Florida Gulf Coast Eagles guard Sherwood Brown reacts in the Sweet 16 game against Florida. (Photo: Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports)
Story Highlights - The sleepers are just about out of the NCAA tournament as the Regional Finals arrive
- FGCU became the first No. 15 seed to advance to the second weekend of the tournament
- Wichita State is the highest remaining seed in the Big Dance at No. 9
The sleepers are just about out of the NCAA tournament as the Regional Finals arrive. Of the eight remaining teams, only Wichita State (a No. 9 seed) was pegged as something lower than a No. 4 seed just a couple weeks ago.
So at this point, a Cinderella Watch is a complete misnomer. It effectively reached its conclusion at the start of the round of 16, which folks who pay attention on an annual basis know is usually when it does (though exceptions can and do exist).
BRACKET: NCAA tournament field
In lieu of yet another breakdown of Wichita State, here's some superlatives on the teams seeded ninth and below in this year's tournament.
BRACKET BRIEFING: The madness isn't over
MOST LIKELY TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS MONTH IN 50 YEARS
Florida Gulf Coast
TV SCHEDULE: Elite 8 times, info
This one's pretty easy. The Eagles became the first No. 15 seed to advance to the second weekend of the tournament, and their Dunk City theatrics made them the most fun team of this event. Outside of whoever cuts down the nets in Atlanta on April 8, Florida Gulf Coast was the biggest winner of the tournament.
MOST REGRETS
Davidson
Without one lousy pass (and a fair bit of luck on Marquette's part), Davidson would have pulled a 14/3 upset and knocked out one of the top teams in the East regional. Instead, Marquette hit a late 3-pointer to lock up a comeback victory and plays on in Saturday's East regional final against Syracuse. There's no reason Davidson couldn't have made things interesting against either Butler or Miami, two teams the Golden Eagles have since beaten.
MOST SMARTS
Harvard
This honor is given by default considering the Crimson's presence in the Ivy League. Nonetheless, it's also fitting considering how deftly Harvard handled New Mexico in the round of 64, earning the first NCAA tournament victory in school history.
MOST LIKELY TO BE FORGOTTEN
Montana
Were there actually people selling the Grizzlies as a candidate to author an upset? A tick overseeded, Montana suffered an 81-34 loss to Syracuse in its only tournament game to go out as meekly as anyone this year.
La Salle won at least two games for the first time in the tournament since 1955. (Photo: Jamie Squire, Getty Images)
BEST END TO A LONG WAIT
La Salle
The Explorers hadn't won two games in an NCAA tournament since 1955, a streak that finally came to an end when John Giannini's team beat Boise State, Kansas State and Mississippi over a five-day span to reach the round of 16. The backcourt-oriented Explorers couldn't handle Wichita State's size, but it was still a cool feat to be the last team standing from Philadelphia.
BEST STAY
Wichita State
It was --- or, rather, is --- the longest out of anyone on the bottom three-quarters of the seed list. The Shockers knocked off a No. 1 seed (Gonzaga), demolished a power conference team (Pittsburgh) and handled La Salle with ease. Only Ohio State stands in the way of Gregg Marshall's team reaching its first Final Four since 1965.
WORST STAY
Middle Tennessee
Pilloried for not having a resume with much meat, the Blue Raiders responded by suffering a 67-54 loss to Saint Mary's in a play-in game. It was an underwhelming performance for a team with so much depth and so many upperclassmen in its rotation, and fairly or not will leave people wondering what a Virginia or Tennessee might have done in Middle Tennessee's stead. It probably wouldn't have been worse.
BEST RESPONSE TO SEEDING
Oregon
The Ducks were blatantly underseeded after winning the Pac-12, as the selection committee turned a potential No. 7 or No. 8 seed into a plucky No. 12. Oregon then handled Oklahoma State and Saint Louis to reach the round of 16, and made a respectable run at Louisville in the latter stages of their round of 16 games before falling 77-69.
