A wild first full day of the 2021 NCAA tournament on Friday saw 14 different seed lines come away with a victory, including No. 15 Oral Roberts upsetting No. 2 Ohio State...
Oregon vs. VCU Ruled No-Contest in NCAA Tournament Due to COVID; Ducks Advance
Mar 20, 2021
The March Madness logo is shown on the court during the first half of a men's college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
The NCAA men's basketball tournament game between Oregon and VCU has been ruled a no-contest because of COVID-19 protocols.
The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee announced the decision Saturday, with the Ducks advancing to the round of 32:
VCU-Oregon declared a no-contest because of COVID-19 protocols. Oregon advances to the second round.
VCU head coach Mike Rhoadestold reportershis team has had "multiple positive COVID-19 tests in the past two days."
A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade issued a statement about the situation, calling it "tremendously disappointing and heartbreaking" for VCU's student-athletes:
Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade issued this statement following the NCAA / Marion County Public Health Department decision to prohibit VCU from competing in tonight’s game against Oregon due to COVID-19 issues. pic.twitter.com/llB8qXGDRX
An Oregon spokesman told Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports the team will have a workout and light practice at the Indianapolis Convention Center on Saturday night.
Per therulesestablished by the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball committees, teams forced to withdraw from the tournament because of health and safety protocols would not be replaced once the event begins.
The NCAA did set up a contingency plan in the immediate aftermath of the 68-team field being announced on March 14.
NCAA senior vice president Dan Gavittannouncedon Tuesday that no replacement teams were needed.
Virginia was a question mark because of coronavirus concerns that forced it to withdraw from the ACC tournament, but the team wasfinally clearedto travel to Indianapolis on Friday. The Cavaliers are the No. 4 seed in the East Region and will play Ohio on Saturday.
VCU received an at-large bid after losing to St. Bonaventure in the A-10 tournament final.
The Ducks and Rams were scheduled to tip off at 9:57 p.m. ET in the final game of the West Region. Oregon will play Iowa or Grand Canyon in the second round Monday.
Michigan's Isaiah Livers Wears 'NotNCAAProperty' Shirt at 2021 NCAA Tournament
Mar 20, 2021
Michigan's Isaiah Livers wears a T-shirt that reads
Michigan forward Isaiah Livers wore a T-shirt that raised awareness for the #NotNCAAProperty movement Saturday when the Wolverines played Texas Southern in the first round of the Division I NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Isaiah Livers showed up to Michigan's tournament game wearing a "Not NCAA Property" shirt. pic.twitter.com/hv7R5Z8mtm
Livers, who is currently sidelined with a foot injury, is leading the charge alongside Rutgers guard Geo Baker and Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon. The movement's stated goals can be found here via Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic:
All three players (and many others) have spread awareness on Twitter, with Baker providing more commentary in support of all NCAA student-athletes:
The NCAA OWNS my name image and likeness. Someone on music scholarship can profit from an album. Someone on academic scholarship can have a tutor service. For ppl who say “an athletic scholarship is enough.” Anything less than equal rights is never enough. I am #NotNCAAProperty
The movement notably has the support of longtime college basketball commentator Dick Vitale:
The players WILL & should be HEARD / they r sending a LOUD Message - I AGREE with them . Players launch #NotNCAAProperty movement a day before March Madness begins https://t.co/0nIFkohC20
NCAA President Mark Emmert has stated that he is "really supportive of what they're asking for" during an interview with reporters.
A meeting with Emmert, who has been the NCAA's president since 2010, is listed as the second action item for the #NotNCAAProperty movement.
No Perfect 2021 Men's NCAA Tournament Brackets Remain After Maryland's Win
Mar 20, 2021
Maryland's Eric Ayala (5) brings the ball up as Connecticut's R.J. Cole defends during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament Saturday, March 20, 2021, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin)
For anyone dreaming of completing a perfect bracket, just know it's extremely difficult to simply predict the first round correctly in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
No one was able to accomplish that feat this year after No. 10 Maryland's 63-54 win over No. 7 UConn knocked the final three perfect brackets from the ranks of the unbeaten, per NCAA.com:
The brackets are tracked across NCAA.com, ESPN, CBS, Yahoo andSports Illustrated.
