BEST FINISH OF THE DAY: No. 7 Wisconsin 66, No. 2 Xavier 63
Bronson Koenig is now shooting better than 50 percent from beyond the arc in the final five minutes of regulation of overtime thanks to a pair of threes that he hit in the final 12 seconds -- including this ridiculous, Steph Curry-esque triple at the buzzer -- to send the Badgers into the Sweet 16.
The shot itself was ridiculous. But if you don’t know the story of Wisconsin from this season, you don’t understand just how big it was.
THIS ONE MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER, THOUGH: No. 3 Texas A&M 92, No. 11 Northern Iowa 88 2OT
This was an all-timer. The Panthers blew a 12-point lead in 34 seconds. Four turnovers in less than 20 seconds. It is quite literally not believable. But it happened. I promise you it did. I have the video right here.
AND YOU PROBABLY FORGOT BY NOW, BUT ... : You can make a very strong case that No. 6 Notre Dame’s 76-75 win over No. 14 Stephen F. Austin was the most exciting game of the tournament from start until finish. Not only was the end exciting -- I mean, just watch this game-winner -- but there was a high-level of basketball being played throughout.
UPDATED 2016 NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET
HEY, LOOK WHO’S IN THE SWEET 16!: No. 10 Syracuse
The Orange advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament after picking off No. 15 Middle Tennessee State in convincing fashion on Sunday, something that Michigan State -- who was one of the favorites to win it all entering the start of the tournament -- could not do.
THESE FAVORITES ADVANCED
- The curse is over! No. 1 Villanova is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.
- No. 1 Oregon needed a late run to finish off Saint Joseph’s, but they got the job done and will be advancing to the Sweet 16 as the lone member of the Pac-12 left in the tournament.
- No. 2 Oklahoma found themselves in a dogfight with No. 10 VCU, but they made the plays they needed to make down the stretch to advance. The Sooners get No. 3 Texas A&M in Anaheim in the next round.
STARRED
- Buddy Freakin’ Hield, man. He had 36 points in the win over VCU. And 29 of those points came in the second half. And 26 of those points came in the final 15 minutes, when Hield made every big shot for the Sooners.
- Danuel House didn’t score until there was 5:14 left for No. 3 Texas A&M. He finished with 22 points in the double-overtime win, including seven points in the final 1:15 to force the first OT.
STRUGGLED
- Maryland shot 1-for-18 from three. They still beat No. 13 Hawai’i but after their near-meltdown against South Dakota State in the tournament opener, that’s not a good sign for the Terps with No. 1 Kansas coming up next.
- With 15 minutes left, No. 7 Iowa was down 61-31 to No. 2 Villanova. Ouch.
- After going off for 21 points in the win over Michigan State, MTSU’s Reggie Upshaw was 1-for-10 from the floor against Syracuse.