For all the talk of parity this season, all four of the NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds moved on to the second weekend of the Big Dance, the first time since 2012 that has happened.
It was a wild first weekend, with game after game coming down to the final possessions, the final seconds, and the final shots. However, other than Oregon, No. 1 seeds managed to avoid much drama in the Round of 32.
The Ducks, meeting Saint Joseph’s, needed the full 40 minutes to take care of the Hawks. With three minutes remaining and trailing by four, Oregon turned up the defensive intensity that made this team so dangerous all season long and so different from passed Dana Altman groups coming out of Eugene.
For all of that relative ease, though, the Sweet 16 looks like it could be a different animal for the big boys left in the tournament. Top overall seed Kansas takes on a Maryland group as talented as any in the country. Oregon faces Duke and Brandon Ingram, a contender for the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Virginia gets Iowa State, a preseason Final Four pick by many national pundits. Finally, North Carolina sees Indiana in a match up of Blue Blood programs looking to finish off pivotal seasons for their programs the right way.
Strap in your seat belts, because next weekend is going to be a wild ride.
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