Friday’s action set the stage for some convincing NCAA Tournament clashes in the second round. Although there are still 16 games from the first round to be played on Saturday, at least we have some idea of who will be dueling for the right to reach Sweet 16.
Among the most attractive meetings will be a state duel between No. 1 in Illinois and No. 8 in Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers advanced thanks to the 71-60 victory over number 8 in the Georgia Tech ranking, while Illinois defeated Drexel 78-49.
Some Cinderella teams will also have a decent chance of advancing to Sweet 16 on Sunday after unlikely victories on Friday. At the top of the list is 15th place, Oral Roberts, who marked the turning point of the day by eliminating Ohio State’s 2nd place. The Eagles advance to face seventh place in the Florida ranking on Sunday.
In all, Friday’s slate featured twists, exciting endings and some surprises. Here are some lessons from the action, including a look at a few more underdogs that did well.
North Texas Shines
North Texas cooled off at the end of the regular season, losing three consecutive games to enter the Conference USA Tournament. Once there, Mean Green started winning four consecutive wins to ensure the league’s automatic offer for the NCAA Tournament. That move continued monumentally on Friday night, when North Texas took down No. 4 seed Purdue 78-69 in overtime for the program’s first NCAA tournament win. The victory means that Green Midfielder will face number 5 in the Villanova ranking on Sunday.
This would normally be a tough match for a Conference USA team. But it is well documented that Villanova is trying to find his way without the owner Collin Gillespie. The Wildcats overcame Winthrop 73-63 on Friday, but are still adjusting to life without their leader, and North Texas will provide a test.
The scrolling of the state of Oregon continues
North Texas was not the only champion of the conference tournament to take advantage of the momentum gained last week on a solid first day at Big Dance. After passing through a trio of solid opponents in the Pac-12 Tournament, Oregon State defeated Tennessee’s No. 5 70-56 on Friday for the program’s first victory in the NCAA Tournament since 1982.
The Beavers will go from one fully orange battle to another, as they are now set to face Oklahoma State No. 4 in the second round. But if recent results are any indication, the state of Oregon must be ready for the challenge.
Rutgers making history
Rutgers missed his NCAA tournament opportunity last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the Scarlet Knights are finally back in Big Dance for the first time in 30 years this season and seem determined to stay. They secured a 60-56 victory over Clemson number 7 on Friday and advanced to face Houston’s runner-up on Sunday. The victory was the first of the program at the NCAA Tournament since 1983, and Rutgers may not have finished yet. After going through the challenge of the Big Ten game, facing the Cougars in a second round game will not intimidate this team.
2021 NCAA Tournament TV schedule
CBS Sports will be with you all the way, updating this story with the latest news from each game in the first round on Friday. Keep it locked here for scores, analysis and highlights throughout the night.