The defending champion UNC Tar Heels, the #1 seed Xavier Musketeers and the #2 seed Cincinnati Bearcats were all upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament yesterday as the underdogs continued to bust brackets across the country.
#7 Texas A&M put a hurting on UNC, defeating the Tar Heels 86-65 behind Junior center Tyler Davis' 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Texas A&M entered the game as 7.5-point underdogs but as we've come to learn in the NCAA Tournament, the odds don't mean anything once the ball is tipped.
With yesterday's win, the Aggies will now take on #3 Michigan on Thursday night in the Sweet 16.
In the West Region, the #1 seed Xavier Musketeers were eliminated by the #9 Florida State Seminoles, who closed the game on an 18-4 run, en route to a 75-70 victory. FSU's victory marked the first time in school history that they beat a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles, who have not been to the Sweet 16 since 2011, will go up against #4 Gonzaga on Thursday night.
Arguably the most shocking upset of the day was when #7 Nevada overcame a 22-point deficit with a little over 11 minutes left in the game to knock off the Cincinnati Bearcats, a team that was ranked sixth in the nation.
“We told them, ‘Guys, we are down 22 on the biggest stage we will ever play on,’” Nevada head coach Eric Musselman. “‘You can’t hide. We’ve got to compete. We’ve got to battle.’ And then they started talking in the huddles.”
The Wolfpack will face the #11 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers on Thursday night in the Sweet 16.