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No. 10 Miami Upsets Jabari Smith, No. 2 Auburn; Will Face Iowa State in Sweet 16
Mar 21, 2022
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 20: Isaiah Wong #2 of the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes shoots past Dylan Cardwell #44 of the Auburn Tigers in the first half during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 20, 2022 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Miami Hurricanes are on their way to the Sweet 16 for the first time in six years after their 79-61win over the Auburn Tigers in the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament on Sunday.
Miami made the tournament as the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region, as head coach Jim Larranaga's team had its best regular season since 2015-16 (23-10). It had to hold off a furious second-half rally from USC in the first round to advance this weekend.
Meanwhile, Auburn looked like a potential national-title contender coming into the tournament. The Tigers earned their highest seed (No. 2) since the 1998-99 campaign after going 27-5 during the regular season. They had no problems against Jacksonville State with an 80-61 win in the first round Friday.
After a close first half, Miami outscored Auburn 46-29in the second half to cruise to an easy win.
Isaiah Wong, Jordan Miller, Charlie Moore and Kameron McGusty combined to score 68of the Hurricanes' points in the win.
Auburn's offense vanished with just 61 points, its fewest in a game since Jan. 25. The Tigers' inability to put the ball in the basket offset their 17-6offensive-rebound advantage.
The formula for Miami to succeed this season has been outscoring opponents. Larranaga's team finished the regular season ranked 35th in offensive rating (110.1).
Miami's offense didn't put its best foot forward against USC in the first round. It scored 68 points on 42.9 percent shooting (1-of-14 from three-point range).
On Sunday, even though the three-point shooting still wasn't there for Miami (3-of-15), everything else for the offense was on point.
Four of their five starters scored in double figures. Wong has been fantastic so far in the tournament, scoring 22 points against USC. The sophomore guard followed that up with 21 points against Auburn.
Wong also had arguably the best highlight of the tournament thus far when he put Jabari Smith on a poster in the first half.
McGusty had a solid bounceback game after a 5-of-18 performance against the Trojans. He had 20 points on 10-of-18 shooting vs. Auburn.
The duo of Wong and McGusty scored Miami's first eight points to start the second half when the team opened up a 41-32 lead.
In addition to their efficiency on two-point attempts, the Hurricanes were great at protecting the ball and creating additional opportunities. They had 19 assists to 4 turnovers in the win.
Consistency hasn't been there for Miami throughout the season. It went from beating Duke on Jan. 8 to losing to Florida State in its next game. It needed overtime to beat a 13-20 Boston College team in the ACC tournament quarterfinals.
If Larranaga and his staff can harness this performance going forward, though, the Hurricanes will continue to be a major factor in the tournament with their offensive upside.
Shooting Lets Tigers Down in Loss
A matchup with Miami seemed like it was designed to highlight a lot of the things that Auburn does well.
The Tigers ranked in the top 50 in offensive (108.9) and defensive efficiency (92.4), per Basketball Reference. Miami's defense was 227th in points allowed (70.9) and 281st in efficiency (104.6).
Instead, everything that could go wrong for Auburn pretty much did across the board. The team's 30.4 field-goal percentage matched its performance in a 67-62 loss against Texas A&M in the SEC tournament quarterfinals.
Miami nearly pitched a shutout on fast-break points in the game:
Walker Kessler, who was fourth on the Tigers with 11.7 points per game during the regular season, scored two points and didn't make a field goal Sunday.
Jabari Smith did have a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds, but he only made three of his 16 shot attempts. Smith and K.D. Johnson were the only Auburn starters to score in double figures.
Auburn been so awful. I know Jabari and Kessler both massive struggles, but going away from them and jackin contested 35 footers aint the way.
Jaylin Williams was the only Auburn player who can legitimately claim to have played a good game. The junior forward scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting off the bench, as he tried to provide a spark.
But nothing was working for head coach Bruce Pearl's team. He didn't have any way to stop the slide once it started, leading to a blowout loss and a frustrating end to what was one of the best seasons in program history.
Auburn's 28 wins are the third-most in school history. It reached No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time ever Jan. 24 and remained there for three weeks.
Pearl has done a fantastic job of making the Tigers into an annual title contender. He will almost certainly be able to reload for next season, but this loss will likely linger for some time because of how high the expectations were coming into the tournament.
