While March 21st may not have been the kindest of days to all the current Boston Celtics in their NCAA Tournament days, it saw three guards advance deeper into the Big Dance.
With this year’s tournament canceled due to the coronavirus, the Celtics Wire has assembled a date-by-date recounting of how this season’s Celtics did in their collegiate days in the NCAA tourney to help us pass these basketball-less months.
In addition to the advancing trio mentioned above, today was a day postseason dreams ended for another two of Boston’s guards, former Pitt Panther Brad Wanamaker and ex-Oklahoma State Cowboy Marcus Smart.
Wanamaker’s Panthers fell today in 2010 to the Xavier Musketeers 71-68 in the round of 32, the future Celtic scoring 16 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in the loss.
It was also a rough day for Smart, who saw his Cowboys tripped up by the Oregon Ducks in the 2013 tourney’s first round.
The Texan logged 14 points, 9 boards, 4 assists and 5 steals in the 68-55 loss.
Purdue product Carsen Edwards advanced to the round of 32 as his Boilermakers defeated Old Dominion 61-48 in 2019, his 26 points and 7 rebounds leading all players.
The win over the Monarchs would see the Texan sharpshooter face Villanova in the second round on his way to an Elite Eight berth.
Then-LSU point guard Tremont Waters also advanced to the second round on the same day, his Tigers sending the Yale Bulldogs packing back to his home state of Connecticut.
The 79-74 win saw Waters record a 15-point, 7-assist performance that would help LSU on their way to the Sweet Sixteen.
Finally, UConn legend Kemba Walker and the Huskies sent home the alma mater of current teammate Robert Williams III — Texas A&M — long before the rim-running center ever stepped on campus.
In the second round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, a rookie Walker helped Connecticut crush the Aggies 92-66, scoring 8 points and 4 assists in 23 minutes of play.
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