The first weekend of March Madness 2022 did not disappoint.
Saturday’s slate of NCAA tournament games saw 8-seed North Carolina upset the defending champion Baylor Bears. Michigan took down No. 3 Tennessee, adding to the hoops drama.
That wasn’t all. Creighton played tough against No. 1 Kansas, but the Jayhawks escaped with a 79-72 victory.
The hardwood theatrics continued in a big way on Sunday.
Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo went head-to-head for the final time. Krzyzewski is retiring after 42 seasons with the Blue Devils, but with Duke’s win over Michigan State, he has at least one more game to coach in the Sweet 16. It was the sixth meeting between Coach K and Izzo in the NCAA tournament, a record for the most common matchups between head coaches, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Miami bounced Auburn from the tournament — while handing the Tigers their biggest defeat of the season — and Iowa State made a statement by upsetting Wisconsin to earn a Sweet 16 berth just a year removed from a two-win season.
Then, later in the evening, Arizona edged TCU in an OT thriller to secure the final spot in the next round. Here’s how all the action unfolded:
What. A. Game. The 1-seed Arizona Wildcats survived an OT thriller to beat the 9-seed TCU Horned Frogs and secure the last remaining spot in the Sweet 16.
PUTBACK TO CAP THE NIGHT OMG@ArizonaMBB #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/QzQY01aheH
In the win, Christian Koloko became the first player with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 90% shooting in an NCAA tournament game since Blake Griffin in 2009, per ESPN Stats & Information research.
Meanwhile, Bennedict Mathurin recorded the eighth 30-point game by an Arizona player in the history of the tournament (first since Derrick Williams in 2011). Of Mathurin’s 30 points, 20 of them were in the second half and OT. You could say he thrives on high stakes.
After pulling out the win over Chris Beard’s Texas Longhorns, the Purdue Boilermakers are Sweet 16-bound — in part thanks to some elite free throw shooting. Purdue made 33 free throws in the victory, its most in an NCAA tournament game in program history.
According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the victory was Purdue’s 44th NCAA tournament win, which is the most wins by a team to never earn the title. The Boilermakers passed the Oklahoma Sooners (43) for the distinction.
How #SWEET16 it is!!!#BoilerUp x #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/8xrIq4dk3B
Next up? The Boilermakers face the formidable 15-seed Saint Peter’s Peacocks, who shocked Kentucky and Murray State earlier in the tournament.
Another upset? Another upset. The Miami Hurricanes will make their fourth Sweet 16 appearance in program history after knocking the Auburn Tigers out of the tournament.
MIAMI CAN FEEL IT ?
All @CanesHoops down the stretch #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/gMXyQV5T6u
Per ESPN Stats & Information research, Miami is the second double-digit seed over the past 15 NCAA tournaments to defeat a top-two seed without trailing, joining (15) Middle Tennessee in 2016 vs. (2) Michigan State. A feat like that is cause for celebration, just ask Jim Larranaga.
Coach L still got it!!!!
Miami takes down No. 2 Auburn to advance to the Sweet 16!#MarchMadness @MarchMadnessMBB pic.twitter.com/sUnhA3SxIe
The locker room dance moves are unmatched.
How ‘bout them Red Raiders? Texas Tech’s defense stepped all the way up, holding the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to 10 paint points on 5-of-18 shooting.
RED RAIDERS GOING ALL OUT ?
This @TexasTechMBB sequence was tough #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/aGOcmmDCoL
With Texas still playing and TCU yet to tip, the Big 12 already has three teams into the Sweet 16. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the most teams the Big 12 has ever had reach the Sweet 16 is four, done in 2002 and 2018.
Texas Tech’s victory caught the attention of at least one high-profile alumnus in Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
? https://t.co/gGC7kUoM0n
Down goes Wisconsin! The Iowa State Cyclones continued their turnaround season by defeating the Badgers to secure the program’s sixth Sweet 16 appearance.
UPSET ALERT IN MILWAUKEE ?@CycloneMBB is #SweetSixteen bound! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/UOJ6vdWbIv
You can say you saw this coming after the Cyclones’ two-win season last year, but we won’t believe you.
