NCAA tournament: Thursday’s Midwest Region review

Richmond’s victory over Iowa officially will be recorded as a No. 12 seed beating a No. 5. But it feels more significant than that, much more significant. Much of the country expected a double-digit seed to shake up the Midwest Region in Buffalo. But it turned out to be Richmond and not No. 13 seeded South Dakota State. The Spiders, who won the Atlantic 10 tournament as a No. 6 seed, stunned previously surging Iowa — with the help of officials who swallowed their whistles in the final minutes — to earn a date with No. 4 seed Providence on Saturday. Iowa didn’t look much like the team that stormed through the Big Ten tournament. Its shooting was erratic and star Keegan Murray, perhaps the Big Ten’s best player, went through a long stretch where he was virtually invisible offensively. Meantime, Richmond got most of its scoring in the paint, and its season lives on.

Here’s a look at what happened in the NCAA’s Midwest Region on Thursday.

Most impressive performance, team: Providence. The Friars are an older, seasoned squad with fourth- and fifth-year seniors in its starting lineup. Coach Ed Cooley, the Sporting News national coach of the year, has a deft touch with motivating his team. The Friars were clearly rankled that much of the nation picked against them, and F Noah Horchler acknowledged as much afterward. It is not shocking that Providence won, of course; it is surprising and impressive that the Friars made South Dakota State’s sharp-shooting offense look so pedestrian. 

Most impressive performance, individual: Richmond G Jacob Gilyard. He scored a game-high 24 points in the upset of Iowa. A 5-foot-9, 23-year-old senior, Gilyard was 8-of-15 from the floor, including four 3-pointers and all four of his free throws. He was the catalyst for the Spiders, giving them a chance to upset the Hawkeyes.

Hard to understand: The waning moments of the Iowa-Richmond game wasn’t the only game tarnished by late-game questionable officiating. Late in the Providence game, with the Friars clinging to a three-point lead, Providence’s Jared Bynum unleashed an errant 3-point attempt as the shot clock was winding down. The Jackrabbits’ Douglas Wilson raced toward him and appeared to mostly leap past Bynum, who slightly extended his right leg as he was falling down. A foul was called, resulting in three free throws — turning a three-point advantage into a game-clinching six-point lead. That was a debatable call, at best. One can argue that the Jackrabbits should have been in position to try to tie the game with a 3-pointer in the final seconds. 

What we’ll be talking about from the region on Friday: What happened to Iowa? The Hawkeyes’ offense looked to be at peak level in the Big Ten tournament. But they made only 21 percent of their 3-point shots Thursday. Yes, officials clearly missed Richmond’s Matt Grace hitting Kris Murray’s left elbow on a critical 3-point attempt in the final minute. Nevertheless, a trendy Final Four pick is gone, and Richmond — which won four games in four days to earn the A-10 automatic berth — moves on to face the Friars. Meantime, Providence’s tough, rugged defense is back. The alarming performance in the Big East tournament, allowing Creighton to score 85 points, was an anomaly. The Friars, the regular-season Big East champs, knew if they didn’t solve the defensive issues, they’d be gone because they were playing the nation’s best 3-point shooting team in South Dakota State. The Friars held the Jackrabbits to nearly 30 points under their season average of 86 points per game. 

Key numbers: Providence made more 3-point shots than South Dakota State — eight to seven. The Jackrabbits led the nation in 3-point shooting percentage at 45 percent, the best mark in NCAA Division I in 28 years. That was a prime reason they were such a hot upset pick in bracket pools. They had made 100 more three-point shots than their opponents. But Providence flipped that script. … South Dakota State had five left-handed players on its team. … The Jackrabbits saw their 21-game winning streak snapped.

Game results

No. 1 Kansas 83, No. 16 Texas Southern 56

Main takeaway: There weren’t many teams that had suspense-free first-round games. But the Jayhawks were one of them. They’ll be favored to beat Creighton in the second round Saturday, but they’ll need to play well. Despite mounting injuries, Creighton has been difficult to put away in games.
Up next: Kansas vs. No. 9 Creighton, Saturday

No. 4 Providence 66, No. 13 South Dakota State 57

Main takeaway: The Friars were fortunate with that late whistle, but credit Ed Cooley’s team with an outstanding defensive performance. South Dakota State had success early in its free-flowing offense, throwing down two early above-the-rim alley-oop dunks and seeing Summit League player of the year Baylor Scheierman unleash a precise behind-the-back pass in transition for a score. Cooley’s emphasis on resetting the team’s defensive mindset paid off; the Friars disrupted the Jackrabbits’ movement and flow. They played like an old-school Big East team. That is bad news for everyone else in the region.
Up next: vs. No. 12 Richmond, Saturday.

No. 9 Creighton 72, No. 8 San Diego State 69 (OT)

Main takeaway: If you’re looking for resiliency, Creighton is your team. It has defined its entire season. And it was the central theme in the come-from-behind victory over San Diego State. The Bluejays appeared defeated on numerous occasions against the Aztecs and had to go on a 9-0 run to force overtime. All hope also seemed lost when C Ryan Kalkbrenner went down late with an apparent knee injury. He left with 16 points and 10 rebounds. His status will be a major focus heading into its second-round game Saturday. Creighton has excelled in games decided by five or fewer points all season, and Thursday night was no exception.
Up next: Creighton vs. No. 1 Kansas, Saturday

No. 12 Richmond 67, No. 5 Iowa 63

Main takeaway: Remember that scorching-hot Iowa offense? Well, it sure cooled off against Richmond. The Hawkeyes couldn’t find any consistency behind the 3-point line. Not known for its defensive prowess, Iowa couldn’t stop Richmond in the paint. Iowa had 14 offensive rebounds but only converted those into nine points.
Up next: vs. No. 4 Providence, Saturday.