1 takeaway from each of Saturday's NCAA games
theScore runs down the top storylines and developments from the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32 and what it all could mean moving forward.
Burns’ bully ball bursts Oakland’s bubble
Saturday’s battle between No. 11 NC State and No. 14 Oakland wasn’t just the Round of 32’s ultimate Cinderella matchup but a game between two of the tourney’s early stars. And while Jack Gohlke’s sharpshooting led him to 22 points on six made threes, Wolfpack big man DJ Burns was the true main attraction. The 6-foot-9, 275-pounder put up 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, adding 11 rebounds and four assists in a 79-73 overtime victory.
Burns’ physicality was way too much for an undersized Oakland team to handle. It took constant double-teams to try and prevent him from getting to his strong right shoulder in the post. He was a zone-buster, finding teammates for wide-open threes when all of Oakland’s defensive attention was on him. And he was also money from the free-throw line, going 6-for-7, largely in clutch time.
Gonzaga puts on offensive clinic
Gonzaga had another electric scoring performance, tallying 1.39 points per possession in its 89-68 dismantling of Kansas. Four of five starters registered double digits in points. The Bulldogs went 8-of-15 from deep and shot a sizzling 60% from the field overall. They had no trouble getting to the rim, converting 14 layups en route to 40 points in the paint. Mark Few’s squad went on a dominant 26-4 scoring run over a 10:01 span in the second half to turn a one-point halftime deficit into a blowout victory.
Ryan Nembhard did a magnificent job facilitating Gonzaga’s offense, posting a game-high 12 dimes to set a new single-season school record for assists. The Creighton transfer found Anton Watson on cuts to the basket and continually shredded Jayhawks big man Hunter Dickinson in the pick-and-roll, which led to open looks on the perimeter and in close.
Creighton hangs on in battle of attrition
Seven players logged at least 42 minutes in a marathon double-overtime 86-73 victory for No. 3 Creighton over 11-seed Oregon. Bluejays duo Trey Alexander and Baylor Scheierman didn’t sit during the 50-minute contest. With both teams faced with extremely short benches, Creighton proved to have the better stamina, winning the second extra frame 15-2.
Credit where credit is due for Oregon’s masterful guard-big man combo of Jermaine Couisnard and N’Faly Dante, who combined to score a remarkable 60 of the Ducks’ 73 points. But it was Creighton’s balance – Steven Ashworth’s five threes, or freshman Jasen Green’s career-high nine rebounds – that gave the Bluejays the extra boost needed to pull out the win. Creighton better rest up quick because a meeting against ultra-physical Tennessee is on deck.
Tennessee saved by dominant defense
There aren’t many teams in college basketball – or any level of basketball, for that matter – that could win a game while making just 12% of their treys. No. 2 Tennessee showed it’s one of the outliers by doing exactly that against Texas. The Volunteers made just 3 of 25 triples on the night but secured a narrow four-point win courtesy of the defense.
KenPom ranks Tennessee as the country’s third-best defensive squad, and the prowess was on full display in the Round of 32. The swarming defense forced 17 turnovers and held Texas to just 58 points – only the second time this season the Longhorns failed to hit the 60-point mark.
The first round saw Tennessee claim victory by torching the nets on 11-of-24 shooting from deep. On Saturday, the Vols won by locking down on defense when the offense wasn’t working. If Rick Barnes can get his team to put it all together, Tennessee will be an incredibly difficult out for any team in this tournament.
Bradley’s all-around brilliance shows Arizona’s depth
Jaden Bradley probably isn’t among the first five names you mention when discussing Arizona, but the sophomore reserve played a major role in the Wildcats’ win over Dayton. With Kylan Boswell struggling, Bradley played at least 27 minutes in a regulation game for just the third time this season. It was ample time to showcase a brilliant all-around skill set with 12 points, four rebounds, three steals, three blocks, and two assists.
Bradley’s emergence served as a reminder that the Wildcats’ depth is one of the main reasons they can make a long run in the tournament. No single player has led the team in scoring in back-to-back games since Feb. 24. That wide-ranging attack will continue to make Arizona a tough out for anyone.
UNC rides 17-0 run to easy win
No. 9 Michigan State enjoyed a red-hot start against top-seeded North Carolina, scoring 26 points in the first 10 minutes and grabbing a 12-point lead. But moments later, the Tar Heels pulled off a monster 17-0 run to turn a double-digit deficit into a lead, and they never relinquished it en route to an easy 85-69 victory. The quartet of upperclassmen in North Carolina’s starting lineup – RJ Davis, Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram, and Cormac Ryan – combined for 69 points.
The Tar Heels had their fair share of defensive gaffes throughout the contest, but their high-powered, up-tempo offense made up for those mistakes against a Spartans team that had no answers. Though North Carolina is easily the least respected of the No. 1 seeds in the March Madness bracket, the team has shown no signs of slippage in its first weekend of play.
Iowa State hangs hat on defense
Iowa State’s stingy defense has been its calling card all season, and the Cyclones delivered on that end of the floor once again. They put the clamps on Washington State after going down 7-0 to start the game. T.J. Otzelberger’s squad surrendered just nine points to the Cougars over the next 10:47, allowing Iowa State to get back into the contest after some early offensive struggles.
The Cyclones ‘ defense put the finishing touches on the matchup with it still in the balance in the second half. Washington State missed seven of its last 10 field goals over the final 8:30. Cougars forward Jaylen Wells, who had 16 in the first half, managed just four points on 1-of-5 shooting the rest of the way. Iowa State finished with 21 points off 13 Washington State turnovers.
Illinois puts on Saturday’s most dominant display
Simply put, No. 3 Illinois’ 89-63 victory over 11-seed Duquesne was a non-contest. On a day when almost every game brought some level of drama, the Fighting Illini’s powerhouse offense didn’t offer the Dukes a glimmer of hope. Illinois shot 59% from the field, building up a lead as large as 32 before giving its bench an extended run.
The real test for Illinois comes in the Sweet 16 against an ultra-tough defensive Iowa State squad. It’ll be a matchup of KenPom’s No. 2 defense against its No. 2 offense. If the backcourt tandem of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask plays as well as it did in the tournament’s first weekend, the Cyclones’ physicality may not be enough to knock off the Fighting Illini.
