The Madness has commenced and it has not disappointed. Starting with an OT thriller as Rhode Island took down Trae Young and Oklahoma. Day one set the tone for what should be a compelling, wide-open tournament. Let’s take a look at the top moments from Thursday:
Zaire Smith 360 Oop
Texas Tech freshman guard did this:
ARE YOU SERIOUS, Zhaire Smith? 😳😳😳#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/S3rNGvkM7b
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 16,
The body control, hand-eye, and awareness in midair are just insane. This would be a 40+/50 dunk in the NBA contest, he just did it in the middle of a tightly contested tournament game. Insane. Texas Tech went on to win 70-60 after trailing to 14-seed Stephen F. Austin at half.
Loyola-Illinois Hits Last-Second Winner
http://abc7chicago.com/video/embed/?pid=3221010
Loyola-Illinois’s Donte Ingram nails the 30-footer with 0.3 left on the clock to give the 11-seed Ramblers the 64-62 victory over Miami.
Rob Gray Unstoppable in Houston’s First Tourney Win Since 1984
The last time the University of Houston won a tournament game, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler were on the floor, advancing to the 84 championship game where they lost to Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas.
Senior point guard Rob Gray ended that drought Thursday, scoring a career high as he led Houston to a 67-65 victory over San Diego St.
Buffalo Cruises Over Zona
We had our first bracket buster, as 13. Buffalo man-handled 4. Arizona, was a popular pick to make a deep run. Possible #1 draft pick DeAndre Ayton ended his college career with a somewhat underwhelming night, still finishing with a 14-point, 13-rebound night. Ayton wasted no time making his intentions clear, declaring for the draft soon after the game. Buffalo guards Wes Clark and Jeremy Harris combined for 48 points and will look to legitimize the Cinderella tag against Kentucky on Saturday.