March Madness Recap – Opening Weekend 2017

Pardon the hyperbole, but there couldn’t be a more fitting moniker for the 2017 Men’s NCAAB National Championship Tournament than “Madness,” which is why we’ve put together a March Madness recap for you to put it all in perspective.

The competitor inside me is giddier than as a gamecock in a hen house, battier than a badger in a burrow … okay, you get the point.

With six upsets (according to seeding) in the first round, and then four more in the second seeing big guns Duke and Villanova exit early, once again the tournament has lived up to its billing.

Let’s see in our March Madness recap who’s doing their best Saturday Night Fever impression and staying alive.

Did someone say gamecocks?

2017 March Madness Recap – Rounds 1&2

East

Wisconsin

They entered the tournament on a red-hot tear, despite landing a mediocre 8-seed in the East bracket. Led by seniors Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig, the Badgers knocked out Virginia Tech and then went on to upset the reigning champs.

Florida

Florida rolled over Eastern Tennessee State 80-65 then met UVA in round 2. Justin Leon and Devin Robinson’s led the Gator’s with 14 points against Virginia, which is just fine when your defense holds the opposition to less than 1 point per minute over the course of an entire game. 

Baylor

Despite needing corrective eye surgery after watching the glowing Bears, it’s plain to see that Baylor came to ball up on this tournament manhandling USC 82 – 78 along with an impressive 43 rebounds.

South Carolina

The Gamecocks stuck it to Marquette on Friday and sent Duke packing. Sindarius Thornwell has 53 points so far in the tournament and he’s going to need to come up big against Baylor on Friday.

Midwest

Kansas

Kansas blew out UC Davis and dispatched Michigan St. with NBA-like scores to take a stroll over to Kansas City, MO to play Purdue in the Sweet 16.

Purdue

The Boilermakers tried their hardest to relive their first-round blues by letting Vermont back in the game, and then again almost blew it, letting Iowa State climb back from a 19-point deficit.

Oregon

The Ducks’ Tyler Dorsey might be the hottest shooter in the tournament right now dropping 24 points on Iona in the opening round then, oh, another 27 points against Rhode Island in the second round.

Michigan

This team was a planewreck before the tournament started … oh what? Too soon? Jokes aside, there’s no denying the Wolverines are the hottest team in the tournament, edging out Oklahoma State 92-91 (nailing 16 3’s in the process), and then upsetting Louisville 73 – 69.

West

Gonzaga

Gonzaga did their best to lose to Northwestern and were saved by a questionable goaltending call. Lackluster scoring performances do not bode well for the Bulldogs finally cracking the Final Four.

WVU

West Virginia’s known for its defense but has put up strong numbers in the tournament so far. They beat Bucknell 86-80 and Notre Dame 83-71 with a whole of team effort.

Xavier

The 11-seed Xavier Musketeers sent Maryland to another ignominious early exit and then embarrassed Florida St. with a 91-66 drubbing. Xavier’s Trevon Bluiett went 8-14 with 29 points, grabbing 6 rebounds.

Arizona

Arizona is one of three teams in the tournament to put up triple digits. Not sure if that says something about their ability to score or more about North Dakota’s inability to defend.

South

North Carolina

The Tarheels suddenly find themselves without their main nemesis in the tournament, yet still surrounded by a bunch of wolves looking to make them the next big upset. They looked like they had hit their stride taking down Texas Southern 103 – 64, then gave up a 17-0 lead and let Arkansas almost steal one.

Butler

Butler has that bulldog mentality on offense and defense, creating tough situations for everyone they match up against. They held five Middle Tennessee players to zero points.

UCLA

I mean, this team puts up ridiculous numbers (176 points in the first two rounds, but who’s counting). Marquee match-up alert: Don’t miss UCLA/Kentucky, the only top-3 seeded teams playing in the Sweet 16.

Kentucky

The Wildcats eked out victories against Northern Kentucky and Wichita State, making for interesting circumstances in the rematch against high-scoring UCLA.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for reading this little March Madness recap. Stay tuned for my predictions on the upcoming Sweet 16 games.

If you’re in Vegas and looking for some betting action, you might be interested in my review of Las Vegas Sports Books.

By Chris Sharp, Certified 12-Time Veteran of Las Vegas March Madness and Sports Wagering