Sportz NCAA Tournament Recap - Sweet 16, Day 2

What a shot!

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch both games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Michigan vs Kansas. Easy pick since the other three games were pretty much blowouts.  But this one had an epic ending.  From Trey Burke's ridiculous three to the overtime dominated, This was a furious game with a very exciting ending.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Michigan over Kansas. As far as seeding goes, this was the only upset.  Even then, many people had the Wolverines getting past the Jayhawks here.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: Big Ten. A day after Indiana was knocked out of the dance, Michigan saved a spot in the Elite 8. Ohio State will be favorites to beat Wichita on Sunday so a Michigan win would put two conference teams in the big dance.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Big 12. Really, no conference deserves to be here, but Kansas was the next #1 seed to lose ... and heart wrenchingly.

DUD OF THE DAY: Florida vs Florida Gulf Coast. For a half, this game was pretty decent.  But the Cinderella story ended with about 5 minutes left in the first half.  The Gators went on a 16-0 run to stop the life out of FGCU.  While there are still some good stories left, the ultimate darkhorse has been knocked out.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Louisville. They're the only #1 seed left now and boy do they look good.  They took their foot off the gas pedal a bit against Oregon, but they just owned the Ducks.  With a huge game against Duke up next, the Cardinals will try to continue to be the class of the tournament. 

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Cinderella's broken slipper. The NCAA Tournament is a great event because it means so many things at different times.  The first weekend is all about those no-names that come up and bite one of the big dogs.  The second week, however, usually has balance restored.  Sure, there are times where you get a Butler or VCU surprising us (or even a Wichita State playing for a Final Four spot tomorrow), but usually it is those teams who believe they can win a title flexing their muscle.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*The Elite 8 is set.  We have the Big East (3), Big Ten (2), ACC (1), SEC (1) and Missouri Valley (1) conferences represented.   My picks?  Louisville, Ohio State, Florida and Syracuse.