March Madness 2018 - Day 1

I finally have all of the brackets transferred into my spreadsheet!  And that means I can hit you up with a quick recap of Day 1 before giving you the information you really want (the standings).

First set of games:

• The Madness got underway with a very compelling game.  Trae Young was the early shoo-in for Player of the Year, but then his hot hand cooled off and Oklahoma faded badly down the stretch.  They were a controversial at-large bid, but they could silence the critics with a win over Rhode Island to lead off the tournament.  It was be a nail biter that would require overtime, but in the end, the Rams would show the door to Young and the Sooners.  
• Gonzaga and UNC Greensboro also played a tight game, but that was because of some atrocious 3-point shooting by both squads.  The two teams combined to go 8 for 45 from downtown.  However, Gonzaga's Zach Norvell Jr. hit one with 21 seconds left to give the Zags a lead they would not relinquish.
• Kansas had the equivalent of a home game against 16-seed Penn.  Easy blowout, right?  Not quite.  The Quakers had a 21-11 with 8 minutes left in the first half and you had to wonder whether we'd finally witness a 1-seed lose in the first round.  We wouldn't.  Kansas would turn that 10-point deficit into a 7-point halftime lead before winning by 16.
• In the least interesting game of the first wave, Tennessee absolutely smothered Wright State in a 26-point stomping.

Second set of games:

• No upsets or buzzer beaters in that initial set of games, but we got our first surefire "One Shining Moment" clip thanks to the ending of Miami vs Loyola-Chicago.  Miami was clinging to a 1-point advantage in the waning seconds when the ball was thrown to the Ramblers' Donte Ingram at the top of the key.  He fired a long 3-pointer that would hit nothing but the bottom of the net.  Chaos ensued and Miami would find itself the first upset victim of this year's tournament in a 64-62 loss.
• South Dakota State was a popular upset selection as they took on Ohio State.  The Jackrabbits were tied with the Buckeyes at the half, but Ohio State led most of the final 20 minutes.  South Dakota State found one last surge to tie the game with less than two minutes to go, but they bizarrely fouled a three-point shooter not once but twice after that late rally.  One of those fouls led to a four-point play, the other to three free throws and suddenly the Buckeyes had a comfortable 7-point cushion again.  No upset here as Ohio State moves on.
• Duke and Iona figured to be involved in a track meet and they did not disappoint in the first half, combining for 92 points.  Things calmed down in the second half, but by then, the outcome was no longer in doubt.  Duke would cruise to a 22-point victory.
• My beloved Wolfpack would close out the afternoon slate and they were supremely disappointing for the second straight game.  After a really promising season that exceeded all expectations, they laid an egg in the ACC tournament against Boston College.  Their effort was non-existent again vs Seton Hall.  At no point did the Wolfpack lead in the game.  Every time they closed the gap to 3-4 points, they would make a terrible play that gave momentum back to the Pirates.  The gas tank clearly hit empty in early March.  Seton Hall moves on to a second round matchup with Kansas.

Third set of games:

• The most frantic finish of the night would take place in the Houston - San Diego State game.  Both teams came into the game hot having played some of their best basketball at the end of the season.  And their battle would not disappoint.  Houston led by 3 late when the Aztecs hit a 3 to tie the game.  The Cougars went right down the court and hit a trey to re-establish their 3-point lead.  San Diego State matched them again on their next possession down the court.  With about 30 seconds remaining, Houston could run down the clock for a final shot.  They put the ball in the hands of their superstar, Rob Gray.  He knifed through 3 defenders and laid in the go-ahead layup with 1 second remaining.  The Aztecs looked finished, but a full court pass found its mark and they had an open shot at a winning 3 to win it.  The desperation shot would not fall though and Houston moved on.
• Stephen F Austin was looking for a huge upset as a 14-seed in their intrastate battle with Texas Tech.  They led at halftime and made a huge defensive stop while clinging to a 1-point lead with 3 minutes left.  But as they were bringing the ball up the court, they dribbled the ball away.  That was the momentum swing the Red Raiders needed, as they would grab the lead after that turnover and not look back in a 10-point victory.
• Davidson was another candidate for the trendy 12 vs 5 upset in their matchup against Kentucky.  They struggled in the first half, digging themselves a 10-point hole, but they showed signs of life in the second half, making it a 2-point game with three minutes left.  They couldn't quite get over the hump though, as Kentucky would keep their opponents at bay, advancing on to round 2.
• The final score said Villanova only won by 26, but I'm pretty sure they put in the second string about 8 minutes into the game.  This one got out of hand early.  Nice First Four win for Radford, but Nova was way out of their league.

Fourth set of games:

• The biggest shocker of the day came in the late set of games and it wasn't your garden variety upset.  Usually when a 13-seed takes down a 4-seed, it comes down to a buzzer beater or the underdog just hangs around all game long and pulls it out at the end.  That was not the case in the Buffalo-Arizona matchup.  At halftime, the Bulls led by 2, but their coach wasn't satisfied.  During the halftime interview, he told the world his team wasn't the underdog.  He claimed that his team was better than Arizona and that they should have been up 10.  His squad backed up his boasting in the second half.  They wouldn't just build a 10-point lead.  They would blow this thing open, taking down the Pac-12 champs by 21.
• Could Collin Sexton really be this year's Kemba Walker?  It's a storyline that's picking up steam.  The freshman guard from Alabama led the team to a strong run in the SEC tournament which helped secure an at-large bid for the Tide.  Then he made a bunch of big plays in crunch time vs Virginia Tech in a tightly contested 8-9 battle.  The kid just seems to know how to win, proving it again by leading the Tide to a gritty 3-point win over the Hokies.
• St. Bonaventure didn't get strong contributions from a couple of their stars in their First Four win over UCLA.  They would need to turn it around to upset Florida in a 6-11 matchup.  Unfortunately for the Bonnies, they couldn't pull it together.  The offense was missing for the second straight game and the Gators ran away to an easy 15-point victory.
• Grizzlies and Wolverines both seem like vicious predators, so the last matchup of the night figured to be a slobberknocker.  Montana had the best of it early on, scoring the first 10 points of the game.  It was all downhill from there.  Michigan dominated the rest of the way, holding the Grizzlies to just 37 more points in a 61-47 win.

On to the pools!  We have 35 entries in the main pool (there is a blank entry which accidentally came through) and 23 entries in the gamblers pool.  Leading the main pool after Day 1 is Scott Brown, whose strong bracket was accidentally locked out of last year's pool.  One point behind him are both Luke McLoughlin and Alex Peerenboom.  In the gamblers pool, Jim O'Connor has the early lead, with Chubbs Leduc two points behind him.  Luke McLoughlin and John Falco are another point back.

To see the entire standings (and the entire spreadsheet), click here.