Impact of Princeton, Furman upsets on males’s March Madness bracket

Sometimes you want a couple of hours earlier than the upsets arrive within the NCAA event. Sometimes, the motion would not even actually start on the primary Thursday.

Not this yr.

We’d barely completed lunch when a late 4-seed Virginia turnover turned an inconceivable, game-winning 3-pointer by JP Pegues to assist 13-seed Furman advance. And that wasn’t even essentially the most memorable second.

Before dinner, 2-seed Arizona blew a 10-point lead in a loss to 15-seed Princeton. Kentucky sends its regards.

But now now we have questions. Because the South area of the 2023 males’s March Madness bracket, and Alabama’s sheer management of it, has modified.

ESPN’s skilled panel of Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway and Myron Medcalf analyze what simply occurred and what the South area appears like with two huge upsets on the books.

Find dwell protection of the primary spherical of the boys’s NCAA event right here.

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1. What sunk Arizona within the loss to Princeton? What about Virginia within the sport towards Furman?

Myron Medcalf: I hate to sound like a highschool coach, however the place was the hassle within the final 10 minutes of the sport? Arizona performed with vanity. And that is all the time harmful. They led by double digits on the 11-minute mark, however as Tosan Evbuomwan and Co. rallied, the Wildcats appeared shocked and by no means correctly responded. And, give Tigers coach Mitch Henderson credit score. This was Arizona’s third loss in a sport with 67 or fewer possessions. They slowed the sport down, and it labored.

Furman was decided to the final minute. It began with this group’s response to taking part in with out high scorer Mike Bothwell, who fouled out within the second half. Jalen Slawson turned an actual nightmare for Virginia as a 6-foot-7 ball handler. Then, late within the sport, they performed excessive of that Virginia protection, which opened up the ground. What adopted: Furman was able to make a late play to win the sport.

Jeff Borzello: Arizona’s guards had been as dangerous as they have been all season. The Wildcats acquired their typical manufacturing from their bigs, with Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo combining for 35 factors and 17 boards — however Kerr Kriisa, Courtney Ramey, Pelle Larsson and Cedric Henderson Jr. mixed to shoot 1-for-12 from 3, totaling simply 15 factors. And for top-of-the-line groups within the nation at sharing the ball, the Wildcats had simply 10 assists to 13 turnovers.

Virginia jumped out to an early lead, however its intentionally sluggish tempo is not suited to burying opponents below a barrage of factors. Furman was in a position to get a couple of baskets earlier than the Hoos had an opportunity to set their protection, which gave the Paladins some momentum and allow them to again within the sport. And, as has been the case for a lot of the season, Virginia actually struggled capturing the ball. The Cavaliers have not made 40% of their 3s in a sport since January, and went simply 2-for-12 from behind the arc on Thursday.

John Gasaway: The Wildcats had been a woeful 3-of-16 on their 3s, and Kriisa personally was 1-of-7. Teams have off capturing nights on a regular basis, after all, however the truth that the Ivy League event’s No. 2 seed was in a position to maintain an NCAA No. 2 seed from getting second possibilities was much more stunning. Give full credit score to Tosan Evbuomwan and Caden Pierce. They did glorious work on the defensive glass. Arizona pulled down lower than one in 5 of its misses.

As for Virginia, it bumped into the same March lifeless finish. The Cavaliers transformed two 3s in 40 minutes. Furman hit 10.

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How far can Princeton and Furman each go within the event?

Gasaway: The Tigers will draw their inspiration from one other New Jersey group. No one gave Saint Peter’s a lot of an opportunity as a No. 15 seed final yr, and the Peacocks made all of it the best way to the Elite Eight. Princeton will now play the 7-seed Tigers of Missouri, and Kobe Brown and D’Moi Hodge will likely be a handful.

Then once more, Mitch Henderson’s group may very well have a greater probability than oddsmakers will give Furman towards 5-seed San Diego State. To this level within the season, the Aztecs have been even higher than Virginia on protection.

Borzello: Entering the NCAA event, I had Furman within the Sweet 16, so I’m driving with the Paladins once more within the second spherical towards San Diego State. Mike Bothwell must keep away from foul bother in that one, although, because the Paladins usually are not the identical group with him on the bench. San Diego State is elite defensively and actually imposes its model of play on opponents, a lot because it did towards Charleston after the opening minutes.

I’ll have Princeton dropping to Missouri — however hey, I had the Tigers dropping to Arizona, too. Tosan Evbuomwan vs. Kobe Brown ought to be a improbable matchup up entrance.

Medcalf: I believe a San Diego State squad that simply had its palms full with Charleston ought to be involved. Paladins coach Bob Richey pulled off the college’s biggest NCAA event feat with out his high scorer within the sport late, and with out having the ability to rating greater than 7 factors till the 10-minute mark of the primary half. Slawson will likely be an issue for the Aztecs, too. He’s a novel matchup at that dimension. We in all probability did not see Furman’s greatest. And meaning one thing.

But I’m not selecting Princeton to beat Missouri. I belief Dennis Gates and Kobe Brown. Sincerely, an ESPN reporter who picked Arizona to achieve the Final Four.

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Which group stands to learn most from two epic upsets within the South?

Borzello: It’s undoubtedly Alabama. The Crimson Tide’s hardest take a look at within the area would have probably come from Arizona, one of many few groups that had the offense to maintain up with it. While I had Virginia getting bounced by Furman, a possible Sweet 16 tilt towards the slow-it-down Cavaliers would have been an enormous distinction in kinds. The backside half of the area is broad open now, although, which may gain advantage Baylor or Creighton. The Bears have had bother defensively, however they’ve elite guards, whereas Creighton has been top-of-the-line groups within the nation with a wholesome Ryan Kalkbrenner. One of the 2 may discover themselves within the Elite Eight now.

Gasaway: Alabama. None of this may come into play for the Crimson Tide till subsequent weekend, after all, however eradicating the No. 2 and 4 seeds out of your bracket helps the group on the highest line. Even when the brackets had been introduced, the South was seen as comparatively hospitable to ‘Bama. Now, the area has turn into much more accommodating.

Medcalf: Yep, positively Alabama. Arizona’s dimension and pace figured to be its biggest take a look at within the area. With Arizona gone, there’s an opportunity Alabama places collectively a reasonably dominant run to the Final Four. And Tony Bennett’s defensive changes for Virginia had been problematic for many groups. Alabama’s path is far simpler now.