{"id":46533,"date":"2022-03-25T10:55:20","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T14:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=46533"},"modified":"2022-03-25T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T15:00:00","slug":"sweet-sixteen-day-one-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2022\/03\/25\/sweet-sixteen-day-one-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweet Sixteen Day One Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thursday was not a good day to hold a top seed in the Sweet Sixteen. This year\u2019s NCAA Tournament has had no shortage of <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2022\/03\/19\/mens-tournament-day-two-recap\/\" target=\"_self\">big moments<\/a> and the first leg of the round of sixteen continued to deliver on that front. Frontrunners Arizona and Gonzaga will be watching the Elite Eight with the rest of us this weekend, but how did the two seeds fair in last night\u2019s matchups?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Sweet Sixteen Day One Recap<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Gonzaga vs. Arkansas<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going into the evening, this was the matchup to watch in my opinion. The Zags were once again the number one overall seed in the tournament and the Razorbacks came in looking strong and ready for a second straight trip to the Elite Eight. This game featured lots of star power. Gonzaga, led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/drew-timme-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Drew Timme<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/chet-holmgren-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Chet Holmgren,<\/strong><\/a> seemed to have a clear advantage in the frontcourt. Arkansas has a star and future NBA player <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/jd-notae-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>JD Notae<\/strong><\/a> leading the way, aided in the frontcourt by promising sophomore <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/jaylin-williams-2.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jaylin Williams.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The story of this game will sadly be the officiating. Many fans don\u2019t agree with as many as three of the fouls called against Holmgren. The final foul, which took the future lottery pick out of the game with over three minutes remaining, was a close call that certainly had an impact on the games\u2019 final moments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#8220;I would have passed on this foul.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GeneSteratore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@GeneSteratore<\/a> weighs in on Chet Holmgren&#8217;s fifth foul. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HUvyrHlspm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/HUvyrHlspm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 CBS Sports (@CBSSports) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CBSSports\/status\/1507162444568961026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 25, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The foul trouble also impacted Homgren\u2019s game throughout, holding him to only 23 minutes on the court. He managed a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds but it wasn\u2019t enough to pull out the win. On the other side, while Notae was fantastic, leading the Razorbacks with 21 points, it was senior Au\u2019Diese Toney who sealed the victory with a massive block in the game\u2019s final seconds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Villanova vs. Michigan<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It would be odd to consider the Michigan Wolverines a Cinderella story considering their tournament success in recent years, but they are an 11 seed this season. Despite that, Michigan still made their way to the Sweet Sixteen again this year. Led by sophomore center <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/hunter-dickinson-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Hunter Dickinson,<\/strong><\/a> the Wolverines looked to have a clear advantage in the post.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Villanova led most of this game, taking a 10-9 lead in the first few minutes of play. The Wolverines would take a quick lead late in the first half but quickly lost it. They found themselves chasing the Wildcats for the rest of the evening. Villanova was a three-headed monster, led in scoring by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/jermaine-samuels-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jermaine Samuels,<\/strong><\/a> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/justin-moore-3.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Justin Moore<\/a>,<\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/collin-gillespie-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Collin Gillespie.<\/strong><\/a> This trio combined for all but 14 of the Wildcats\u2019 points on Thursday night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A quick run to start the second half put the Wildcats in position, but Michigan battled back. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/moussa-diabate-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Moussa Diabate<\/strong><\/a> had some huge plays down the stretch, but overall, the Wolverines couldn\u2019t take down the Wildcats as Gillespie sealed it with a dagger from three in the game\u2019s final minutes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Duke vs. Texas Tech<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that your bracket is busted, you are likely either all-in for a Coach-K Final Four run, or you are all-in on anyone but Duke cutting down the nets. Either way, I respect it. The Coach K crowd are the winners this time around, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/paolo-banchero-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Paolo Banchero,<\/strong><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/jeremy-roach-2.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jeremy Roach,<\/strong><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/mark-williams-7.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Mark Williams,<\/strong><\/a> and the Blue Devils somehow survived the Texas Tech Raiders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Texas Tech led for the majority of this game. Although it was a tightly contested affair and Duke did grab a few short-lived leads in the second half, it felt like the Raiders were in control for most of the game. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/bryson-williams-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Bryson Williams<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/kevin-mccullar-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Kevin McCullar<\/strong><\/a> led the Raiders in scoring with 21 and 17 points respectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Duke ended this game on a 7-0 run, clinching Coach K\u2019s 100th career tournament win from the free-throw line. The boys in blue will line up against Arkansas for a shot at the Final Four on Saturday, March 26th, at 8:49 pm est.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Arizona vs. Houston<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another top-seed fell in Thursday night\u2019s finale. The Houston Cougars enjoyed the biggest margin of victory for the evening, outlasting the Wildcats on their way to a 72-60 win. Arizona struggled from the floor, shooting only 33.3% for the game. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/dalen-terry-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Dalen Terry<\/strong><\/a> put up good numbers but the others starters failed to find their rhythm all night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Houston looked impressive in this one. The Cougars shot 45% from three and played well defensively. The team collectively had five steals and six blocks. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/kyler-edwards-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Kyler Edwards<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/jamal-shead-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jamal Shead<\/a> combined for 40 points to pace the Cougars offensively. Clutch threes from Edwards put this game on ice. Houston will take on Villanova Saturday, March 26th, at 6:09 pm est.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo<br \/>\n<a id=\"DxNkE-t8RPFECD7eHvwdFQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1239482706\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'DxNkE-t8RPFECD7eHvwdFQ',sig:'K49FkgkSbRmcwrfHMKLho28nDa44FOgtVVmrNsifJXE=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1239482706',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thursday was not a good day to hold a top seed in the Sweet Sixteen. This year\u2019s NCAA Tournament has had no shortage of big moments and the first leg of the round of sixteen continued to deliver on that front. Frontrunners Arizona and Gonzaga will be watching the Elite Eight with the rest of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3815,"featured_media":46534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,773],"tags":[846,4318,861,866,860],"class_list":["post-46533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-college-basketball","tag-arizona-wildcats","tag-coach-k","tag-duke-blue-devils","tag-michigan-wolverines","tag-villanova-wildcats"],"modified_by":"Dylan Guest, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3815"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46533"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46533\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}