What's Next?
Miami will play Iowa Statein the Sweet 16 on Friday.
No. 3 Texas Tech Avoids No. 11 Notre Dame's Upset Bid, Will Face Duke in Sweet 16
Mar 21, 2022
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Kevin Obanor #0 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 20, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Texas Tech is heading to the Sweet 16 in the West Regional, but it sure didn't come easy.
The Red Raiders beat Notre Dame 59-53 on Sunday in what was a scrappy, tight matchup at the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The largest lead for either side was just seven points, held by third-seeded Texas Tech, as neither team created a comfortable cushion and traded the lead back and forth in the second half. The Red Raider defense, in particular, clamped down, holding No. 11 seed Notre Dame to just 32.7 percent shooting from the field.
But Texas Tech had its own offensive issues, shooting just 4-of-15 from three (26.7 percent).
It wasn't an aesthetically pleasing win, but Texas Tech is heading to the Sweet 16 all the same.
Key Stats
Bryson Williams, Texas Tech: 14 points
Kevin Obanor, Texas Tech: 15 points, 15 rebounds, one block
Kevin McCullar, Texas Tech: 14 points
Dane Goodwin, Notre Dame: 14 points, eight rebounds
Paul Atkinson Jr., Notre Dame: Five points, four rebounds
Blake Wesley, Notre Dame: 11 points, eight boards
Obanor Came Up Big
Obanor was Texas Tech's fourth-leading scorer on the season, but with the Red Raiders struggling to establish much flow offensively, they needed someone to get them buckets.
So he did what was needed, particularly in the first half.
Kevin Obanor has last nine for Texas Tech. Only guy for either team with any sort of offensive mojo right now.
Kevin Obanor came to Tech to do more in March than score an upset. Hes playing like he’s got bigger goals today. About the only Red Raider who can hit a dang shot
Texas Tech's Kevin Obanor has a double-double. He's had a double-double in all five NCAA Tournament games he's played in going back to last year with Oral Roberts.
Add in his work on the boards, and he was huge for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders rotated in 10 players on Sunday night, but Obanor's minutes proved particularly crucial.
With Atkinson Struggling and Notre Dame Running out of Steam, Goodwin Tried to Step Up
Atkinson averaged 16 points per game this season but was barely a factor against Texas Tech, shooting just 1-of-4 from the field. Wesley, the team's second-leading scorer, struggled from the field (3-of-15) as well.
Thus, Goodwin answered the call, contributing 14 points while going a team-best 5-of-8 from the floor. Even so, almost every one of the Fighting Irish's buckets was a battle of attrition.
Notre Dame, playing its third game this week after being in the First Four, appeared to run out of gas down the stretch. But Goodwin did his part.
What's Next?
Texas Tech will face No. 2 seed Duke on Thursday. The time is yet to be determined.
No. 2 Villanova Survives No. 7 Ohio State's Upset Bid; Will Play Michigan in Sweet 16
Mar 20, 2022
Villanova's Collin Gillespie (2) works to get around Ohio State 's Jamari Wheeler (55) during the first half of a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Pittsburgh, Sunday, March 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
No. 2 Villanova will return to the Sweet 16 after surviving a 71-61 win over No. 7 Ohio State on Sunday.
Collin Gillespie had 20 points at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, avoiding a potential upset bid in the second round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Villanova was seemingly in full control of the game early, leading by 11 points at halftime and as much as 15 in the second half.
The Buckeyes still kept the game within striking distance, eventually making a move with under 12 minutes left. A 15-5 run cut the deficit to two, putting pressure on the South Region's No. 2 seed.
It was enough for Villanova to pull out a close win in a game it never trailed.
Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell combined for 40 points for Ohio State, but it wasn't enough for the upset.
Villanova sometimes has trouble reaching the second weekend, but the squad is usually dangerous from that point on. Three of the last four trips to the Sweet 16 later featured a Final Four appearance, including two national championships.
The Wildcats will face No. 11 Michigan in the Sweet 16.
Collin Gillespie Leads Balanced Effort for Villanova
It wasn't the best game from Gillespie, who finished 5-of-14 from the field and 2-of-9 from three, but he came through at important times for the Wildcats.
The senior helped Villanova build an early lead with excellent individual ability:
The Collin Gillespie Game.#Buckeyes have no early answers for the veteran guard, who has 10 of Villanova's 17 points. Ohio State has 7 points, and it's looked that decisive through 8 minutes.
