Men's March Madness winners, losers: Cooper Flagg cruises in return, Memphis has problem
There haven't been any stunning buzzer-beaters – yet – but the first round of the men's NCAA Tournament has provided everything from upsets to top seeds flexing their muscles en route to the second round.
We started off with 68 teams and as the field shrinks to 32 by the end of Friday night, there are plenty of notable points coming from the first-round results. Duke's star showed little trouble in his return, the Big Ten is off to a fantastic start and things continue to get worse for the ACC.
There's still plenty of ball left to be played Friday night, but here are the winners and losers so far from Friday's first-round action:
Winners
Cooper Flagg
There was much worry about the health of Cooper Flagg in the NCAA Tournament. Even if Duke faced No. 16 Mount Saint Mary's, the chance at a national championship hinged on the star freshman.
It took just less than two minutes for all worries to go away. Flagg absorbed contact for a bucket and the foul, looking like the same person who could win the national player of the year. He didn't appear to have any problems in the 22 minutes he played as he caused havoc on both sides of the court near the rim. He finished with 14 points, a team-high seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
The competition will get tougher for Duke with Baylor up next in the second round, but Flagg's NCAA Tournament debut should erase any doubt of him being limited and keep the Blue Devils a heavy title favorite.
Colorado State
Two weeks ago, Colorado State wasn't even considered for the NCAA Tournament. Flash forward to Friday and the Rams are into the Round of 32 and their hot streak continues. A strong second half and a career-day from sophomore guard Kyan Evans propelled 12th-seeded Colorado State past No. 5 Memphis.
The momentum keeps rolling for Colorado State as its now won 11 in a row. The Rams needed every single one of them to make the Big Dance, and Colorado State has proven how a strong conference tournament can translate into March Madness success. It is now in the second round for the first time since 2013 and, with how good the offense has been, the Rams have a chance of making the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1969.
Big Ten continues perfect start
The Big Ten couldn't have had a better start, as five of its teams have played and all five have moved on to the second round. Michigan had to fend off a potential upset bid by UC San Diego, but better-seeded teams such as Purdue and Wisconsin didn't have much trouble against double-digit seeded teams on Thursday. Plus, UCLA dominated Utah State in a 25-point victory.
Maryland kept the streak alive on Friday as it cruised to a victory against Grand Canyon. Illinois, Michigan State and Oregon are left and all have a good chance to advance to the second round by the end of Friday night.
Losers
Memphis
Penny Hardaway has brought relevance back to his alma mater, but it has yet to translate into March success. Despite solid performances from Dain Dainja and Colby Rogers, Memphis clearly missed Tyrese Hunter as the Tigers got cold in the second half and Colorado State raced past them to pull off the upset.
It's fair to question Memphis' ceiling now with Hardaway. Yes, the Tigers have won at least 20 games in his seven seasons in charge, but it's amounted to only four NCAA Tournament appearances. Even worse, Hardaway is 1-3 in the tournament and it marks two consecutive one-and-done appearances. This loss may be the worst yet given the No. 5 seed was Memphis' best spot since it was a No. 2 seed in 2009. The Tigers had their best chance at finally making the Sweet 16 again for the first time since 2009, but it ends in an early exit. Memphis might just be a true mid-major that can't show out when the lights shine bright.
North Carolina adds to ACC's rough showing
It followed the typical North Carolina script. Against Mississippi, the 11th-seeded Tar Heels fell way behind in the first half, made a furious comeback attempt to make it close in the final minutes, but they couldn't do enough at the end for a narrow loss. North Carolina lost to the Rebels 71-64, nearly pulling off the second major upset of the day.
There was plenty of debate about North Carolina's inclusion into the field, but its elimination from the tournament means three of the four ACC teams are done after two days. Duke is the lone remaining team and it very well could save the conference by winning the national championship, but it won't erase the fact it's been a season to forget in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Men's NCAA Tournament winners, losers: Cooper Flagg elite in return
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