CLEVELAND — Dramatic Turns in NCAA Tournament
With less than eight minutes left in the game and trailing by one, Robert Morris guard Amarion Dickerson made a pivotal play by blocking a shot from Alabama guard Mark Sears. This impressive defensive move sent Sears to the floor, and the ball went out of bounds. Following his strong defense, Dickerson, who scored 25 points on Friday and was named the Horizon League defensive player of the year, stepped over Sears in a notable celebration reminiscent of Allen Iverson’s iconic move over Tyronn Lue, flexing for the cheering crowd.
The applause of thousands echoed through the arena, as Robert Morris fans journeyed from Pittsburgh and were joined by new supporters rallying behind the underdog team. Just moments later, the 15-seed Colonials capitalized on this energy, briefly taking a one-point lead against the 2-seed Crimson Tide. For a fleeting moment, the game felt poised for an epic upset reminiscent of classic March Madness stories.
However, Alabama quickly responded with a 6-0 run and secured a nine-point victory, thereby cementing an underwhelming round of 64 in this year’s NCAA Tournament. For the first time since 2017, no team seeded lower than No. 12 advanced to the second weekend of action. Only five double-digit seeds managed to progress, including two No. 10s, a No. 11, and two No. 12s, which ties for the fewest first-round wins by lower seeds since 2007.
The lack of close games further contributed to the shortage of excitement this year, as only four out of the 32 first-round matchups were decided by two possessions or fewer, marking the lowest number since 1997. While thrilling matchups emerged during the First Four in Dayton, the excitement waned significantly on Thursday and Friday.
This raises the question: Was this merely a one-time occurrence, or does it reflect ongoing dynamics within college sports, including the influence of power conferences, NIL agreements, and the transfer portal? Analysts from The Athletic, C.J. Moore and Brendan Marks, predicted this trend based on advanced metrics that highlighted a top-heavy field of high seeds.
While this might forecast an interesting second and third weekend with potential high-profile matchups, it also underscores the cyclical nature of college basketball. The unpredictability of early-round upsets—moments that bring joy to fans—was notably absent this time, leaving an emptiness as teams like FDU and UMBC reminded viewers of what makes March so enchanting.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, reflecting on the predictability of this year’s first round, acknowledged the joy of Cinderella stories while emphasizing the unique nature of the NCAA Tournament in creating thrilling narratives. As the first round concluded with Michigan State’s dominating victory, Izzo remained optimistic, suggesting that the unpredictable excitement of March Madness may still emerge as the tournament progresses, despite the shortcomings observed thus far.
