| Things happen quickly in the NCAA tournament. The | | | | 11-seeds Wisconsin-Milwaukee and George Mason |
| tournament begins on Thursday and by Friday night, | | | | beating six-seeds Oklahoma (Thursday) and Michigan |
| the field has been cut to 32 teams. By Sunday night, | | | | State (Friday). |
| it's down to just 16 teams with only 15 games | | | | A 12-seed has now beaten a five-seed in 20 of the |
| remaining before the crowning of this year's national | | | | last 23 years, with 14 advancing to the Sweet 16 |
| champs! | | | | (Wisconsin-Milwaukee did it last year). However, just |
| Through the tournament's first two days, all four No. 1 | | | | one of those 14 teams won its Sweet 16 game, |
| and No. 2 seeds advanced but few looked impressive | | | | Missouri in 2002. The Tigers lost to Oklahoma 81-75 |
| in doing so. Top-seeds are now 88-0 since 1985 in the | | | | that year, in the regional finals. |
| first round with No. 2 seeds upping their record to 84-4. | | | | Texas A&M and Wisconsin-Milwaukee both play |
| However, Memphis, the lowest of the four No. 1 seeds | | | | Saturday, facing four-seeds LSU and Florida. LSU is |
| (and the smallest favorite), was the only No. 1 seed to | | | | favored by five points over A&M and Florida is |
| 'cover' a first round game, while UCLA was the lone | | | | favored by seven points over Wisconsin-Milwaukee. |
| No. 2 seed to cover its game. | | | | The Big East, which sent a record eight teams to the |
| That 2-6 ATS record drops No. 1 and No. 2 seeds to | | | | tournament this year, redeemed itself on Friday. Big |
| a very unimpressive 31-33 ATS mark the last eight | | | | East teams were 0-3 on Thursday but came back to |
| years in the tournament's first round, especially when | | | | win all five Friday games (3-2 ATS). The Big-10 saw |
| it's compared to their gaudy 63-1 SU mark! | | | | its teams go 3-3 (2-4 ATS) through the first two days |
| The lowest-seed to pull an upset in round one was | | | | and the SEC went 5-1 (4-2 ATS). |
| Northwestern State (14), which beat No. 3 Iowa 64-63 | | | | The ACC was a perfect 4-0 in the first round |
| on Friday, as a seven-point underdog. No. 13 Bradley's | | | | (although just 2-2 ATS), while the Pac-10 went 3-1 (3-1 |
| win over No. 4 Kansas 77-73 on Friday night, was the | | | | ATS) and the Big-12 went 2-2 (1-3 ATS). The MVC |
| opening round's second-biggest upset (Bradley opened | | | | had four schools in this year's tourney (the most-ever) |
| an eight-point dog and closed around 6 1/2). | | | | and saw its teams go 2-2 SU and ATS. |
| Northwestern State becomes just the 15th 14-seed to | | | | Air Force and Bradley (both 13-seeds) plus Texas |
| win a first-round game since 1985 (88 games). The | | | | A&M and Utah State (both 12-seeds) were |
| Demons will meet the sixth-seeded Mountaineers on | | | | considered the "last teams in", as they were the |
| Sunday, trying to become just the third 14-seed to win | | | | lowest-seeded at-large teams. Bradley and A&M |
| a second round game. | | | | both won their first round games and neither Air Force |
| Cleveland State was the first to do it in 1986, with | | | | nor Utah State embarrassed themselves in losses to |
| Chattanooga turning the trick in 1997. However, both of | | | | Illinois and Washington. |
| those schools lost their Sweet 16 games, Cleveland | | | | There also seemed to be many who questioned |
| State to Navy (71-70) and Chattanooga to Providence | | | | whether Hofstra (at 24-6 the Pride had the most wins |
| (71-65). West Va opened as a 6 1/2-point favorite. | | | | of any team not invited!) not George Mason (11-seed), |
| Bradley's upset of Kansas makes the Braves the 18th | | | | should have the CAA's at-large school. The Patriots |
| 13-seed to win a first round game. Like with | | | | did just fine Friday night, knocking off sixth-seeded |
| Northwestern State, history is not on Bradley's side | | | | Michigan State. |
| when the Braves take on No. 5 Pittsburgh on Sunday. | | | | Closing note |
| Of the previous 17 13-seeds to have won in the first | | | | Duke may not win this year's tournament, as too often |
| round, only Richmond (1988), Valparaiso (1998) and | | | | the Blue Devils look like a two-man team. In fact, |
| Oklahoma (1999) have won their second round games. | | | | Redick and Williams accounted for 58 of the team's |
| All three lost their Sweet 16 games. Pittsburgh opened | | | | 70 points in the Blue Devils' 70-54 opening-game win |
| as a 4 1/2-point favorite. | | | | over Southern. However, Coach K has a pretty good |
| The NCAA defines a major upset as the winner being | | | | track record. His win on Friday gives him 67 NCAA |
| seeded five or more places beneath the loser. Using | | | | wins, extending his NCAA record (Dean Smith won |
| that definition, the first round produced six major | | | | 65). The closest active coaches to him are Lute Olson |
| upsets. Joining Northwestern State and Bradley were | | | | with 47 and Roy Williams with 42 (entering the |
| 12-seeds Montana and Texas A&M beating | | | | weekend). |
| five-seeds Nevada and Syracuse on Thursday plus | | | | |