There were just 121 perfect brackets left after Friday's 16 games.
Higher-seed wins by Colorado, Florida State and Kansas on Saturday knocked the number of perfect brackets down from 121 to 50 through the early part of Saturday's action. No. 8 LSU's 76-61 win over No. 9 St. Bonaventure then slashed that figure in half and then some with 23 left following the Tigers' win.
The number whittled down even more throughout the day, and only three remained following No. 13 Ohio's 62-58 upset win over No. 4 Virginia. That number fell to zero after the Terrapins' victory.
Pickers had to make some strange selections in order to stay perfect that long considering No. 15 Oral Roberts, No. 13 North Texas and No. 12 Oregon State all won in Round 1. Ultimately, no recorded bracket made it through the first round unscathed.
NCAA Scores 2021: Odds, over-Under Predictions and Betting Advice for Saturday
Mar 20, 2021
Colorado's McKinley Wright IV (25) plays against California in an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinal round of the Pac-12 men's tournament Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Georgetown Hoyas are the sentimental favorite to make a deep run in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Georgetown is coming off a fantastic run in the Big East tournament inside the arena that head coach Patrick Ewing called home for most of his NBA career. The Hoyas' postseason magic could end Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Buffaloes, who were one win away from capturing the Pac-12 tournament title.
The Buffaloes present a bad matchup for Georgetown, and they should showcase why they are a six-point favorite in the day's first round-of-64 contest.
Colorado's conference mate the Oregon Ducks have a chance to make a statement in Indianapolis as well Saturday. An argument can be made that the Ducks are a much better team than a No. 7 seed, and the experience they carry could push them past the Virginia Commonwealth Rams.
NCAA Tournament Saturday 1st-Round Schedule
No. 5 Colorado (-6) vs. No. 12 Georgetown (Over/Under: 137.5) (12:15 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 4 Florida State (-10.5) vs. No. 13 UNC Greensboro (O/U: 144.5) (12:45 p.m. ET, truTV)
No. 3 Kansas (-10.5) vs. No. 14 Eastern Washington (O/U: 146) (1:15 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 8 LSU (-2) vs. No. 9 St. Bonaventure (O/U: 144.5) (1:45 p.m. ET, TNT)
No. 1 Michigan (-25.5) vs. No. 16 Texas Southern (O/U: 142.5) (3 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 5 Creighton (-7.5) vs. No. 12 UC Santa Barbara (O/U: 138) (3:30 p.m. ET, truTV)
No. 2 Alabama (-16.5) vs. No. 15 Iona (O/U: 147) (4 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 6 USC (-6) vs. No. 11 Drake (O/U: 135) (4:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
No. 2 Iowa (-14) vs. No. 15 Grand Canyon (O/U: 145.5) (6:20 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 7 UConn (-3.5) vs. No. 10 Maryland (O/U: 129) (7:10 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 4 Virginia (-7) vs. No. 13 Ohio (O/U: 131) (7:15 p.m. ET, truTV)
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Missouri (-0.5) (O/U: 140) (7:25 p.m. ET, TNT)
No. 1 Gonzaga (-33) vs. No. 16 Norfolk State (O/U: 153.5) (9:20 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 6 BYU (-4) vs. No. 11 UCLA (O/U: 138.5) (9:40 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 3 Texas (-8.5) vs. No. 14 Abilene Christian (O/U: 139.5) (9:50 p.m. ET, truTV)
No. 7 Oregon (-5.5) vs. No. 10 VCU (O/U: 137.5) (9:57 p.m. ET, TNT)
Georgetown deserves credit for winning four games in four days at Madison Square Garden, but when you look at that run, the team received plenty of breaks.
The Hoyas caught the Marquette Golden Eagles on one of their worst shooting games in program history, beat a depleted Villanova Wildcats side and knocked out an average Seton Hall Pirates squad that was on the wrong side of the bubble.
The dominant performance in the Big East tournament final against the Creighton Bluejays was a pure butt-kicking, but the other three victories could be viewed differently because of the circumstances.