Make that 99 NCAA tournament wins for Coach K.
Duke vs. Michigan State was everything a fan of quality hoops could have hoped for — this jam from Mark Williams was no exception.
Mark Williams is a force at the rim ?@DukeMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/qrRLcoYfPV
This 3 wasn’t too shabby either …
DUKE HITS THE THREE TO TIE IT UP! ?@DukeMBB #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Kxulw1yH1Z
Per ESPN Stats & Information research, with Sunday’s win, Coach K’s team has knocked Michigan State out of the NCAA tournament five times. That’s the most times one coach has defeated a single program in NCAA tournament history.
«AND THE MUSIC IS STILL PLAYING FOR COACH K’S LAST DANCE.» ?@DukeMBB wills its way to victory vs. Michigan State#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Wxv6g66K3R
STILL ???????????#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/yMzqcoTuBo
The Villanova Wildcats are dancing to the Sweet 16 (again) after thwarting the Ohio State Buckeyes‘ second-half comeback attempt to win 71-61.
Six members of the 2021 #Sweet16 are back for more in 2022 ?#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/JDitpzUlY9
The Wildcats appear to be getting hot at the right time, having won seven in a row.
ERIC. DIXON. ?@BigEballer_ | #LetsMarchNova
pic.twitter.com/YXg5jDKhii
Next up? Jay Wright & Co. will meet the Michigan Wolverines in San Antonio, the same city where Villanova defeated Michigan in the 2018 national championship game. We’re not saying it’s a good omen for Nova, but it’s certainly not a bad one.
After knocking out Illinois 68-53, Houston will make its third straight Sweet 16 appearance. The Coogs’ streak is the third-longest active one behind Gonzaga (seven) and Michigan (five). It’s safe to say Coach Kelvin Sampson liked what he saw out of his guys.
Shirtless Kelvin Sampson was WILDIN’ in the locker room ?@UHCougarMBK #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/yVHrZlSnQE
«THE HOUSTON COUGARS ARE GOING TO THE #SWEET16«
Sampson and co. punch their ticket ?@UHCougarMBK #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/O45xem9McC
One more look at the hustle by Fabian White Jr. ?@UHCougarMBK #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/0Qs1bo1f7C
MILWAUKEE — When New Mexico State stunned UConn in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday, America was introduced to «Teddy Buckets.»
Aggies guard Teddy Allen scored 37 of his team’s 70 points, the most ever by a New Mexico State player in the tournament. After the game, Allen went viral by staring into a TNT camera and saying, «Bye, bye, blue bloods!»
«The interview after the game, that’s exactly who he is all the time,» said Allen’s younger brother, Timmy, a forward for Texas. «But I don’t know, I’m definitely a fun guy.»
don’t play bout him https://t.co/CSeoR6lTXN
Not only does Timmy Allen also have some personality, he’s the rightful owner of the «Buckets» nickname, at least until big brother stepped in.
«I was the original ‘Timmy Buckets,'» Teddy said Saturday, as Texas prepared for its second-round matchup against Purdue. «It’s been my Twitter handle since the seventh grade or something like that. And then he started going crazy and it went to Teddy Buckets. So either or, but we both get to the basket for sure.»
New Mexico State is Teddy Allen’s fourth school in five years, while Timmy transferred from Utah to Texas following the 2020-21 season. Longhorns coach Chris Beard said the team delayed several film sessions Thursday so Timmy could watch Teddy’s game against UConn. Beard is close with New Mexico State coach Chris Jans.
«I think Timmy was the original ‘Buckets,'» Beard said. «It’s my understanding that Teddy took it. I love Teddy, but I’m a Timmy guy.»
While Teddy might be the more brazen and outgoing brother, Timmy has his own swagger.
«Timmy has his own dance,» Texas guard Courtney Ramey said. «You should see it someday. Big fun guy over here. Big fun guy.»
If Texas keeps dancing in the NCAA tournament, the moves are sure to come out. — Adam Rittenberg
