NCAA tournament: Friday’s Midwest Region review
Two double-digit seeds lurk in the bottom half of the Midwest Region in No. 11 Iowa State and No. 10 seed Miami. If they can continue getting strong performances from their guards, they could truly disrupt this region.
Here’s a look at what happened Friday in the Midwest Region.
Most impressive performance, team: Iowa State. After winning all of two games last season, No. 11 Iowa State finds itself in the round of 32 after a 59-54 victory over No. 6 LSU. Let that sink in. It’s been an incredible turnaround orchestrated by coach T.J. Otzelberger. It’s been an uneven season for the Cyclones, who won their first 12 games but later suffered a four-game losing streak in the nation’s most rugged league. But they stabilized their season and will play Sunday, securing an improbable second-round berth.
Most impressive performance, individual: Auburn C Walker Kessler. Kessler blocked nine — yes, nine — shots against Jacksonville State. No telling how many Gamecocks shots he changed just by his mere presence. Kessler has averaged 4.5 blocks per game this season, which ranks second nationally. He also had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Hard to understand: If it looked as if the ball went off Miami’s Sam Waardenburg with 2:05 to play against USC, that’s because it did. USC coach Andy Enfield, who became rather animated after the play, thought so as well. But officials ruled it was off USC, awarding the ball to the Hurricanes on one of many critical late-game plays.
What we’ll be talking about from this region Saturday: Despite a partisan Badgers crowd in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was tested late against a valiant Colgate team looking for its first NCAA tournament victory. Is this still a cakewalk into the Sweet 16 for the Badgers, who earned a share of the Big Ten title? Johnny Davis, the first-team All-American who scored 25 points, is one of the few true individual difference-makers in the tournament. After a subpar first half, he played like the Big Ten player of the year.
Some key numbers: Jacksonville State came in shooting 38.8 percent from 3-point range, which was fifth nationally, and hitting 9.3 3-pointers per game. They made eight but on 25 attempts, which is 32 percent. … Miami was just 1-of-14 from 3-point range, a shooting clip bad enough to sink most teams. But the Hurricanes were able to edge USC because they committed only three turnovers, including just two in the game’s first 39-plus minutes. … How many times has Colgate beaten a ranked team in school history? Zero. … The halftime shooting numbers in Iowa State-LSU were atrocious: ISU was 9-of-27; LSU was 7-of-27. … Miami’s Isaiah Wong scored his team’s first 13 points and finished with 22. … Wisconsin turned the ball over only five times.
Game results
No. 2 Auburn 80, No. 15 Jacksonville State 61
Main takeaway: Jacksonville State hung with the Tigers for much of the first half, but there was no reason for concern. A strong opening act for Bruce Pearl’s squad, which has a generous bottom side of the bracket in the region. Their defense ranks fourth nationally in 2-point shooting percentage defense. It held Jacksonville State, the Atlantic Sun regular-season champions, to 31.7 percent shooting from the field.
Up next: Auburn vs. No. 10 Miami, Sunday
No. 3 Wisconsin 67, No. 14 Colgate 60
Main takeaway: Colgate had the Badgers right where it wanted them until Wisconsin started running Colgate off the 3-point line the last 10 minutes of game. That changed the game, and Colgate’s offense went dry. The Badgers survived, but it was far from easy.
Up next: Wisconsin vs. No. 11 Iowa State, Sunday
No. 10 Miami 68, No. 7 USC 66
Main takeaway: Miami has a good recipe for success in the tournament. It has experienced guards, including clutch senior Charlie Moore, who made the game-winning free throws with 3 seconds left. And the Hurricanes avoid turnovers (only three against USC) while forcing a plethora of them. USC committed 12 of its 18 turnovers in the first half. Despite its double-digit seed, Miami is a worthy round-of-32 team, one that could provide a test for No. 2 Auburn on Sunday.
Up next: Miami vs. No. 2 Auburn, Sunday
No. 11 Iowa State 59, No. 6 LSU 54
Main takeaway: The Cyclones should have a strong contingent of fans in Milwaukee for their second-round matchup. Freshman Tyrese Hunter, a native of Racine, Wis., more than doubled his season average by dropping 23 points on LSU. Hunter was 7-of-11 from 3-point range and also added five steals.
Up next: Iowa State vs. No. 3 Wisconsin, Sunday