March Madness has lived up to its name thus far. Who had four double-digit seeds, including No. 15-seeded Oral Roberts, reaching the Sweet 16 round of this year's NCAA men's basketball ...
Geo Baker: Rutgers, Clemson Discussed Delaying NCAA Tourney Game in Protest
Mar 25, 2021
Rutgers guard Geo Baker (0) plays against Illinois in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Friday, March 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Members of Rutgers and Clemson discussed delaying their first-round game in the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament as a form of protest against inequities in college sport.
Scarlet Knights guard Geo Baker made the revelation in an upcoming interview on College GameDay.
"We definitely talked about delaying games," Baker said. "Us and Clemson actually were talking about delaying the game, but basically what ended up happening was we all believed that the television channel was going to get changed as soon as we tried something. So it ended up not going through."
The tide has turned against the NCAA with regard to student-athletes being compensated for their name, image and likeness, with Congress stepping in topropose legislation on the matter. The return of college sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic alsoled some notable starsto publicly request improved conditions at their respective schools.
During the NCAA tournament, the #NotNCAAProperty movement has emerged. Baker explained its goals, which largely focus on NIL compensation, earlier this month on Twitter:
The argument is simple. We deserve an opportunity to create money from our name, image, and likeness. If you don’t agree with that statement, then you are saying that you believe that I, a human being, should be owned by something else. #NotNCAAPropertypic.twitter.com/BOehxsjruE
Michigan forward Isaiah Livers, who's out with a stress fracture in his foot, wore a #NotNCAAProperty shirt while on the bench for the Wolverines' first-round victory over Texas Southern:
Isaiah Livers showed up to Michigan's tournament game wearing a "Not NCAA Property" shirt. pic.twitter.com/hv7R5Z8mtm
If Rutgers and Clemson had followed through, it wouldn't have been the first time teams utilized that tactic.
Shortly after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court against the Orlando Magic for an NBA playoff game. Theirwildcat striketriggered a temporary stoppage across multiple sports leagues.
With regard to the Scarlet Knights, Baker explained how he felt conflicted because the program hadn't reached the NCAA tournament since 1991.
"It was a unique situation because we hadn't made the tournament in 30 years, so I didn't want to ask guys to go out of their way to delay something or protest something that Rutgers fans haven't seen in 30 years," he said in the College GameDay interview.
Rutgers ultimately beat Clemson before falling to second-seeded Houston in the next round.
Sweet 16 2021: Full Updated Bracket and Odds for NCAA Tournament
Mar 25, 2021
Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) celebrates with teammate Corey Kispert (24) after defeating Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
The Gonzaga Bulldogs barreled through their first two NCAA men's basketball tournament games with relative ease.
The No. 1 overall seed received a bit of a threat from the Oklahoma Sooners in the second round, but the Big 12 side never got to within seven points in the closing stages. Gonzaga is projected to cruise into the Elite Eight since it is the heaviest favorite in the Sweet 16 for its clash with the Creighton Bluejays.
Creighton righted the on-court wrongs from the Big East tournament to get to this point, but it does not match up well with the Zags.
Although the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers are not a top seed, they are playing like one in the Midwest Region. Porter Moser's side faces a red-hot Oregon State Beavers side to open the Sweet 16's eight-game slate. It may be the first team in three weeks to have the right answers to slow down the unit that reeled off five straight wins.
Sweet 16 Schedule and Odds
Saturday, March 27
No. 8 Loyola-Chicago (-6.5) vs. No. 12 Oregon State (Over/Under: 125.5) (2:40 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 1 Baylor (-7.5) vs. No. 5 Villanova (O/U: 141) (5:15 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 3 Arkansas (-11.5) vs. No. 15 Oral Roberts (O/U: 159) (7:25 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 2 Houston (-6) vs. No. 11 Syracuse (O/U: 139.5) (9:55 p.m. ET, TBS)
Sunday, March 28
No. 1 Gonzaga (-13.5) vs. No. 5 Creighton (O/U: 158) (2:10 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 1 Michigan (-2.5) vs. No. 4 Florida State (O/U: 143.5) (5 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 2 Alabama (-6.5) vs. No. 11 UCLA (O/U: 146) (7:15 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 6 USC (-2) vs. No. 7 Oregon (O/U: 139) (9:45 p.m. ET, TBS)
Gonzaga is 2-0 against the spread in the men's NCAA tournament.
There is a good chance the Zags push that record to 3-0 if they take advantage of the mismatches they have against their Big East foe.
Creighton has five players that average more than 10 points per game, but that can be neutralized by Gonzaga's top stars.
Gonzaga rebounds better than the Bluejays, averaging 37.9 boards per game in comparison to 36.1 from its opponent.
In Drew Timme, the Bulldogs also have the most imposing paint presence on the two rosters. He is coming off 30 points and 13 rebounds versus Oklahoma.
In the 87-71 win, Gonzaga was more efficient from three-point range and made 14 more trips to the free-throw line. By earning more free-throw attempts and controlling the paint, Gonzaga absorbed a 27-point performance from Austin Reaves.
