Resetting the Scales on Day Two
After all the turmoil in the bracket on day one of the tournament, the second half of the first round returned a little sense of normalcy to the proceedings.
Sure, there were still three victories by double-digit seeds, bringing the first round total to a total of eight (the previous record was six), but there was a very different vibe to it all.
Both of the No. 10 seeds won - probably the least surprising of the upsets. No. 12 seed Cornell had little difficulty in knocking of Temple. The Big Red didn't make a field goal for the last four minutes and still beat the Owls by an impressive 13 points.
Fellow 12 seed New Mexico State gave Michigan State a real run for their money, erasing what was once a 15 point deficit before tiring out at the very end. Both No. 13 seeds, Siena and Wofford, came a whisker away from knocking off their own Big Ten opponents, Purdue and Wisconsin respectively.
However, the first two days' results definitely bring up some questions. For instance, the Big East was considered a powerhouse, placing eight teams in the tournament and only one of those eight (No. 9 Louisville) seeded lower than 6th. The conference only went 4-4 in the first round, and Villanova just barely made it through.
Perhaps this season really was a case of a league full of average teams, not just a tough league. The supposedly weak ACC also moved four teams into the second round. The Big Ten was the only conference to go undefeated inthe first round (4-0), but that will likely provide them some short-lived glory. No. 2 seed Ohio State took their sweet time putting away UC San Diego, while Purdue, Michigan State, and Wisconsin won by a total of nine points over Wofford, Siena, and New Mexico State.
Sure, these teams aren't chopped liver, but with those kinds of narrow victories in the first round, can you really expect the run o continue against the likes of Georgia Tech, Maryland, and Texas A&M?
Today's first game should again be the most interesting. Villanova struggled mightily against Robert Morris,and now they will face a much better Saint Mary's team. Of particular concern is their lack of a true post player to match up with the Gaels' Omar Samhan. The upsets might not be over just yet.
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