This is Why they call it March Madness

We are only two rounds in, at the NCAA men's tournament, and it already saw last year's champions Kansas being ousted, as well as one of the favourite teams to win it all, in Purdue. Still, everybody knows that these strange results are bound to happen. After all, that is why they call it March Madness. Let's take a look at what has already happened, which caused a stir in people's predictions, and what could happen next.

Bye-bye Purdue!

Basketball doesn't get much better than this. Fairleigh Dickinson which was ranked 16th, went on to beat the number one team Purdue, in the first round of the tournament. As incredible as it may seem, they became only the second team in the history of the tournament to pull off such a stunt. Indeed, it happened only once before, five years ago, when UMBC played on to victory over Virginia, in another battle of the 16th team versus the number one that went wrong. The Purdue players were left looking stunned on the court, when the final buzzer rang, and everyone from Fairleigh Dickinson mobbed each other, still incredulous of the task they had achieved. In one game, they had destroyed the hopes of many gamblers who were certain that Purdue would move on.

So Long Kansas!

The team that went on to win it all last year, is no more part of the competition in 2023. That is because they lost in the second round to the number eight ranked Arkansas, in a game that ended with only a one point difference (72-71). It was quite an upset, which mostly came from the fact that the Razorbacks (Arkansas) attacked the rim endlessly during the second half, leaving no time for Kansas to catch-up. Also, some Kansas players could not stay away from fouls, which became very costly in the end, especially in view of the final score. And so, there will be a new number one in 2023, with Kansas gone. At this point in time, it is certainly difficult to envision who will be the lone survivor on April 8.

Is Princeton for Real?

Princeton is a team that has to be taken seriously, after two rounds. That is because they have already gotten rid of the number two seed Arizona, as well as the number seven seed Missouri. This Ivy League school handled the powerhouse that was Arizona, right from the start, with a 59 – 55 victory, and left no chance to Missouri, during their second game. This puts the Tigers on a very short list, as they are just the second Ivy League school to make the Sweet 16 in 43 years, the other team being Cornell, in 2010. If they survive the next round, they may end-up facing the number one seed Alabama, in the South. But they also have their work cut out, as they will face SDSU next, ranked at number five, and it will be a chance for betting fans to place their bet, but before that, it is necessary to have reliable picks and predictions to look them out for, for that reason, Sportytrader is a good reference as a website where they cover all basketball predictions.

Number Two Marquette has fallen

Although a little less spectacular than the other results above, it is still worth noting the defeat of Marquette at the hand of number seven ranked Michigan State University. Many had high hopes for this team, but they were fighting one with an experienced coach and a school that went through a lot this year. Izzo (the coach) has won a record 16th game with a lower seeded team, and in doing so he managed to reach his 15th semi-final. As for the school, three students were killed in a shooting that took place there, not so long ago (February 13). It certainly provides the team with energy, wanting to honour the memory of their school comrades.

Looking Ahead to Sweet Sixteen

Now that all the teams have played their second round match, which can cause a surprise and which can go all the way as planned? There can be no doubt that Princeton has the wind in its sail, after two surprises already at this tournament. They will be facing Creighton, which was seeded as the number six team. It would be bad luck to bet against them, at this point.

As for those teams that were supposed to go all the way to the end and still might, there are only two number ones still alive. In the South, we find Alabama on top. They will have to fight number five SDSU first, and then the winner of the Princeton versus Creighton. These are the best odds, since Houston (Midwest), the only other number one seeded team, will first have to face the number five (Miami) and then the winner of Xavier (3) and Texas (2).