Nicholas Eckert2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, First Four and Round 1:
So it's that time again. I have a bracket here: https://fantasy.espn.com/tc/sharer?challengeId=257&from=espn&context=CHAMPION_PICK&entryId=4436d160-0593-11f0-8bd3-f739c398f7e6&outcomeId=29ef87b1-e4b2-11ef-b0aa-77c6c7c47db6&propositionId=29ef8790-e4b2-11ef-b0aa-77c6c7c47db6
The tourney's been a bit dry; many blowouts, not as many upsets. We got a few, some of which I even called. When the basketball has been good, it's been *good*; it's just not been there enough.
Breakdown by conference:
ACC: 2-3, including a win in the First Four, which was predictable for the same reasons North Carolina got in the tourney in the first place. 8-0 in Quad 2 and 1-13 in Quad 1 says you're consistent - you beat teams on the edge of the tourney fine - but you can't beat a good team in an away environment. Duke's really the entire ACC this year.
B1G: 8-0 this round. Truly impressive, even if they were the higher seed in all games; both of the 5-12 games that the 5 won had a B1G team.
Big East: 3-2 this round. With the SEC and B1G being so big and so good this year, the Big East found itself with only five bids, but Creighton beating Louisville was their leg up over the ACC. Marquette losing to New Mexico was a disappointment, however.
Big XII: 6-1 this round. Kansas got in on name this year, and now they have to pronounce it kən-saw. Baylor actually fought off the back end of the SEC.
MWC: 1-1 this round, including a First Four loss by San Diego State to a North Carolina team that was angry about being told they didn't deserve to be in the field. (They didn't deserve to be in the field.) Colorado State took their vengeance out on Memphis.
MVC: 1-0 this round. Drake came in 30-3, and left 31-3. There will be tests for this team, but they're capable of handling the middle of what's still a very good SEC.
SEC: 8-6 this round, including a First Four loss by a Texas that was probably one team too many. They also went 0-3 in 8-9 matchups. But the teams that were supposed to win and Arkansas won.
Southland: 1-0 this round. Hello, McNeese State! Glad to have called you in my bracket, glad to have you around for the weekend, and glad to see you spank Clemson for thirty minutes (including a halftime palindroming). Clemson went full-court press at that point just to get some extra possessions in that might even things, except, well, being down twenty-plus with ten minutes to go was about three points too many.
WCC: 2-0 this round. Gonzaga removed Georgia. Saint Mary's had a dogfight with Vanderbilt, but, unlike football in the State of Alabama last year, Vandy did not overcome.
Upsets were a bit low this round. 7/32 = 21.875%, not a quarter of the bracket. The 5/12 and 8/9 games had their share, but your remaining Cinderellas are Drake (which 31 wins now) and McNeese State (Cowboys!) We'll see if the second round starting shortly has some more available.
So it's that time again. I have a bracket here: https://fantasy.espn.com/tc/sharer?challengeId=257&from=espn&context=CHAMPION_PICK&entryId=4436d160-0593-11f0-8bd3-f739c398f7e6&outcomeId=29ef87b1-e4b2-11ef-b0aa-77c6c7c47db6&propositionId=29ef8790-e4b2-11ef-b0aa-77c6c7c47db6
The tourney's been a bit dry; many blowouts, not as many upsets. We got a few, some of which I even called. When the basketball has been good, it's been *good*; it's just not been there enough.
Breakdown by conference:
ACC: 2-3, including a win in the First Four, which was predictable for the same reasons North Carolina got in the tourney in the first place. 8-0 in Quad 2 and 1-13 in Quad 1 says you're consistent - you beat teams on the edge of the tourney fine - but you can't beat a good team in an away environment. Duke's really the entire ACC this year.
B1G: 8-0 this round. Truly impressive, even if they were the higher seed in all games; both of the 5-12 games that the 5 won had a B1G team.
Big East: 3-2 this round. With the SEC and B1G being so big and so good this year, the Big East found itself with only five bids, but Creighton beating Louisville was their leg up over the ACC. Marquette losing to New Mexico was a disappointment, however.
Big XII: 6-1 this round. Kansas got in on name this year, and now they have to pronounce it kən-saw. Baylor actually fought off the back end of the SEC.
MWC: 1-1 this round, including a First Four loss by San Diego State to a North Carolina team that was angry about being told they didn't deserve to be in the field. (They didn't deserve to be in the field.) Colorado State took their vengeance out on Memphis.
MVC: 1-0 this round. Drake came in 30-3, and left 31-3. There will be tests for this team, but they're capable of handling the middle of what's still a very good SEC.
SEC: 8-6 this round, including a First Four loss by a Texas that was probably one team too many. They also went 0-3 in 8-9 matchups. But the teams that were supposed to win and Arkansas won.
Southland: 1-0 this round. Hello, McNeese State! Glad to have called you in my bracket, glad to have you around for the weekend, and glad to see you spank Clemson for thirty minutes (including a halftime palindroming). Clemson went full-court press at that point just to get some extra possessions in that might even things, except, well, being down twenty-plus with ten minutes to go was about three points too many.
WCC: 2-0 this round. Gonzaga removed Georgia. Saint Mary's had a dogfight with Vanderbilt, but, unlike football in the State of Alabama last year, Vandy did not overcome.
Upsets were a bit low this round. 7/32 = 21.875%, not a quarter of the bracket. The 5/12 and 8/9 games had their share, but your remaining Cinderellas are Drake (which 31 wins now) and McNeese State (Cowboys!) We'll see if the second round starting shortly has some more available.
