NCAA First Round Lacks Buzzer-Beaters and Upsets

The calendar indicates it’s March, a month synonymous with the excitement of college basketball, yet the anticipated frenzy is largely absent.

While there have been upsets, evidenced by the unfortunate 99.9956% of brackets that are already flawed, the essence of March Madness is missing—those shocking victories and last-second thrillers.

Unlike past tournaments, there were no significant upsets such as Fairleigh Dickinson’s triumph over high-ranked Purdue or UMBC’s famous win against No. 1 Virginia. Similarly, surprise victories akin to Princeton’s defeat of No. 2 Arizona or Saint Peter’s upset over Kentucky remain unseen.

For the first time since 2017, and only the sixth time since the tournament expanded in 1985, all of the top four seeds emerged from the first round unscathed with a 16-0 record. The top two seeds advanced with an average margin of victory reaching nearly 26 points.

The most notable upset thus far involves two instances of No. 12 seeds triumphing over No. 5s, a result that the NCAA notes happens approximately 35% of the time. However, not all upsets in this category lived up to their label—Colorado State, for example, was actually favored to defeat Memphis, which they did decisively, 78-70.

McNeese, a No. 12 seed, edged out a narrow victory against Clemson, winning 69-67 after almost conceding a 12-point lead in the final minute.

Another mild surprise came as No. 11 seed Drake overcame No. 6 seed Missouri, securing a 67-57 victory, yet history shows an 11 defeating a 6 occurs as frequently as 39% of the time. “I would be lying if I didn’t say I didn’t expect it,” reflected Drake coach Ben McCollum. “I expected it. That’s what I expected. I expected exactly this.”

Despite these upsets, college basketball enthusiasts are still eagerly waiting for those dramatic buzzer-beaters to mark this year’s tournament.

Amarr Knox provided one of the closest moments in Alabama State’s narrow win over Saint Francis, scoring a decisive layup with one second remaining. Nonetheless, this was far from the legendary Hill-to-Laettner play, and more of a fortunate catch from a full-court inbound pass.

“You just said it: March Madness,” Alabama State coach Tony Madlock commented, capturing the sentiment of the tournament.

Vanderbilt nearly found its place in the spotlight only to have Devin McGlockton’s attempted 3-pointer bounce off in a tight 59-56 loss to Saint Mary’s. Meanwhile, No. 10 seed New Mexico achieved the sole upset in Friday’s late games, defeating seventh-seeded Marquette 75-66.

So, is the bracket lacking excitement? Certainly not, as the NCAA Tournament never fails to captivate audiences. Yet, the true madness of March has yet to unfold, keeping fans on the edge of their seats, anticipating those unmissable moments.