Despite the surge in New York, Georgetown is an average basketball team that finished the Big East regular season with a 7-9 mark. Colorado should feast on the talent disparity between the rosters Saturday, starting with point guard McKinley Wright IV.
Wright leads the 22-8 Buffaloes with 15.5 points per game, and he is a 48.8 shooter from the field. The senior had 42 points in his last two games at the Pac-12 tournament. Colorado's top scorer eclipsed the 20-point mark in three of his past five games and has at least four rebounds and three assists over his past five appearances.
Tad Boyle's team can neutralize Georgetown's paint presence through Evan Battey and Jeriah Horne, who both average more than 10 points and five rebounds per game. If Battey and Horne contain the threats of Jamorko Pickett and Qudus Wahab, it could open the path for Wright to star on a national stage.
Pickett and Wahab turned in solid four-game stretches in New York, but both struggled at times against the Big East's best teams. They combined for seven games with 12 points or fewer against Villanova and Creighton.
Georgetown needs to get more production out of them to beat Colorado, which may not happen with Battey and Horne occupying the paint.
Oregon (-5.5) vs. VCU
Oregon head coach Dana Altman knows how to win in March.
The 62-year-old led the Ducks to the Sweet 16 in their past three NCAA tournament appearances. He boasts Elite Eight and Final Four berths during that stretch.
Oregon has the scoring depth and experience to go on another run in the West Region. The Ducks boast five players who average more than 10 points per game and shoot over 40 percent, led by Chris Duarte.
Duarte fills all the requirements of an experienced guard who can carry a team through March Madness. The senior only had two single-digit point performances this season, one of which was in a blowout win over the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Pac-12 tournament.
Duarte had nine 20-point performances, and he knocked down at least three shots from three-point range in eight of those games. The 43 percent three-point shooter has four other upperclassmen around him in the starting lineup, so they should not be fazed by much, even a press-heavy defense from VCU.
The Rams have their own star in Nah'Shon Hyland, who averages 19.5 points per game, but the Ducks could home in on him to take away the offense of the Atlantic 10 squad.
In the A-10 tournament final, the St. Bonaventure Bonnies got Hyland into foul trouble early and held him to 4-of-11 from the field. The only reason he had 21 points is his 11-of-12 day from the free-throw line.
If Oregon contains Hyland, VCU should be handcuffed on the offensive end since it has one other player that averages in double figures.
Since the Ducks returned from a pause February 4, they have held eight opponents under 70 points in 11 victories. If they bring that same defense to the floor Saturday, they should eliminate VCU.
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Ohio State's E.J. Liddell Received Threatening Messages After Oral Roberts Upset
Mar 20, 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)
Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell revealed Saturday that he received threatening messages after the Buckeyes' upset loss to Oral Roberts in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament Friday.
Liddell tweeted screenshots of the messages he was sent (warning: some language NSFW):
The team contacted police after Liddell received the messages, according to ESPN's Myron Medcalf.
Ohio State entered the tourney as a No. 2 seed, but it fell 75-72 to No. 15 Oral Roberts in overtime. Liddell missed a one-and-one free throw with 37 seconds left in regulation that kept the Golden Eagles within two.
He played excellently, though, scoring a team-high 23 points to go along with 14 rebounds and five assists.
In subsequent tweets, Liddell both questioned what he did to deserve those messages and thanked Buckeyes fans for their support:
This is not me saying anything negative about Ohio State fans. I love you all dearly and I’ve felt nothing but appreciated since the first day I stepped on campus.
Athletic director Gene Smith similarly issued a statement vowing action.
"The threatening social media attack E.J. Liddell faced after the game yesterday is appalling and will not be tolerated," Smith tweeted. "To the few of you who have chosen to inappropriately rail against our players on social media, stop. Hate and derision have no place in Buckeye Nation or in civil society. If you cross the line and threaten our players, you will be hearing from the authorities. That I promise you."
Liddell was one of the driving forces behind the Buckeyes' success, helping lead the team to a 21-10 record and the Big Ten tournament title game, which it lost to Illinois in overtime.
