Teams Debunking Popular Trend in NCAA Tournament

On Selection Sunday, John Calipari said Kentucky was “built for March.” Despite a poor performance and a quick exit from the SEC Tournament, there were plenty of reasons to believe that statement was true.

In the final month of the regular season, Kentucky’s only loss was on an improbable buzzer-beater at LSU. The Wildcats claimed wins over two opponents who were atop the SEC standings at the time, blowing by Alabama and leading from start to finish at Tennessee. Kentucky was poised to be the team who “got hot at the right time,” then lost to Oakland.

In the penultimate week of the college basketball season, two teams proved you don’t have to get hot at the end of the regular season to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

March Madness Success Despite Poor Regular Season Finishes

Alabama only had two losses in SEC play when they traveled to Rupp Arena on Feb. 24. Kentucky had 101 points with nine minutes remaining, creating a crack in the foundation of the Crimson Tide. They wrapped up the regular season by losing three out of four games and a chance to win an SEC Regular Season Championship.

The SEC Tournament did not provide an ideal springboard into the NCAA Tournament, falling to Florida in the semifinals, yet they still dispatched Charleston and Grand Canyon en route to the Sweet 16. On Thursday night they trailed by five points with six minutes to play but remained unfazed. The Crimson Tide went on a 12-2 run to close out No. 1 North Carolina and punch a ticket to the second Elite Eight in program history.

Alabama will face another team in its second-ever Elite Eight. Clemson looked even worse than the Crimson Tide before the NCAA Tournament. On March 2, they lost to a terrible Notre Dame team. The Tigers were taken down by Wake Forest in their regular season finale, then went one-and-done in the ACC Tournament with a 76-55 loss to Boston College.

Nobody believed in Clemson and it did not matter. The Tigers are the first team since 1985 to win their first three games of the NCAA Tournament as an underdog. These programs prove you don’t have to end your regular season on a heater to be “built for March.”

NCAA Tournament Schdeule

Friday

7:09: (11) NC State vs. (2) Marquette, CBS
7:39: (5) Gonzaga vs. (1) Purdue, TBS
9:40: (4) Duke vs. (1) Houston, CBS
10:10: (3) Creighton vs. (2) Tennessee, TBS

Saturday

6:09: (3) Illinois vs. (1) UConn, TBS/truTV
8:49: (6) Clemson vs. (4) Alabama, TBS/truTV

You can watch the tournament live on Prime Video. Add on your favorite channels and watch at home or at work!