by Cassie Florido
Just like that, the first couple days of the NCAA tournament have come and gone. And let me tell you, the wait was well worth it. The feeling of waking up on Thursday morning and watching basketball non-stop all day must be what heaven feels like. As I sat in my house with four tvs in one room showing all of the games, it was like Christmas morning came early this year.
This tournament had quite a bit of unexpected upsets , surprises, and Cinderella teams.
One of the biggest stories of the tournament has been this year’s Cinderella team, Florida Gulf Coast. The Eagles completely stunned second-seeded Georgetown, and the nation, when they pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament. Quickly, the once unknown school in Fort Myers, Florida became a household name in a matter of hours. As high flying dunks and emotional players flashed on television screens around the country, Florida Gulf Coast was in the process of making history. The Eagles made history by becoming the first 15-seed in the Sweet Sixteen. This FGCU team has brought “Dunk City” to the madness and has many people rooting for them to pull off the impossible and win the whole tournament.
Another huge surprise in the tournament was the 14-seeded Harvard team. By defeating New Mexico, Harvard won their first ever game in the NCAA tournament. That night, Harvard proved to everyone that they aren’t just some “nerds” on a basketball team. They proved that in March, any team can win. The tournament did not play out very well for a couple of local teams. While Kansas and Wichita State have managed to advance, Kansas State and Missouri weren’t so lucky.
The fifth-seeded Kansas State Wildcats had a disappointing showing in the tournament losing to 12-seeded La Salle. The Wildcats had everything they needed to make a deep run in the tournament. A decent seed, a chance to play in Kansas City, and a weak bracket. However, the Wildcats let March, and the La Salle Explorers, get the best of them.
The ninth-seeded Missouri Tigers also had a second round exit losing to eighth-seeded Colorado State. For most of the game Colorado State had control of the game, mainly due to out rebounding and out hustling the Tigers. However, despite cutting the lead down to four in the second half, the Tigers never really had a chance after a disappointing game, and an overall disappointing season.
So far this year, my bracket has taken some major hits. It seems this year there is more red crossing out on my bracket than green highlights. But, judging by the many tweets sent out during the course of the tournament, many people’s brackets are struggling this year. However, that’s understandable because I still have no clue what the outcome of this tournament will be when it’s all over. After these exciting couple rounds of the tournament, only 12 teams remain as of this morning. After tonight, there will only be eight. The Elite Eight.