Ohio State was among the top squads in the best conference this season, and Liddell had a big hand in that.
He finished second on the team in scoring with 16.2 points per game and first in rebounding with 6.7 per contest. It represented a huge step forward from a freshman season in which he averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 boards.
The end of the Buckeyes' season was unquestionably disappointing, as they became only the ninth No. 2 seed in the history of the men's tournament to lose to a No. 15 seed.
Even so, the future is bright, especially if some of the program's top players return in 2021-22 rather than enter the NBA draft.
Liddell, junior guard Duane Washington Jr. and junior forward Justice Sueing have eligibility remaining, so Ohio State could run it back and have a far better result.
For some very obvious reasons, this has been a topsy-turvy 2020-21 men's college basketball campaign, and given what we saw during Conference Championship Week, the chaos shows no signs of disappearing any time soon...
NCAA Bracket 2021: Updated Schedule and Predictions After Friday's 1st Round
Mar 20, 2021
Oral Roberts players celebrate after beating Ohio State in a first-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Friday, March 19, 2021, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin)
The right side of the NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket was busted wide open on Friday.
Five double-digit seeds advanced to the second round, with the No. 15 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles earning the most notable upset over the second-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes.
The bevy of upsets opened up a potentially easier path for the Baylor Bears, Arkansas Razorbacks and Houston Cougars.
However, the Illinois Fighting Illini did not catch a break on Friday, as they still have to go through the Loyola Chicago Ramblers and Oklahoma State Cowboys to reach the Elite Eight.
While most of the second-round focus on Sunday will be on the upset-minded double-digit seeds, the top half of the Midwest Region could produce the best games.
The full updated bracket can be found here on NCAA.com.
Predictions
Oral Roberts Puts Scare In Florida
Oral Roberts has a path to replicate the Sweet 16 run by the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in 2015.
In 2013, FGCU used a first-round upset of a No. 2 seed to set up a showdown with a No. 7 seed that it won by 10 points.
Oral Roberts has the potential to earn that type of result on Sunday since the Florida Gators have not been the most consistent program this season.
In their overtime win over the Virginia Tech Hokies, the Gators shot 66.7 percent from the free-throw line and struggled for long stretches before moving in front through a second-half surge.
Florida's top defensive asset is center Colin Castleton, but his shot-affecting ability could be taken away by Oral Roberts' three-point shooting.
Prior to Friday's win, Florida suffered three defeats in four games to NCAA tournament qualifiers and reached the 70-point mark once in those losses. In fact, Florida's 75 first-round points was its highest point total in a victory since January 30.
The 15th-seeded Golden Eagles have the potential to outscore the Gators around the three-point line through Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor, who both made five three-point shots against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
If Oral Roberts earns an early advantage, it may not let go because it rebounds well and is strong from the charity stripe. It had 32 rebounds and made 14 of its 18 foul shots in the first round.
The Golden Eagles shoot 82.4 percent from the foul line and they scored at least 75 points in their last five victories.
If the Summit League champion plays its style of game, it could turn in another upset to make an improbable run to the Sweet 16.
Cameron Krutwig, Loyola Chicago Challenge Illinois
The best individual battle of the tournament could occur in the second round between Illinois' Kofi Cockburn and Cameron Krutwig of Loyola Chicago.
Both interior players have been fantastic for their respective sides this season, and they complement a collection of talented guards.
Illinois has the edge at guard with Ayo Dosunmu, a National Player of the Year finalist, but Loyola Chicago could gain the advantage down low if Krutwig plays well against Cockburn.
Krutwig is one of the few shot blockers in the nation who could give Cockburn trouble with his wide body and positioning underneath the basket.
Cockburn won individual showdowns with Luka Garza of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan Wolverines' Hunter Dickinson in Big Ten play, but both players are more agile than Krutwig.
The Loyola big man has an edge in NCAA tournament experience from his program's Final Four run in 2018.
If Krutwig is not overwhelmed by Cockburn's physicality, Loyola could give Illinois a challenge in what may turn into a slow-paced defensive battle.