Gillespie outscored Ohio State for the first eight minutes of the game as Villanova quickly went up double digits.
The guard went quiet during the middle stretch of the game when his team held a double-digit lead, but he sprung back into action with clutch buckets down the stretch.
It was then Gillespie who drew extra attention in the post before kicking it out to Dixon for the key three-pointer.
Villanova had four players in double digits, including a strong showing by Jermaine Samuels. It was still Gillespie who made the key plays in the game's biggest moments, helping the Wildcats advance to the Sweet 16.
Ohio State Falls Short Despite Branham's Heroics
For much of the game, Ohio State simply seemed overmatched against an opponent that was better on both ends of the court.
Liddell did his part, but the squad needed a secondary scorer to even be competitive.
Branham apparently got the message, lighting it up in the second half to get his team back in the game.
Will say, Malaki Branham’s ability to create a shot from nothing against this Villanova team is basically the only thing saving Ohio State’s ass on offense right now. His hesitation game is terrific. Just has such an innate feel for how to get defenders off balance.
Branham and Liddell put up a fight in the second half, but there simply wasn't enough scoring depth.
Once Kyle Young left the game with an apparent head injury, Ohio State couldn't keep up on the scoreboard.
NCAA Bracket 2022: Updated Schedule and Predictions After Thursday's 1st Round
Mar 18, 2022
Saint Peter's forward Hassan Drame celebrates after grabbing a rebound during overtime in a college basketball game against Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Indianapolis. Saint Peter's won 85-79. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The chaos of the first full day of the NCAA men's basketball tournament put four double-digit seeds into the second round.
The carnage gave us a No. 7-versus-No. 15 seed battle that will produce an unexpected Sweet 16 participant out of the East Region. The Murray State Racers are favored to get past this year's Cinderella, the Saint Peter's Peacocks, who upset the Kentucky Wildcats.
Kentucky's loss was one of a few NCAA tournament departures that cleared the path for power-conference programs to reach the second weekend. The Providence Friars received a gift after the red-hot Iowa Hawkeyes were upset by the Richmond Spiders.
Richmond could still be a tough opponent for Providence, but it matches up much better against the Spiders than the Hawkeyes.
No. 15 Saint Peter's (+9.5) vs. No. 7 Murray State
Saint Peter's and Murray State could be drawn into a defensive battle on Saturday.
Murray State ranks 26th in three-point defense and 40th in defensive adjusted efficiency, while Saint Peter's sits in the top 15 in three defensive metrics, per KenPom.
Saint Peter's gave up 75 points in its win over Kentucky, but it held the Wildcats to 26.7 percent from three-point range. The also Peacocks shot 50.9 percent from the field and hit half of their 18 three-point attempts. They also won the battle at the free-throw line, as Kentucky shot 20 percent worse from the charity stripe.
Murray State only shot 28.6 percent from three-point range in its overtime win over San Francisco and it lost starting guard Carter Collins to an injury early in the first half.
If the Racers can't improve their shooting from deep, they may not be able to put away Saint Peter's.
The Peacocks' defense should keep them in the contest, and if they do not win, they can cover the 9.5-point spread in a low-scoring battle.
No. 12 Richmond vs. No. 4 Providence (-2.5)
Providence was a popular team to fade when it entered the NCAA tournament, but now it should be backed to reach the Sweet 16 in a fairly easy manner.
Providence proved in its first-round win over South Dakota State that it can lock down a tough offense and play from in front.
The Friars had a knack for coming from behind and winning overtime games in the regular season. There was no doubt about their nine-point victory on Thursday.
The Big East regular-season champion has the perfect combination of players to quell the threats posed by Richmond's Jacob Gilyard and Grant Golden.
Jared Bynum, AJ Reeves and Al Durham can combine to slow down Gilyard's play out of the backcourt and Nate Watson can go head-to-head with Golden in the paint.
Ed Cooley's team ranks inside the top 55 in two-point and three-point defense on KenPom. The Friars can use their defense to slow down Gilyard and Golden, just like they did with South Dakota State's Baylor Scheierman.
As long as Providence contains Richmond's two stars and holds the Spiders around the 60-point mark, it should secure its spot in the Sweet 16.
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