Now, March Madness can officially begin.
We’ve soldiered through another First Four, in preparation for the NCAA Tournament’s first round on Thursday, the date that many observers still consider to be the real start of the tournament.
First, though, we had a trimming of the fat on Tuesday and Wednesday to whittle the bracket to 64 teams.
Here are the winners and losers from the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio:
Winners
North Carolina, Xavier
First Four victors make for good sleeper-team candidates.
In 12 of the past 13 years featuring these First Four games, at least one team that played its way into the 64-team field advanced to at least the second round.
VCU (2011) and UCLA (2021) went from First Four to Final Four.
That history bodes well for North Carolina and Xavier. Those two No. 11 seeds that won their play-in games now will face No. 6 seeds Ole Miss and Illinois, respectively.
Upset alert, anyone?
Dunk enthusiasts
If you enjoy points in the paint, then you loved Mount St. Mary’s 83-72 win against American that featured a handful of rim-rattling jams.
Mount St. Mary’s offense functioned beautifully. Big men Jedy Cordilia and Dola Adebayo each supplied 22 points with unstoppable dominance at the rim, and some inside-out kick-outs resulted in nine 3-pointers for the Mountaineers, who looked better than your garden variety 16-seed.
Bubba Cunningham
North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham served as the chairman of the tournament selection committee that just so happened to choose the Tar Heels for the final at-large bid. Cunningham will be due a bonus in excess of $75,000 for the team’s NCAA selection, per the terms of his contract.
Rules dictate that Cunningham not be in the room while the rest of the committee members discussed North Carolina’s tournament candidacy, but his presence as committee chairman nonetheless created at least the illusion of bias.
North Carolina’s 8-0 record against “Quad 2” opponents highlighted its credentials, along with a sturdy NET ranking. It won two ACC Tournament games, while other bubble teams lost their conference tournament openers.
Still, the Tar Heels carried a squishy résumé into Selection Sunday, anchored by a 1-12 record against “Quad 1” opponents. Cunningham being the committee chair added fuel to the fire of the debate.
By smashing San Diego State 95-68, the Tar Heels quieted critics who objected to their selection. Oh, and if the Tar Heels reach the Sweet 16, Cunningham will be owed another bonus. Sweet deal.
Tony Madlock’s wife
The television broadcast Tuesday showed Stacie Madlock, wife of Alabama State coach Tony Madlock and mother to Hornets forward TJ Madlock, with her head in her hands during the game against St. Francis.
Prayers answered.
Alabama State beat St. Francis with a wild bucket in the final second.
Losers
Rodney Terry
Texas coach Rodney Terry sits on a hot seat, and Texas blowing an eight-point halftime lead in its loss to Xavier didn’t help his case for job retention.
The SEC qualified a record 14 teams for this tournament. Now, it’s down to 13 strong, as Terry awaits his fate.
St. Francis, American
The First Four continues to be a rough deal for the No. 16 seeds that are cast into play-in games despite winning their conference tournaments.
Back when the NCAA Tournament featured only 64 teams, winning your conference tournament triggered guaranteed entry into the 64-team bracket. Tournament expansion changed this. Now, the four lowest-seeded automatic bids on the 16-seed line must win a play-in game to earn the right to play a No. 1 seed.
Alabama State and Mount St. Mary’s won and advanced to the first round.
St. Francis and American bid adieu.
Alabama State’s last-second basket brought a swift end to St. Francis’ second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
San Diego State
After all that howling about North Carolina not deserving the final at-large bid, San Diego State shouted, “Hold my beer!”
The Aztecs’ putrid performance against the Tar Heels suggested that San Diego State was the real dud of Selection Sunday, hiding in plain sight.
The Tar Heels’ torrid shooting ripped to shreds the Aztecs’ typically stout defense.
Mississippi
Would you want to play the Tar Heels in Round 1 after the way they tormented San Diego State?
North Carolina guard RJ Davis, an NCAA Tournament veteran, will enter the first-round game against Ole Miss blistering hot after making all six of his 3-point attempts against the Aztecs.
If Davis stays hot, look out, Rebels.
West Virginia
What an awful stretch of days it’s been for West Virginia. First, the selection committee omitted the Mountaineers, who beat six “Quad 1” opponents en route to a 19-13 record. Then, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey embarrassed himself in a pathetic excuse for a news conference during which he threatened legal action in response to the committee choosing UNC over the Mountaineers.
“We need to get to the bottom of it,” Morrisey bloviated.
West Virginia lost its first game in the Big 12 Tournament, 67-60, to Colorado, a team with 20 losses. There’s the bottom of it. The defense rests.
To top it off, West Virginia needs a new coach.
The final tally for West Virginia: No bid, one gasbag governor, no coach.
Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.