March Madness is in full swing with plenty of upsets and many blowouts. The first two rounds were nothing short of amazing. From the underdogs winning games to the top teams asserting dominance, there was it all. Let’s break it down. 

Round of 64 day one: 

   The very first game left less than 50% of brackets remaining with Maryland beating West Virginia. As soon as this game ended, Furman hit a buzzer beater three to knock off the four seed Virginia. The turnover from Virginia point guard Clark gave Furman the perfect opportunity to send Virginia packing. Many picked The College of Charleston as their big upset, but San Diego State proved that they shouldn’t have been doubted. 

   Kansas and Alabama defeated their opponents by more than twenty points. These were very promising games for the number one seeds. Houston also won their opening game by a margin of eleven points. Duke, UCLA, Penn State, and Texas also all won by large spreads. 

   There were two huge upsets in the opening round that left fans stunned. The first being Princeton, taking the win over number two seed Arizona. This game proved to the world that it truly doesn’t matter who is playing. 

Day two:

   However, the outcome of Purdue vs. Fairleigh Dickinson is being considered one of the biggest upsets of all time. Only the second sixteen seed to ever win a game in the big dance, FDU stunned the world by beating a top team in the nation. The mind blowing part of this upset was that FDU did not have a single player over the height of six foot six inches. 

   Also on the second day of action, Michigan State, Baylor, St. Mary’s, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Creighton, UConn, Kentucky, and Gonzaga all had convincing wins. Indiana and Kansas State made statement games as well. 

   The eight vs. nine seed matchup in the East was a phenomenal game. Memphis and FAU went back and forth giving each other big blows but neither could put the game away until Memphis turned the ball over on their last possession and FAU made the game winning layup. Arizona State gave TCU a run for their money, only losing by two points. 

Round of 32 day one:

   The second round kicked off with a large win for San Diego State knocking off the possible Cinderella story Furman. San Diego did this with ease as they won by 23 points. Tennessee proved that they can play even with some injuries defeating powerful five seed Duke. 

   The two biggest upsets on the first day of the second round came from Arkansas and Princeton. Arkansas finished their game against Kansas with a one point lead. Kansas is the second number one seed to be beaten. Princeton had yet another huge win, this time defeating Missouri. The Princeton Tigers won by a margin of 15 points. 

   Alabama and Houston cruised past their opponents both winning by double digits. UCLA and Texas had much closer games than the one and two seeds. Texas came out of a hard fought battle against Penn State with a five point lead. In UCLA’s matchup with Northwestern, Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the charge with 24 points and ultimately won by five. 

Round of 32 Day two:

   Xavier beat the eleven seed Pitt by 11 points in their second round of action. In a hard fought game against Kentucky, Kansas St. finished with a six point lead. This great matchup knocked out one of the last “blue blood” teams in the tournament. Michigan State’s defense in the first half against Marquette gave them the advantage. The seven seed defeated a great two seed that many were high on. 

   UConn proved once again that they have a serious chance of winning it all, beating St. Mary’s by 15. Another team that proved their strength was Creighton. Creighton is a six seed that many had their doubts on. The win over Baylor sends them to the sweet 16. 

   FAU ended Fairleigh Dickinson’s fairytale run winning by eight. FAU is the second highest seed team left aside from Princeton. Miami and Gonzaga had very close games against Indiana and TCU, but came out victorious. 

   The sweet 16 will begin Thursday night with Michigan State vs. Kansas State. This is a highly anticipated matchup that many are excited for.