Gonzaga could follow a similar strategy to eliminate Creighton if Marcus Zegarowski gets hot. He had 20 points and knocked down four three-pointers against the Ohio Bobcats.
While Zegarowski found his shooting legs Sunday, Mitch Ballock did not. Ballock has a single 10-point outing in his past six appearances. Ballock's poor performances are concerning since he shoots 39.5 percent from three-point range and could be a vital asset to springing an upset.
Since Gonzaga displayed an ability to fend off most runs from opponents and it has a mismatch down low, it should win with ease and face a tougher test in the Elite Eight against either the USC Trojans or Oregon Ducks.
Loyola-Chicago (-6.5) vs. Oregon State
The hottest offense in the tournament takes on the toughest defense in the Sweet 16 opener.
Oregon State scored a combined 150 points to knock out the Tennessee Volunteers and Oklahoma State Cowboys. Loyola-Chicago conceded 118 combined points to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Illinois Fighting Illini.
Loyola's defense has been the more consistent of the two units this season, which should give it the edge on Saturday. The Ramblers only allowed six of their 28 opponents to eclipse the 60-point mark. Illinois did not get there in the second round, as Cameron Krutwig controlled his paint matchup with Kofi Cockburn.
Krutwig is the main attraction of the Loyola team because he is a powerful big man and carries Final Four experience from three years ago. Loyola's guards do not get as much credit as the big man, but they are arguably more important because of how they defend the three-point line.
Lucas Williamson, Braden Norris and Keith Clemons frustrated Ayo Dosunmu and the Illinois guards, as the Illini shot 4-of-14 from three-point range.
Oregon State hit 16 three-point shots in the first two rounds, so if the Ramblers contain that production, they should open up a sizable advantage. If that occurs, Krutwig could break open the game in his matchup with Warith Alatishe, who has not scored 10 points in his last three games.
If Krutwig forces Alatishe into foul trouble, like Oklahoma State did, Loyola can run its offense through the big man for easy baskets down low.
A Loyola victory would put a dent into the Pac-12's dominance and would also move it to within one win of a second Final Four berth in four years, which would be one of the more improbable feats of the past decade.
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For a field lacking in usual suspects, there sure is a lot of star power still standing in the Sweet 16 of the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament...
Throughout just about the entire 2020-21 men's college basketball season, it was Gonzaga at No. 1, Baylor at No. 2 and everyone else battling for the right to lose to Gonzaga or Baylor in the Final Four...
Abilene Christian President Says Win over Texas Earned School 'Close To' $120M
Mar 24, 2021
Abilene Christian players celebrate their 53-52 upset win over Texas in a college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Sunday, March 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
March Madness upsets are fun for the players and fans, but they can also mean big money from the exposure for the school.
Abilene Christian defeated Texas in one of the most surprising results in the first round of the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament. While the No. 14 seed's win over the No. 3 seed messed up many brackets, the combination of the victory and an appearance in the second round was worth nine figures and counting for the small West Texas university.
"So far we are close to $120 million-plus and we really haven't had time to tally up the totals," ACU president Dr. Phil Schubert told Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The Wildcats suffered a 20-point loss to UCLA in the second round, although simply facing another major program only added to the school's exposure.
As Schubert explained, tournament appearances lead to increased donations, increased applications and increased enrollment.
"There are other places a university can make significant steps, but I'd say nothing compares to the level of visibility and market value that comes with men's basketball, at least for us," he said.
Abilene Christian estimated its 2019 loss to Kentucky was worth $74 million.
The program has only been in Division I since 2013, but efforts like this go a long way in helping the school's growth.
Ohio State's E.J. Liddell Speaks on Death Threats: 'It's Better to Use My Voice'
Mar 24, 2021
Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell (32) plays against Illinois in an NCAA college basketball championship game at the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Days after revealing racist and threatening messages directed toward him following a first-round loss in the NCAA tournament, Ohio State star E.J. Liddell explained why he went public about the harassment.
"I'm not the only one going through things like this," Liddell told reporters. "It's better to use my voice than to stay quiet all the time. I can take criticism, people telling me I suck and things, but I just used my voice and I feel like [with] a lot of other athletes using their voices this [harassment] is going to slow down and in the future go to an end."
Liddell was far from the only player in the tournament to receive that type of targeted harassment. Illinois star Kofi Cockburn also shared a racist and xenophobic message directed at him following the Illini's second-round loss to Loyola-Chicago.
Big Ten players have rallied around the OSU forward in recent days with players from opposing schools like Rocket Watts, Trevion Williams, Malik Hall and D'Mitrik Trice all reaching out to offer support.
But the Buckeyes star made clear that these types of comments aren't new to him. He said it's a pattern that is continually intensifying, and after playing through a pandemic, these comments felt more uncalled for than ever to him:
"When a season ends you don't need to hear negative comments, especially not threatening comments. I'd rather people see us like humans and pick us up, because we sacrificed so much for this season ... really lost our social lives during the season.