Loyola Chicago has not allowed an opponent to score 75 points since January 10, and only three teams hit that total in 28 games against the Ramblers.
The Fighting Illini eclipsed the 75-point mark in four of their last five wins. While it will be a challenge for Loyola to slow down the No. 1 seed, it has the perfect piece down low in Krutwig to take the Illini out of a rhythm.
Syracuse guard Buddy Boeheim (35) is defended by San Diego State guard Trey Pulliam (4) during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Friday, March 19, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
No. 11 seed Syracuse dominated No. 6 San Diego State from start to finish Friday night, blowing out the Aztecs 78-62 to advance to the second round Sunday.
The Orange will face the winner between No. 3 West Virginia and No. 14 Morehead State for a trip to the Sweet 16 next weekend, and they have Buddy Boeheim to thank for it.
The son of head coach Jim Boeheim had arguably the best game of his career in the opening round, nearly outscoring SDSU by himself for most of the game with 30 points, fourrebounds and seven three-pointers—almost as many as the entire Aztecs lineup sank (11). Everything was clicking for the junior guard when he sank a desperation heave from near midcourt as the shot clock expired with six minutes, 25 seconds remaining.
It's the second time in three years Syracuse has gone from bubble team to the round of 32. The Orange entered the 2018 NCAA tournament as an 11 seed only to upset No. 6 TCU and No. 3 Michigan State before falling to No. 2 Duke in the Sweet Sixteen.
That year was also the last time SDSU made the tournament, which resulted in first-round elimination as well. The Aztecs haven't reached the round of 32 since 2014 with former head coach Steve Fisher.
This year's San Diego State team was supposed to be different.
The Aztecs ran roughshod through the regular season to a 23-4 record and first-place finish in the Mountain West with ranked victories over No. 22 UCLA and No. 23 Arizona State. The Orange, meanwhile, finished eighth in the ACC with just one ranked victory coming against No. 16 Virginia Tech early in conference play.
No other Syracuse player scored more than 12 points (Joseph Girard III), while Matt Mitchell and Jordan Schakel each poured in 17 for SDSU. Yet the Aztecs shot just 35.8 percent from the floor as the Orange made more than half their shots (55.3 percent).
With two Boeheims running the show, a low-seeded Syracuse team may just be the most dangerous version of the program in recent memory.
Kyrie Irving: Men's, Women's NCAA Tournament Disparities Are 'Unacceptable'
Mar 19, 2021
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts against the Boston Celtics during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, March 11, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Kyrie Irving spoke about the differences between the amenities available at the NCAA men's and women's tournaments following the Brooklyn Nets' loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday.
"That's unacceptable for that to be going on for that not to even be a conversation about what the women need there," he told reporters:
Kyrie Irving comments on the disparities between the bubbles for the NCAA Men's & Women's Tournaments:
"That's unacceptable for that to be going on for that not to even be a conversation about what the women need there" pic.twitter.com/uwvubAoR2v
Irving is not the only NBA player to criticize the NCAA, as Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum said that "they gotta do better," while Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said it was "disrespectful."
The differences have been in the national spotlight after pictures of the spacious men's weight rooms with plenty of training equipment compared to the lackluster setup for the women's players circulated on social media:
Women’s @NCAA bubble weight room vs Men’s weight room... thought this was a joke. WTF is this?!? To all the women playing in the @marchmadness tournament, keep grinding! pic.twitter.com/K04KTv6s46
The men's tournament is taking place in Indiana, while the women's tournament is taking place in Texas.
NCAA vice president Lynn Holzman released a statement addressing the issue:
"We acknowledge that some of the amenities teams would typically have access to have not been as available inside the controlled environment. In part, this is due to the limited space and the original plan was to expand the workout area once additional space was available later in the tournament. However, we want to be responsive to the needs of our participating teams, and we are actively working to enhance existing resources at practice courts, including additional weight training equipment."
Molly Hensley-Clancy of the Washington Post noted the NCAA told her there was "not enough space" for similar facilities for the women's players.
However, Sedona Prince of the Oregon Ducks disputed that notion:
