Four big things after the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament

A week ago at this time, 68 teams were feeling the rush and excitement for the opportunity to compete in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, a historic event that is unrivaled in all of sports. Now, only 16 of those teams remain after a hectic first weekend. Let’s look at the biggest things to know heading into a gigantic upcoming slate next weekend.

Parity hit the brakes (kind of)

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

When #14 Oakland stunned #3 on Kentucky on Thursday night, not only were most brackets busted but it looked like we were in for another crazy year of March Madness where unpredictability would be at the forefront. Friday provided some similar craziness, and along with Oakland, #13 Yale #12 James Madison, #12 Grand Canyon, #11 Duquesne, #11 Oregon, #11 North Carolina State, and #10 Colorado all advanced to the second round as double-digit seeds.

However, of that group, only North Carolina State would be able to advance to the Sweet 16 over the next couple of days, making this year’s tournament the first one since 2019 to not feature a mid-major team (excluding Gonzaga, obviously) in the Sweet 16. After a wild first two days, it was shocking to see so few upsets in the Round of 32. Many of these teams didn’t go down without a fight though, as it took at least one overtime period to take out Oregon and Oakland, respectively. On the other end of things, teams like James Madison, Yale, and Duquesne completely rolled over after pulling such magical upsets in the first round.

UConn and Purdue remind everyone why they’re here

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

As stated above, the mid-majors had their moment on Thursday and Friday. However, UConn and Purdue, two teams ranked in the top five of the AP Poll practically all year, would not be denied. UConn, the tournaments #1 overall seed, cruised past #16 Stetson in the first round before being tasked with a stingy #9 Northwestern team which was led by the program’s all-time leader scorer, Boo Buie, and had just beaten #8 Florida Atlantic, who had made it all the way to the Final Four in 2023. The Huskies had no problem with that matchup, though, dispatching the Wildcats, 75-58. All-American guard Tristen Newton led the way with 20 points and 10 assists while center Donovan Clingan provided a double-double as well with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Cam Spencer also chipped in 11 points.

Despite #1 Purdue being tasked with facing small #16 Grambling State in the first round, all eyes were on the Boilermakers after their historic defeat to Fairleigh Dickinson last year. Purdue played with poise though and showed no issues in the 28 point victory. In the win, All-American center Zach Edey showed why he’s the favorite to win his second straight Wooden Award with 30 points and 21 rebounds. The Boilermakers then faced the Mountain West regular season champions, #8 Utah State on Sunday and absolutely obliterated the Aggies, 106-67. Edey ran rampant once again, scoring 23 points while collecting 14 rebounds. Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, and Camden Heide all scored in double figures as well in the blowout victory.

Goliaths to collide in Sweet 16

K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune

While we won’t get to see some of that March sparkle that teams like Princeton, St. Peter’s, and Oral Roberts have supplied us in the later rounds in recent years, the chalk that just ensued will mean that some of the biggest names and brands will face off this upcoming weekend. Perhaps the most fascinating matchup will be the rematch of the 2023 National Championship game between UConn and #5 San Diego State. Last year, the Huskies got the better of the Aztecs, but San Diego State returns a dangerous team with a pedigree for winning.

#4 Duke against #1 Houston will be another big-time matchup, as it represents two powerhouse teams who have struggled to get over the hump as of late. Duke last made the Final Four in 2022 and Houston last made it in 2021, so these programs know what it means to be great but haven’t taken that championship step in a while. Speaking of teams that can’t get over the hump, Purdue takes on #5 Gonzaga on Friday in a clash of programs that are hungry to prove themselves. Gonzaga has been on the cusp too many times, falling in the National Championship game twice in the past six tournaments and after last year’s embarrassment, Purdue has put all of its chips in for a title run. #6 Clemson-#2 Arizona, #4 Alabama-#1 North Carolina, #3 Illinois-#2 Iowa State, #11 North Carolina State-#2 Marquette, and #3 Creighton-#2 Tennessee are the other titanic Sweet 16 matchups that will take place on Thursday and Friday and whoever can get a win looks to be in pretty good shape to win a Final Four berth over the weekend.

ACC turns tables on haters

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

A couple of weeks before the tournament field was announced, there was genuine fear that the Atlantic Coast Conference, a conference that has produced six of the last 14 national champions, would only send three teams to the Big Dance: North Carolina, Duke, and Clemson. Things were (slightly) better on Selection Sunday, when the conference got five teams into the field due to North Carolina State’s improbable run to the ACC Championship and Virginia sneaking into the First Four. Cases could have been made for both Pittsburgh and Wake Forest as well, but neither team cracked the bracket. 

With only five teams in, the conference needed to make a statement amidst the power struggle surrounding conference realignment, and aside from Virginia’s lowly exit on Tuesday, the ACC did just that. North Carolina and Duke cruised (as they should) through their first couple games, Clemson upset #3 Baylor in the Round of 32, and North Carolina State continued their hot streak as they became the only double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16. That brings the league’s tournament record to 8-1, a number by far the best of any conference so far. With things rapidly changing in college athletics, the ACC is putting on a magnificent showing at just the right time.