Good morning Bracket Busters!
Well, I don’t know about you, but my coffee tastes like sweat and anxiety today. Friday night was packed with bluebloods, legends of the hardwoods, and plenty of heart-stopping action that would make a cardiologist nervous. The Sweet 16 wasn’t great for my brackets and Gamblor the Maginificent looks like a bigger clown than a No Kings protestor. But for a select few, your rise to glory is at hand with the Elite 8 set.
Let’s breakdown the madness from Day 2 of the Sweet 16.
The Highlights (and Heartbreaks) from Day 2 of the Sweet 16
Comeback Kings Strike Again As if scripted for maximum engagement, the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils once again found themselves down at half to the surging Red Storm of St. John’s. With a defense more frenzied than a flock of Karen’s when a Starbucks runs out of oak milk, St. John’s put the screws to the Blue Devils on every inbounds pass causing uncharacteristic turnovers. Making 9 of 18 three-pointers in the first half didn’t hurt either. Pitino’s thumbprint was evident from the tip, and one of the many reasons he came into Friday night with a 12-1 record in Sweet 16 games. Enter Caleb Foster. Duke’s starting point guard was sidelined on March 7 with a fractured right foot that required surgery the next day. To everyone’s surprise, he played last night and was the spark the Blue Devils needed. Controlling the offense like the field general he is, Caleb got Duke back on track. With less than 4 minutes to play, Duke would go up by 1 and never look back. Duke advances in a nailbiter 80-75. Serenity Now!
Big 10 Reigns Supreme The SEC found itself in a position last night to quiet the doubters as Alabama had a chance to takedown the red-hot Wolverines. Jumping out to an 11-2 lead, it looked like the No. 4 Crimson Tide might actually break the losing trend for their conference. Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg would make sure that didn’t happen. The consensus First-Team All-American from Puerto Rico dazzled Friday night with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists. Bama secured a small lead in a high-scoring first half but fell flat in the final 20 minutes only managing to put up 28. The Crimson Tide were once again without star guard Aden Holloway, who missed Bama’s tournament run after an indefinite suspension for felony drug charges. I’m not judging, but 2.1 pounds of weed is more than a fun weekend with the boys. Yikes. The Wolverines pulled away and proved that the Big 10 has most definitely taken the mantle from the SEC with a convincing 90-77 win. If 3 consecutive football championships aren’t proof enough, the Big 10 is now 4-0 against SEC foes in this year’s March Madness tournament.
Huskies’ Bite Is Stronger Than It’s Bark The East Region gauntlet continued Friday night with 2 storied programs as No. 2 UConn hosted No. 3 Michigan State for the right to play Duke in the Elite 8. After the first 10 minutes, the Huskies raced out to a 19-point lead. Michigan State’s opportunity to advance looked dimmer than Jasmine Crocket’s senate bid. But Jasmine didn’t have Coach Izzo on her campaign team. It took 20 minutes, but the Spartans managed to tie it up with 10 to play. The dog fight was on. Unfortunately for Michigan State, the Huskies know how to bite back. Making critical free throws down the stretch, Coach Hurley’s big men came through in a big way, eeking out a 67-63 victory and sending the Spartans back home to East Lansing. UConn’s victory sets up a bruiser of a regional final on Sunday as Duke hosts UConn and a rematch from the 1999 title game.
Last Man Standing After sending 10 teams to this year’s tourney, I’m sure none of us thought Tennessee would be the last SEC team to survive. And yet here we are. The Volunteers are no stranger to the Elite 8 though. It’s becoming an annual event for Tennessee as they make their way to the regional finals for the 3rd consecutive year. The big surprise is that they had to take down No. 2 Iowa State and their elite defense to get there. Their recipe? Crash the boards harder than Tiger Woods crashes his cars. The Vols out-rebounded the Cyclones 43-22 in an astonishing upset and takedown of a favorite Final Four pick for many. Coach Barnes will look to lead Tennessee to their first-ever Final Four after beating Iowa State 76-62.
Standings Update Through the Sweet 16 We have a new Bracket Busters leader after the madness of the Sweet 16. Congratulations to Karen Vincent who edged out Dan Vagle and Erich Achtmann by advancing Tennessee this far. Karen has 122 points going into the Elite 8 while Dan and Erich sit at 120 each. A special shoutout to my daughter, Ms. Haley Hendrickson who jumped 50 spots last night and now leads the Hendrickson Family (Ohio Chapter) brackets. My funnier and more talented brother Kyle is also preparing for a run at the championship if UConn & Arizona can pull it off. We’re counting on you to uphold our good name brother.
Blue List Reminder
Let’s keep chipping away at the Blue List today. There’s only 14 people left that have to get me their entry fees. The only way I could make it easier is if I came to your house to collect, and that ain’t happening. Check out the Blue List or the Rules & Payouts pages of Bracket Busters HQ on payment options. Fees are due no later than Friday, April 3.
Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the games today!
Chris H
Bracket Busters HQ