Friday’s males’s tourney winners, losers: Lastly some drama
The primary spherical of the 2025 NCAA males’s basketball event continued on Friday. Let’s check out a few of the largest winners and losers of the day.
Winner: Lastly some dramatic finishes
With many of the first-round video games being one-sided blowouts, Friday’s slate of video games lastly introduced a bit of drama to the event because of a few tight, final second-finishes that got here all the way down to the buzzer.
No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s was in a position to advance when No. 10 seed Vanderbilt missed a last-second three-pointer on the buzzer to offer the Gaels a 59-56 win.
It was the same end for No. 9 seed Baylor in its 75-72 win over No. 8 seed Mississippi State.
We nonetheless haven’t seen quite a lot of the buzzer-beating, game-winning or game-tying photographs, however Friday at the very least gave us some shut video games.
Loser: NCAA choice committee
Sure, that is all about No. 11 seed North Carolina dropping to No. 6 Ole Miss, 71-64. The Tar Heels had been probably the most controversial choice for the event and didn’t have the resume to get a spot within the discipline over groups like West Virginia.
North Carolina’s First 4 win in opposition to San Diego State might need felt like vindication for the Tar Heels and the committee, however that was by no means going to be sufficient. They needed to do one thing else past that. They did not, and despite the fact that Friday’s sport was comparatively shut, the Tar Heels wanted a livid second-half rally to make it shut after a dreadful begin.
Winner: Duke and Cooper Flagg
Although Duke earned a No. 1 seed, there was nonetheless a darkish cloud over the Blue Devils given the damage concern for his or her greatest participant, Cooper Flagg.
Properly, we will in all probability put these considerations to mattress after Duke’s dominant 93-49 win over No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary’s.
Duke did not want to make use of its starters for your complete sport, and Flagg solely performed 22 minutes, however he nonetheless seemed just like the top-tier participant he’s with 14 factors, seven rebounds and 4 assists in these minutes. If he’s wholesome and performs like that, Duke shall be one of many hardest outs within the event.
Loser: Robert Jones’ anger
Earlier than the event, No. 16 seed Norfolk State head coach Robert Jones mentioned he was “indignant” that his workforce was greater than a 20-point underdog in opposition to No. 1 seed Florida.
He very properly might need been, and he in all probability did really feel a bit disrespected.
Sadly for him, the oddsmakers had been proper because the Gators ended up successful by 26 factors in a 95-69 rout.
Winner: New Mexico’s potential Cinderella run
The No. 10 seed Lobos had been a preferred pre-tournament choose to go on a Cinderella-type run deep into the event, and issues obtained off to an awesome begin for them on Friday with a formidable 75-66 win over No. 7 seed Marquette.
Donovan Dent was the standout participant of the sport with 21 factors and 6 assists within the win.
Loser: West area chalk picks
Whereas many of the discipline has been quick on main upsets, the one exception to that has been within the West area the place three double-digit seeds have superior, with No. 10 Arkansas, No. 11 Drake and No. 12 Colorado State all nonetheless dancing.