"I definitely don't think people really see how much we gave up. We were hesitant about everything — going to the mall, food court, had to stay away from people and get away from life honestly, just for us to sacrifice and play basketball and this thing we love. I don't regret anything."
Campus police are looking into the threats sent to Liddell, but when asked, the forward said he wasn't likely to join any prosecution that comes from the investigation.
"Not really," Liddell said. "I'm trying not to think about it."
We can't be the only ones who want more March Madness. After waiting nearly two years for the men's NCAA tournament to return, it is back and better than ever...
Sweet 16 2021: Updated Bracket, Schedule and Odds for 2021 NCAA Tournament
Mar 24, 2021
Arkansas guard Davonte Davis (4) reacts after a dunk against Texas Tech in the second half of a second-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The Arkansas Razorbacks have an advantage compared to the first two teams that faced the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The No. 3 seed in the South Region defeated Oral Roberts in nonconference play, so it has an idea of how dangerous Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor can be as a scoring duo.
Abmas and Obanor tortured the Ohio State Buckeyes and Florida Gators in the first two rounds to make Oral Roberts the second No. 15 in history to reach the Sweet 16.
USC Trojans head coach Andy Enfield guided the first No. 15 seed to the second weekend in 2013 when he was with the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.
Enfield's Trojans carry a similarity to Oral Roberts since they also faced their Sweet 16 opponent in the regular season.
USC torched the Oregon Ducks in their lone Pac-12 meeting, but Sunday's game could be much closer if Dana Altman's side gets off to a faster start.
No. 8 Loyola-Chicago (-6.5) vs. No. 12 Oregon State (Over/Under: 125) (2:40 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 1 Baylor (-7) vs. No. 5 Villanova (O/U: 140.5) (5:15 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 3 Arkansas (-11.5) vs. No. 15 Oral Roberts (O/U: 159) (7:25 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 2 Houston (-6) vs. No. 11 Syracuse (O/U: 140.5) (9:55 p.m. ET, TBS)
Sunday, March 28
No. 1 Gonzaga (-13.5) vs. No. 5 Creighton (O/U: 158) (2:10 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 1 Michigan (-2.5) vs. No. 4 Florida State (O/U: 143.5) (5 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 2 Alabama (-6.5) vs. No. 11 UCLA (O/U: 145.5) (7:15 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 6 USC (-2.5) vs. No. 7 Oregon (O/U: 139) (9:45 p.m. ET, TBS)
Arkansas (-11.5) vs. Oral Roberts
The December 20 meeting between Arkansas and Oral Roberts could indicate what will happen on Saturday night.
Arkansas won 87-76 and held Abmas, the nation's leading scorer, to 11 points. Obanor led Oral Roberts with 21 points in the loss.
Although the Razorbacks conceded 76 points, they held Oral Roberts under 40 percent from the field and under 30 percent from three-point range. The Golden Eagles stayed in the game by hitting 18 of their 24 free throws.
Arkansas was efficient enough from the field at 41.6 percent, but it could have played an even better game since it went 4-for-24 from three-point range and committed 15 turnovers.
If Eric Musselman's team can beat Oral Roberts on an off night, it could wreak havoc on the No. 15 seed if it plays a more complete game.
Arkansas displayed its potential in spurts over the first two rounds. It used a surge in the final four minutes of the first half to earn an edge over the Colgate Raiders, and its defense pulled out a victory against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Justin Smith, who scored 22 versus Oral Roberts, turned in back-to-back 20-point performances in Indianapolis, and if he receives more scoring support, the Razorbacks have the potential to produce a blowout win.
Arkansas shot below its 33.9 three-point percentage versus Colgate and Texas Tech, so there is room for offensive improvement.
If Moses Moody, JD Notae and Jalen Tate all shoot better, Arkansas can pull away since it has experience in how to approach Abmas and Obanor.
USC vs. Oregon (+2.5)
The explosive Oregon offense that lit up the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday was nonexistent in its first meeting with USC.
The Trojans scored the game's first 15 points and surged out to a 19-3 lead in the 72-58 victory on February 22.
Oregon finished at 40.4 percent from the field and with seven made three-point shots, but those numbers paled in comparison to USC's totals.
Based off what we saw on Monday, it seems unlikely Oregon will get off to another dreadful start as it seeks revenge on the Trojans.
Since that defeat, Oregon is 8-1 and has five double-digit victories, including the second-round triumph over Iowa.
Oregon's peak form makes it a live underdog on the spread and moneyline, especially if it figures out a way to contain Evan Mobley.
Mobley exploited two favorable matchups with the Drake Bulldogs and Kansas Jayhawks to record back-to-back double-doubles.
The likely top-five pick in the NBA draft should face a more difficult test from a frontcourt that held him to 11 points on February 22.
If Eugene Omoruyi and Eric Williams test Mobley on most possessions, it could lead to a frustrating night for the freshman.
If that occurs, USC will have to rely on its guard play to win. With the way Chris Duarte and LJ Figueroa are playing for Oregon, that may be hard for Tahj Eaddy and Drew Peterson to achieve.
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