Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.
GAME OF THE DAY: Illinois vs Chattanooga. If you were looking for an upset, Chattanooga nearly pulled it off. The Mocs led virtually the entire game and frustrated Illini star Kofi Cockburn all day. But in the big moments down the stretch, Illinois made the plays to take and hold on to the lead. For those who root for the Cinderella, this was heartbreaking. For Illini fans, it was heart pounding.
UPSET OF THE DAY: Miami vs USC. There weren't the kind of upsets that Thursday produced, but Miami-USC was a bit of a stunner. The Trojans had one of their best regular seasons ever while Miami came into their meeting just 4-3 in their last seven games. Isaiah Wong poured in 22 points and the Hurricanes' Charlie Moore hit two free throws with three seconds left to ice the win. Again, nothing earth shaking.
CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: Big 12. The Big 12 went 4-0 on the day with Texas Tech, Texas, Iowa State and TCU all winning on Friday. They join Kansas and Baylor in the second round for a perfect 6-0 record.
CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: SEC. The SEC has been one of the most competitive conferences all year long, but they took a hit on Friday. After Kentucky's stunning loss on Thursday, Alabama and LSU were both upset on Friday. Of course, LSU has had a really tough week with sanctions coming soon and their head coach dismissed this week, but the Tigers and Crimson Tide's roller coaster seasons ended in the inconsistent fashion they've played all season. Auburn also struggled to shake Jacksonville State for a while.
DUD OF THE DAY: Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago. Loyola Chicago a chic pick for an upset in this game. After all, this is the last hurrah for the last of the guys who were on that 2018 Final Four team ... plus Ohio State had an embarrassing loss to Oral Roberts in last year's tournament. We got an ugly game filled with turnovers and missed shots ... with a final score of 54-41. Ugh.
DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: TCU vs Seton Hall. Another 8-9 game that wasn't close at all. The Pirates shot an abysmal 28% and were never in the game against the Horned Frogs.
UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Power teams move on. If Thursday was about the mid-majors, then Friday showed the power conferences flexing their muscle. The winners? Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Duke, Michigan State, Texas, Purdue, Arizona, TCU, Illinois, Houston, Villanova, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Auburn and Miami. Only Houston doesn't play in a "power five" league ... and they're a Final Four team that will be joining the Big 12 in a few years.
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