Biggest men’s NCAA tournament disappointments from Sweet 16 and Elite 8

The second weekend of the men’s NCAA tournament featured some pretty exhilarating highs for teams that advanced to the Final Four, but also encompassed moments that didn’t quite go as planned for the schools going home. We’ll take a look at performances that weren’t up to par during the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. Statistics are sourced from Sports Reference.

Arizona’s Oumar Ballo was a force in the paint against Clemson in the Sweet 16. Bleacher Report called out a “nerf-dunk” highlight he had, as the Tigers’ big men seemed too small to contain the Wildcats’ center. However, Ballo went 1-7 from the free throw line, which helped mitigate the impact he was having during the course of the game.

It’s a coach’s worst nightmare. Arizona conceded at least three easy opportunities to Clemson off of inbounds passes underneath their basket. It’s a no-no in any basketball game, let alone one with such high stakes in the Sweet 16.

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It’s become increasingly clear that losing to UConn is no significant embarrassment, but San Diego State fans were hoping for a better effort in the Sweet 16. The two teams squared off in last year’s national title game, where the Aztecs were also thoroughly handled, losing by 30 points. CBS Sports noted how eager the Aztecs seemed to get another crack at the defending champions.

North Carolina’s R.J. Davis had a magnificent season, as ESPN wrote about how the team found redemption under his leadership this year. However, the volume scorer could not get it going in the Sweet 16 against Alabama. He shot 4-20 from the field, and didn’t fare much better in the closing moments of the game. Davis did go 8-9 from the foul line, but it wasn’t enough.

Marquette wasn’t afraid to launch shots from the outside against N.C. State in the Sweet 16, but they didn’t have much success from distance. The Golden Eagles were a combined 4-31 from downtown, with Kameron Jones making three of those baskets (out of 12 attempts). Yahoo Sports looked more closely at the horrible shooting performance.

Injuries can take their toll at the worst time during March Madness, as Shead and the Houston Cougars can attest. The star guard went down in the first half of their Sweet 16 contest against Duke, and Houston’s offense struggled without him. Shead’s ankle injury is of course no fault of his own, but it’s disappointing that one of the sport’s best players couldn’t participate in the entire game.

The Cougars scrambled to find offensive production after Shead’s injury, and they largely looked to LJ Cryer to fill the void. He didn’t shoot badly from the field, but Houston needed the former NCAA champion to have a game that elevated the play of everyone around him. It didn’t happen, and it further highlighted Shead’s importance to the team.

The Tennessee Volunteers had to play their Sweet 16 game against Creighton without Santiago Vescovi, who missed the game with an illness. Some thought that might lead Creighton to advance, but the Blue Jays couldn’t take advantage of his absence. Rocky Top Insider reported that Vescovi called his flu-like illness a nightmare, but it was Creighton who had a sleepless performance.

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One reason why Creighton couldn’t overcome a shorthanded Tennessee team was due to the off-game from Creighton’s star guard. Alexander went 3-12 from the field, and 1-8 from three point range. He got involved in other ways, notching seven rebounds and six assists, but the Blue Jays needed a few more of his shots to go down.

As previously mentioned, UConn is making a habit of dismantling their opponents, as ESPN has chronicled. The Huskies scored 30 straight points in their Elite 8 contest against Illinois, who were powerless to break the run. It’s a moment that UConn fans will point to as a stamp if they win it all, and a stretch Fighting Illini supporters want to forget.

Sports Illustrated noted that Purdue’s Zach Edey refused to lose, which was going to make it difficult for Tennessee to get by the Boilermakers in the Elite 8. However, Volunteers star Dalton Knecht played extremely well in that tilt, scoring 37 points with six made threes. While someone had to lose in this winner take all matchup, it is disappointing that Knecht won’t get another chance to show off.

Against a familiar foe in N.C. State, Duke hoped that they would be able to put their loss to the Wolfpack in the ACC tournament behind them. Instead, it seemed like the Blue Devils were stymied at every turn in the second half offensively. The Raleigh News and Observer noted their shooting struggles, but they also didn’t get many open looks.

N.C. State’s D.J. Burns has become one of the darlings of the NCAA Tournament, as Bleacher Report noted that America has fallen in love with him. Duke continued to watch Burns take them to task on the block, and curiously did not send double teams his way. Burns is a skilled passer, but the Blue Devils arguably should have tried to take the ball out of his hands at some point.

The UConn Huskies are in prime position to win their second consecutive national title, and their fans are well aware of how sensational the team has been. UConn head coach Dan Hurley called Huskies fans “obnoxious” according to the US Sun, but said it with a wry smile on his face. Fans of other schools likely won’t be able to take the consistent pride UConn fans show if they win another title.

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It’s the way of the world in the NCAA Tournament, but now that we’ve landed in the Final Four, the ability to watch multiple games at a time has concluded. Bleacher Report noted in the first weekend that 9 million fans tuned in to the first the days of the tournament, as basketball-lovers soaked up all of the concurrent contests. It is a bit of a comedown that this reality is now behind us.