No. 10 Maryland provided the first upset of the tournament — unless you count No. 9 Texas A&M’s win against No. 8 BYU — by beating No. 7 California 84-71. Junior guard Greivis Vasquez had another sensational day for the Terrapins with 27 points, five rebounds and four assists.
But Wait - There's More!
Connecticut: Huskies Cruise Without Calhoun
Coach Jim Calhoun missed his No. 1 Connecticut Huskies’ 103-47 romp against No. 16 Chattanooga because he had to go to the hospital with an illness. Connecticut held Chattanooga without a field goal for 13 minutes and went on a 46-7 run to blow open the game.
North Carolina: Hansbrough Breaks Redick’s Record in Tar Heels’ Blowout
No. 1 North Carolina opened the NCAA Tournament with an impressive 101-58 win against No. 16 Radford, even though junior point guard Ty Lawson missed the game with a toe injury. Senior forward Tyler Hansbrough became the ACC’s all-time scoring leader on a free throw a few minutes into the game, passing Duke’s J.J. Redick for the record.
Purdue: Boilermakers Muscle Past Northern Iowa
In a defensive battle befitting both teams’ playing styles, No. 5 Purdue outworked No. 12 Northern Iowa for a 61-56 win. Sophomore guard E’Twaun Moore led Purdue with 17 points.
Memphis: Tigers Survive Prepared Matadors
It wasn’t pretty, but No. 2 Memphis started its attempt to return to the NCAA championship game with an 81-70 win against No. 15 Cal State Northridge. The Matadors played a 1-3-1 zone that dared Memphis to shoot from long range. Sophomore guard Roburt Sallie delivered with 35 points, by far his best game of the season.
Texas A&M: Aggies Beat BYU in Second Straight Tournament
For the second consecutive year, Texas A&M beat BYU as a No. 9 seed, with the Aggies winning 79-66 this year. BYU had no defensive answer for junior forward Bryan Davis, who led the Aggies with 21 points.
LSU: Tigers Slip Past Butler
No. 8 LSU beat No. 9 Butler 75-71 thanks to a strong start and solid defense. Senior guard Marcus Thornton had a great game, with 30 points.
The Most Annoying Thing About March
March is the best month of the year and it’s because of college basketball. But there’s also something really annoying that happens at this time of the year, and this time around it’s a little magnified by a phenomenon that’s been going on all season long.
Virginia: Cavaliers Coach Leitao Resigns
After finishing his fourth season with the Cavaliers, Virginia coach Dave Leitao resigned Sunday. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 10-18 overall record 4-12 ACC record. The team missed the NCAA Tournament for the third time during Leitao’s tenure.
Morehead State: Faried Powers Morehead State Past Alabama State
Making its first NCAA Tournament in 25 years, No. 16 Morehead State will play at least one more game after beating No. 16 Alabama State 58-43. Sophomore forward Kenneth Faried had one of the best rebounding games in NCAA Tournament history, collecting 21 boards in addition to his 14 points.
