The 2018 March Madness tournament kicked off in historic fashion, delivering the first ever 16-seed upset of a one-seed in tournament history. Virginia, the nation’s top overall seed, became the first, losing 74-54 to U.M.B.C., a tiny school from Maryland that most fans had never even heard of.
Virginia players wept as the buzzer sounded, but U.M.B.C. players celebrated with joy. “We did it. We did it. It’s a dream come true,” remarked their point guard K.J. Maura as U.M.B.C. marked their place in March Madness history.
Other less shocking upsets abounded in the first round as well. Marshall stunned 4th seed Wichita State, and Buffalo shocked 4th seed Arizona in similar fashion.
By the end of the first round, no bracket remained unbusted.
The second round provided few upsets on its first night of action, as powerhouse 1st seeds Kansas and Villanova continued on their path to the final four. Duke won as well, as did Kentucky.
One upset did occur however, as 11th seeded Loyola defeated 3rd Tennessee in tightly contested contest; a game-winning jump shot from Clayton Custer vaulted the Ramblers into the Sweet 16.
Two game winners occured that night, as a desperate three-point attempt from Michigan guard Jordan Poole stunned Houston.
The second night of the round of 32 provided more action as well.
First Xavier became the second 1st to exit the tournament following a 75-70 loss to Florida State, and upsets from 7th seeds Nevada and Texas A&M vanquished 2nd seeds Cincinnati and UNC respectively.
Loyola continued their spectacular streak Thursday night of the Sweet 16. The Ramblers pulled out another thrilling victory and defeated Nevada 69-68.
Michigan ran away with their contest against Texas A&M, winning 99-72, and Kansas State played spoiler to a talented Kentucky team that many expected to compete for a National Championship.
The Friday night of the Sweet 16 went as analysts predicted. Villanova and Duke continued to on their march to the championship, defeating West Virginia and Syracuse. Kansas defeated Clemson in a close contest and 3rd seed Texas Tech soundly defeated 2nd seed Purdue to advance as well.
Loyola won again in the Elite Eight, beating Kansas State 78-62. Loyola’s victory marks the first time the team has made the final four in over 50 years. The team isn’t just a Cinderella story– rather, they have shown they are a legitimate threat. The Ramblers have won 32 games this year and have not lost since January.
Michigan ended Florida State’s impressive run as a 9th seed, and are set to play Loyola in the Final Four. They, like Loyola, are playing some of their best basketball of the season, and will look to spoil Loyola’s run just as they disposed of Florida State.
Villanova has been the class act of the Tournament the past several years, and have shown the same standard of excellence again this year, soundly defeating Texas Tech 71-59 to move on to the Final Four.
There, Villanova will face Kansas, the only two remaining one seeds. Kansas defeated Duke 85-81 in a classic overtime thriller, but will have to contend with Villanova’s staggering offense. Both teams are juggernauts but Villanova on paper has the slight edge.
Only one round remains in the tournament to reach the Championship Game. Will the Ramblers continue their astonishing streak and become the first 11th seed to reach the title game and possibly a National Championship? Or will Villanova continue its run of dominance and win its second title in three years? Fans will have to wait and see as the days tick down. Only 6 more before the fates of the last four teams are decided.
