Tag: 2021 NCAA Tournament

ORU, Loyola take over March Madness. Here are six takeaways from Sunday’s men’s NCAA Tournament games

A look at the six biggest takeaways from Sunday’s eight games including Oral Roberts’ huge upset win over the Florida Gators.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below.

The first day of the men’s NCAA Tournament second round was as good as it gets, with three double-digit seeds advancing to the Sweet 16 following down-to-the-wire games. And there’s still one more day of eight games on tap Monday in which Ohio, UCLA, Abilene Christian and Maryland could all add to that count.

The bracket-busting upsets undoubtedly highlighted the day. No. 1 seed Illinois fell to former Cinderella-turned-contender Loyola Chicago. Then mid-major Oral Roberts continued its storybook run with a second-round win over No. 7 Florida – to become just the second-ever No. 15 seed to get to the second weekend of March Madness.

A look at the six biggest takeaways from Sunday’s eight games:

Florida stunned by Oral Roberts in second round of the NCAA Tournament

The Gators’ 2021 tournament run came to a painful end against No. 15 Oral Roberts, whose Cinderella story will continue onto the Sweet 16.

An NCAA Tournament Cinderella story continued on Sunday night, and the Gators were the victims. Facing No. 15-seeded Oral Roberts, Florida struggled to defend the high-speed offensive attack the Golden Eagles posed. Despite leading for most of the game (and by as much as 12), Florida’s offensive strategy inexplicably shifted toward the end of the game.

It allowed ORU to get back in the game and eventually take the lead for good off a three from DeShang Weaver. UF couldn’t score in the final minutes, and despite having opportunities in the final seconds to both take the lead and send the game to overtime, it couldn’t convert. A hardship-fraught season came to a disappointing end in Indianapolis with an 81-78 loss in the round of 32.

Florida coach Mike White will certainly look back at this game over the next several months and wonder what could have been. But the Gators simply made too many mistakes to overcome on Sunday night, and a chance at reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 went by the wayside. Here are three takeaways from the final outing of a 2020-21 season that had promise but ultimately ended with a sour taste.

Cinderella run continues! No. 15 seed Oral Roberts upsets Florida to advance to NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16

The Golden Eagles knocked off Florida on Sunday in thrilling fashion in the men’s NCAA Tournament second round to continue their run.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below. 

Oral Roberts silenced the narrative that it’s a one-upset wonder.

The Golden Eagles knocked off Florida, 81-78, on Sunday in thrilling fashion in the men’s NCAA Tournament second round to continue their Cinderella run as a No. 15 seed – just two days after stunningly upsetting No. 2 Ohio State.

Oral Roberts took down the Gators by following the same blueprint it used to shock the Buckeyes: fueling off the 1-2 punch of Max Abmas (26 points, seven assists) and Kevin Obanor (28 points, 11 rebounds, four steals).

The Golden Eagles’ stars were brilliant in the win, but it was a role player – DeShang Weaver – who drained the decisive three-pointer with 2:10 remaining to give Oral Roberts an 80-78 edge. Obanor’s free-throw with 17 seconds helped seal the win.

After trailing throughout most of the game and the second half, Obanor gave Oral Roberts its first lead since the first half with 2:52 remaining.

Florida closes its season in disappointing fashion after losing its best player, Keyontae Johnson, to a life-threatening injury back in December. The Gators finished 15-10 on the season. Tre Mann led them in a losing effort with 19 points.

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Winners and losers from men’s NCAA Tournament second-round games

Which teams advance to the tournament’s second weekend and earn Sweet 16 trips? A look at the biggest winners and losers from Sunday.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below. 

On the heels of four bracket-shattering upsets in the first two days, the second round of the men’s NCAA Tournament is here for more madness.

Loyola Chicago pulled off the stunner of this year’s tournament by ousting No. 1 seed Illinois on Sunday, but it would be incorrect to consider the No. 8 seed Ramblers a Cinderella at this point. They played far more like a Final Four threat – and even a national title threat – after dispatching the heavily favored Illini.

Which teams advance to the tournament’s second weekend and earn Sweet 16 trips? A look at the biggest winners and losers from Sunday’s eight second-round games:

WATCH: Anthony Duruji throws down dunk early vs. Oral Roberts

Florida Gators junior forward Anthony Duruji threw down a big dunk early on against Oral Roberts in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Florida Gators are looking to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 as they battle No. 15 Oral Roberts in Indiana.

Early on in this one, the two teams are locked into a tight battle as the Golden Eagles are trying to prove that their upset over No. 2 Ohio State was no fluke from Friday. The Gators are doing themselves no favors committing multiple turnovers in the first 10 or so minutes in the game.

While the two teams continue to battle, junior forward Anthony Duruji provided a loan highlight for the Gators. Duruji threw down a big dunk to extend Florida’s lead. Look out below!

The forward is to a solid start, grabbing four points and four rebounds in the first half. However, Florida can’t seem to extend their lead and have let the Golden Eagles hang around. Every time the Gators get out to a lead and have the chance to push it higher, they either commit a turnover or have a poor possession.

The winner of this game is looking to move on to face the winner of Texas Tech and Oregon in the South Region quarterfinal next weekend.

Brackets. Are. BACK.

It’s that time again – when dunks, brackets and buzzer-beaters inspire widespread incidents of March Madness. Get the jump on your friends by filling out your selections now!

In between all the games, mobile users can play USA TODAY Sports’ Couchketball virtual hoops challenge – the interactive basketball game where your skills determine the outcome.

