SEC Falls Flat in Chalky NCAA Tournament Opening Weekend

It was a banner year for SEC basketball. Arguably the best basketball league in the country, it was validated on Selection Sunday when eight teams punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, tied with the Big 12 for the most teams in the Big Dance. Following the first weekend of action, only two teams remain, Tennessee and Alabama.

The two survivors from the SEC almost didn’t make it either. In a chalky second round, Texas and Grand Canyon made each team sweat. The Longhorns trailed by two with two minutes to play and one with 36 seconds remaining before the Vols iced the game at the free throw line. Alabama ended up covering in an 11-point win, but it was a one-possession game with two minutes to go.

Texas A&M almost gave the SEC three teams in the Sweet 16. The Aggies went down swinging, overcoming a 7-point deficit in the final minute to force overtime at the buzzer. Ultimately, Houston had too much firepower for Buzz Williams’ squad.

Five SEC teams fell in the first round. Auburn lost to Yale in a dramatic finish, but the biggest upset of the weekend, the one everyone is talking about at the watercooler, hits close to home. Instead of watching Kentucky cut down nets, the college basketball world is celebrating another Kentucky early exit.

Conference Records in March Madness

CONFERENCE	RECORD	WIN PCT%
ACC	8-1	.889
Atlantic 10	2-2	.500
American	0-2	.000
Big 12	7-6	.538
Big East	6-0	1.000
Big Ten	6-4	.600
Mountain West	4-5	.444
Pac-12	6-3	.667
SEC	5-6	.454
West Coast	2-1	.667

Chalky NCAA Tournament Opening Weekend

For just the fifth time since 1979, every No. 1 and No. 2 seed advanced to the Sweet 16. Kentucky and Baylor were the only No. 3 seeds bounced. Auburn and Kansas are the the two No. 4 seeds who will not be playing next weekend.

College basketball fans, casuals in particular, love March Madness for the upsets. Those just didn’t happen, especially in the second round. Yes, there were a couple of exciting late-night games, like the double overtime thriller between Oregon and Creighton, but the favorites conquered the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

In the second round favorites were 15-1 straight up and 11-5 Against the Spread (ATS). Baylor was the only favorite that lost in the Round of 32. Overall, underdogs are 19-29 ATS with 12 outright upsets.

Some sharp folks like to play unders in the NCAA Tournament. When games get close, players get tight and make mistakes. Vegas has been all over it. When the final two games went over last night, it brought the NCAA Tournament record for unders to 23-25.