5 Bluejays seed appeared on Monday in a 72-58 victory over Ohio’s No. 13 seed. For a team that dealt with a major distraction last month over controversy over coach Greg McDermott admitting to using a racially insensitive analogy, making Sweet 16 is an impressive feat. In fact, it is the first time that Creighton has gone so far with McDermott, who is in his 11th season with the show. Next is the brutal challenge of playing Gonzaga, the No. 1 seed overall, on Sweet 16. But depending on which version of this team appears, she can give the Zags a try.
Ohio striker Ben Vander Plas was probably not compared to former Duke star Zion Williamson very often in his career, but there was an impressive similarity between the two on Monday. Vander Plas played most of the second half of the Bobcats’ defeat to Creighton with incompatible shoes after his right shoe exploded at Williamson as fashion. There was nothing particularly unorthodox about the way Vander Plas fell on the right foot, but the shoe gave way and the junior redshirt was forced to leave the game and look for new shoes.