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Notre Dame makes fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament

Although it was an up-and-down season for Notre Dame, it still is worthy of competing for the national championship.

Although it was an up-and-down season for Notre Dame, it still is worthy of competing for the national championship. The NCAA Tournament will feature the Irish for the fifth consecutive time after the bracket was unveiled Sunday. However, the Irish (14-13-2) face a tall order after drawing second overall seed Boston College (17-5-1) in the first round. The teams will play in the Northeast Regional on Saturday in Albany, New York, and the winner will play either St. Cloud State or Boston University in the regional final the next day.

These schools did not play each other this past season as the Irish were confined to playing Big Ten opponents and Arizona State. Their last meetings took place early in the 2019-20 season, which resulted in two wins for the Eagles. That improved their all-time advantage in the series to 23-20-3. Prior to those games, the Irish had won four of the previous six in the series.

Florida’s Tyree Appleby cleared after head injury, will start against Oral Roberts

After suffering a facial laceration against Virginia Tech, the guard will be back in Florida’s lineup in the Round of 32 on Sunday night.

Florida got some good news just before tip-off of its Second Round game against Oral Roberts in the NCAA Tournament. Guard Tyree Appleby, who exited the Gators’ First Round victory over Virginia Tech after taking an elbow to the forehead that required stitches in the locker room, has been cleared by the team’s medical personnel to play on Sunday night. He will start against the Golden Eagles, according to UF basketball SID Denver Parler.

According to Parler, Appleby will wear a headband to cover his laceration.

Appleby averages 11.2 points per game, and his scoring will be welcome against an ORU defense that’s allowing 75.6 points on average. He scored six points against the Hokies before he had to leave the game.

There’s still no word on the status of Omar Payne, who was held out of Friday’s game for an “in-house” issue. There’s been no official confirmation of the reason, but Payne was ejected in Florida’s loss to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament in the prior game.

Brackets. Are. BACK.

It’s that time again – when dunks, brackets and buzzer-beaters inspire widespread incidents of March Madness. Get the jump on your friends by filling out your selections now!

In between all the games, mobile users can play USA TODAY Sports’ Couchketball virtual hoops challenge – the interactive basketball game where your skills determine the outcome.

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To play or not to play? That is the question for Florida’s Payne and Appleby

No decision at this point has been made regarding Payne (suspension) and Appleby (head). They’re considered game-time decisions against ORU.

Florida caught a break on Friday as No. 15 seeded Oral Roberts upset No. 2 Ohio State in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Now, after its win over Virginia Tech, seventh-seeded UF draws the Golden Eagles instead of the Buckeyes in the Round of 32.

The Gators likely would have been severe underdogs against OSU, but they’re now the biggest favorite of Sunday’s games (the line is currently 8.5 points according to BetMGM). But they may be without two of their key players, as the status of guard Tyree Appleby and forward Omar Payne are still uncertain.

Appleby exited the victory over Virginia Tech after taking an elbow-shot to the forehead, which caused him to start bleeding. He was taken to the locker room to receive stitches before returning to the sideline, apparently with the possibility of returning, according to Florida basketball SID Denver Parler.

He didn’t re-enter the game, though, and according to a report from CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on Sunday morning, he’s a game-time decision for the Second Round contest. Considering he returned to the sideline with the potential of coming back into the game, it’s fair to assume he cleared the initial concussion protocol on Friday. But further testing this weekend would have been required to confirm a diagnosis, which is likely contributing to the uncertainty.

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It seems likely that the mystery is an attempt at subterfuge and Appleby will play, given how the injury was handled during Friday’s game. But we may not know for sure until shortly before tip-off.

Rothstein also reported that Omar Payne is a “coach’s decision” on Sunday. Payne was ejected from Florida’s losing effort against Tennessee in the SEC quarterfinals after drawing a flagrant 2 foul when he elbowed Volunteers’ forward John Fulkerson in the head, ending his SEC Tournament.

Though no action was taken against Payne by either the SEC or NCAA, coach Mike White made the decision to hold him out of the first game of the tournament. According to Rothstein, a decision on whether that team suspension will carry over another game is “unlikely” to be made before game time.

Florida’s interior defense struggled tremendously without Payne, and if he’s not able to go against Oral Roberts, it will present a layer of complication to what should (on paper) be a relatively easy victory.

Brackets. Are. BACK.

It’s that time again – when dunks, brackets and buzzer-beaters inspire widespread incidents of March Madness. Get the jump on your friends by filling out your selections now!

In between all the games, mobile users can play USA TODAY Sports’ Couchketball virtual hoops challenge – the interactive basketball game where your skills determine the outcome.

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[listicle id=38479]

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Loyola’s Sister Jean didn’t ask for a blessing in her pre-game prayer. She mapped out the game plan.

Who had the scout on the Illini? Apparently it was the team chaplain.

Lest you thought Sister Jean’s good luck was heavenly sent, here’s proof that instead she has studied the game and is guiding the Loyola basketball team through strategy, not mere faith.

The 8th-seeded Ramblers are taking on top-seeded Illinois today, and the famed team chaplain was asked about her pre-game prayer. What she unfurled next sounds not like a plea for intervention but instead a purposeful plan of action.

Sister Jean’s looking for some strong rebounding to turn into points the other way, and …sure. That works. Also, she’s leaning on the fact that alllll the pressure here is on Illinois and some early adversity could send the Illini hurtling.

Sure enough, Loyola got an early lead with a 9-2 run and is up 49-36 with just over 10 minutes left in the game. They lead the rebound battle 25-20.

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