There were lots of interesting games in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but there were scant few upsets and no breakthrough moments or buzzer beaters. That means two things. First, we’ve got a lot of powerhouse matchups coming this weekend and through the Sweet Sixteen. And second, it’s only a matter of time until things go bonkers.
A couple of weeks ago, my broadcast partner Jay Wright predicted we wouldn’t see as many upsets this year because the age and experience advantage that mid-majors have had in recent years has been erased by the rampant transferring. That’s an interesting theory, although I’ll remind everyone that we had some significant upsets last year when Oakland beat Kentucky and Yale beat Auburn. But that is something to watch, both this weekend and in the years ahead, because the transfer mania isn’t going anywhere.
I hope you’ve been able to check out the incredible quantity and quality of stories we’ve been producing here at Hoops HQ, including about the women’s tournament, which tipped off in full swing on Friday — our Eden Laase has a roundup. Alex Squadron has the latest on Cooper Flagg, and Eric Prisbell has a cool story about the NBA-style culture Kevin Young is building at BYU. And of course, you’ve got Picks Against the Spread from me for every game being played today, as well as the Best Bets from our Betting Editor Justin Perri.
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Enjoy the games today, everyone, and thanks as always for your support of Hoops HQ.— Seth
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