March Madness: Day Two Takeaways and Teams to Watch

March comes at you fast. While sixty four teams entered the tournament on Thursday morning, the first round is in the books and only thirty two are left. In just two days it will be down to sixteen.

The first round did not have as many surprises as past years, but there’s still a lot to talk about. The top teams all look like they belong, while there are plenty of middle seeds that could make a run based on their early play.

(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

March Madness is all about getting hot. Though it’s often hard to see when an overlooked team is prime to make a run, there was a lot to like in the first few days. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see a five or lower seed take a real shot at San Antonio.

On Top for a Reason

As with day one, the top seeds all looked impressive. Both one seeds, Duke and Florida, cruised to easy wins while the two seeds, Michigan State and Alabama, each showed up in crunch time to close things out.

For Duke and Florida, things were never close

The Gators scored in droves as they have all year and never let Norfolk State get their footing. Duke did the same, with standout Cooper Flagg putting up a solid statline of 14 points, 4 assists, and 7 rebounds.

Like was a little less comfortable for the two seeds

Michigan State found themselves trailing early in the second half before turning up the heat and relying on their stars to give them a much needed boost.

They hit their stride with roughly ten minutes to go before ending up with a solid 25 point victory.

Alabama had the hardest time of the bunch

They did eventually find their footing to get a tight 90 to 81 victory over Robert Morris, but it wasn’t easy.

The Crimson Tide struggled for a lot of the game, giving up easy baskets and missing open threes. If they want to make a deep run, they need to tighten up against St. Mary’s and figure out how to maintain momentum.

On the Upswing

Most of the lower seeds seemed to lack heart. Many went away quietly, losing the early battle and then not being able to regain any ground. That was not the case with Colorado State.

The Rams added the second 12-5 upset of the tournament, taking down higher seeded Memphis 78-70. While the final score was close, Colorado State dominated the second half and never gave up the lead once they got it.

Their solid play and well-rounded offense are two important aspects that could push them further into the tournament

Where many lower seeds who get one big upset can’t keep it going into the weekend, there’s a real chance that the Rams make it to the sweet 16.

Their next opponent, Maryland, looked tough as well. However, the Rams didn’t flinch in the face of their first challenge. There’s no reason to think they will in their next.

Tenth-seeded New Mexico led the other big upset of the day, beating seventh seeded Marquette 75-66

They were in control for most of the contest and played well on both sides of the ball.

The only other surprise occurred when ninth-seeded Baylor eked out a tight win against eighth-seeded Mississippi State. That’s hardly an upset, but it’s worth mentioning because Baylor’s coach Scott Taylor already has a championship under his belt. He could get his team ready for a run.

Returning to Form

While the first and second days of the tournament didn’t have much in the way of shock, the second one was a bit more notable in terms of the programs who all put up impressive wins. Arizona, Oregon, and Kentucky all moved on with little conflict.

Those are three schools that have been tournament darlings in the past, and they have coaching staffs that know how to win. Such experience is valuable, as shown by how easily they all dismantled their opponents.

Not only did Maryland score 81 points, they also held their opponent to 49

Some of that might come from them playing a weaker opponent, but they looked extremely prepared. Given that they have 12-seed Colorado State on Sunday, the Terrapins could find themselves in the mix come the Elite 8.

If looking for March Madness tournament schedules, matchup breakdowns, and expert picks, head to our March Madness section.