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Sports

March Madness now in full swing 

The Original
Eli Jabbe

The men's NCAA Basketball Tournament is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year for sports fans. The widespread popularity of March Madness is undeniable as it routinely grasps the attention of not only college sports fans but also sports fans in general.

This year has been no exception. The tournament is only a week old, but there have been plenty of exciting moments so far. With the Sweet 16 set to begin this week, there are some worthwhile matchups on the table. But before we delve into those games, let's take a look back at the first two rounds, where there were a few upsets. 

The Duke Blue Devils, everyone's favorite team, suffered a shocking 79-77 loss to Virginia Commonwealth in the first round. Duke was the No. 6 seed in the West Region and VCU was the No. 11 seed. 

Unfortunately, Duke's seeding gave it no help in a contest where the other opponent wanted it more. It's true the Blue Devils no longer have standout players J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams, but a program of its caliber is expected to make it past the first round on a yearly basis.

Texas, the fourth seed in the East Region, was more fortunate than Duke and advanced to the second round. The Longhorns' luck ran out against No. 5 seed USC in an 87-68 blowout loss.

USC will face No.1 seed North Carolina in the East Region semifinals Friday. This matchup will likely field this region's Final Four participant because both programs have strong teams this year.

In addition to North Carolina, the other No. 1 seeds are all alive and kicking. Most notably, Florida looks very focused after steamrolling Jackson State in the first round and slugging out a victory against Purdue in the second round.

However, there's a good chance that Ohio State's No. 1 seed status could do a lot of damage to the Buckeyes. It seems like the level of excellence the Buckeyes football program's season set earlier this year after making it to the national championship game has placed considerable expectations on the men's basketball program. That's quite a bit of pressure for one team.

The Buckeyes will face Tennessee, the fifth-seeded team in the South Region, on Thursday. The Volunteers aren't exactly pushovers. They destroyed Long Beach State in the first round and pulled out a tough win over No. 4 seed Virginia.

Look for more last-second thrillers, emerging superstars and plenty of other classic moments during this year's Sweet 16. 

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