PHOTOS: HEARTBREAK AT NCAA TOURNAMENT
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles guard Sherwood Brown reacts after losing to the Florida Gators 62-50 in the semifinals of the South regional at Cowboys Stadium. Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Michigan State Spartans players Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne react in the second half during the semifinals of the Midwest regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament against the Duke Blue Devils at Lucas Oil Stadium. Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Oregon Ducks center Waverly Austin, left, and center Tony Woods react in the second half during the semifinals of the Midwest regional against the Louisville Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium. Jamie Rhodes, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Kansas Jayhawks guard Elijah Johnson is consoled after losing in overtime to the Michigan Wolverines. Eric Prisbell, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen La Salle Explorers guard Ramon Galloway (55) reacts after losing to Wichita State Shockers during the semifinals of the West regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Staples Center. Wichita State beat La Salle 72-58. Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Indiana Hoosiers forward Jeremy Hollowell (left) and guard Remy Abell (23) react on the bench in the second half against the Syracuse Orange during the semifinals of the East regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Verizon Center. Syracuse defeated Indiana 61-50. Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen The Miami Hurricanes bench react during the second half of the semifinals of the East regional of the 2013 NCAA Tournament against the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Verizon Center. Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Arizona Wildcats forward Grant Jerrett (33, left) reacts after the semifinals of the West regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Staples Center. Ohio State defeated Arizona 73-70. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Creighton Bluejays guard Jahenns Manigat pulls his jersey over his head after loosing to the Duke Blue Devils 66-50. Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Brandon Paul of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts after their 63 to 59 loss to the Miami Hurricanes during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. Ronald Martinez, Getty Images Related story Fullscreen San Diego State Aztecs guard James Rahon walks off the court after the game against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in the third round. Florida Gulf Coast defeated San Diego State 81-71. Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Chase Tapley of the San Diego State Aztecs looks on in the second half while taking on the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in the third round. FGCU won 81-71 Rob Carr, Getty Images Related story Fullscreen Minnesota's Trevor Mbakwe walks off the court after losing to Florida in the third-round of the NCAA college basketball tournament. Eric Gay, AP Related story Fullscreen The North Carolina Tar Heels react on the bench as they loose to the Kansas Jayhawks 70-58. Peter G. Aiken, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen North Carolina guard P.J. Hairston walks to the bench after losing to Kansas 70-58. Orlin Wagner, AP Related story Fullscreen Khalif Wyatt of the Temple Owls is comforted by a teammate after being defeated by the Indiana Hoosiers in the third round. Joe Robbins, Getty Images Related story Fullscreen Will Cummings of the Temple Owls walks off the court with his team after being defeated by the Indiana Hoosiers in the third round. Joe Robbins, Getty Images Related story Fullscreen D.J. Stephens of the Memphis Tigers walk off of the court after they lost 70-48 against the Michigan State Spartans in the third round. Gregory Shamus, Getty Images Related story Fullscreen Georges Niang of the Iowa State Cyclones walks off the court after being defeated by the Ohio State Buckeyes during the third round. Joe Robbins, Getty Images Related story Fullscreen March 23, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; California Golden Bears guard Allen Crabbe (23) reacts after the third round of the NCAA basketball tournament against the Syracuse Orange at HP Pavilion. Syracuse defeated California 66-60. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-128422 ORIG FILE ID: 20130323_kkt_st3_101.jpg Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mike Hart looks up at the clock late in the second half of the game against the Wichita State Shockers during the third round at EnergySolutions Arena. Witchita State won the game 76-70. Steve Dykes, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Butler Bulldogs forward Kameron Woods consoles center Andrew Smith after losing in the third round against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Rupp Arena. Marquette defeated Butler 74-72. Jamie Rhodes, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Marquette Golden Eagles head coach Buzz Williams consoles Butler Bulldogs forward Roosevelt Jones after Marquette defeated Butler during the third round at Rupp Arena. Mark Zerof, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Saint Louis Billikens head coach Jim Crews consoles guard Kwamain Mitchell during the second half of the third round of the NCAA basketball tournament against the Oregon Ducks at HP Pavilion. Oregon defeated Saint Louis 74-57. Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Members of the Harvard Crimson watch from the bench as time winds down in the second half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at EnergySolutions Arena. Arizona won the game 74-51. Steve Dykes, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Colorado State Rams head coach Larry Eustachy reacts in the game against the Louisville Cardinals in the first half during the third round of the NCAA basketball tournament at Rupp Arena. Mark Zerof, USA TODAY Sports Related story Fullscreen Third round: Virginia Commonwealth guard Briante Weber (2) sits on the bench against Michigan in the second half of their third-round game in Auburn Hills, Mich. Michigan won 78-53. Paul Sancya, AP Related story Fullscreen Second round: No. 2 seed Georgetown was on the receiving end of the tournament biggest early-round upset, falling to No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast 78-68 in Philadelphia.
The sleepers are just about out of the NCAA tournament as the Regional Finals arrive. Of the eight remaining teams, only Wichita State (a No. 9 seed) was pegged as something lower than a No. 4 seed just a couple weeks ago.
So at this point, a Cinderella Watch is a complete misnomer. It effectively reached its conclusion at the start of the round of 16, which folks who pay attention on an annual basis know is usually when it does (though exceptions can and do exist).
BRACKET: NCAA tournament field
In lieu of yet another breakdown of Wichita State, here's some superlatives on the teams seeded ninth and below in this year's tournament.
BRACKET BRIEFING: The madness isn't over
MOST LIKELY TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS MONTH IN 50 YEARS
Florida Gulf Coast
TV SCHEDULE: Elite 8 times, info
This one's pretty easy. The Eagles became the first No. 15 seed to advance to the second weekend of the tournament, and their Dunk City theatrics made them the most fun team of this event. Outside of whoever cuts down the nets in Atlanta on April 8, Florida Gulf Coast was the biggest winner of the tournament.
MOST REGRETS
Davidson
Without one lousy pass (and a fair bit of luck on Marquette's part), Davidson would have pulled a 14/3 upset and knocked out one of the top teams in the East regional. Instead, Marquette hit a late 3-pointer to lock up a comeback victory and plays on in Saturday's East regional final against Syracuse. There's no reason Davidson couldn't have made things interesting against either Butler or Miami, two teams the Golden Eagles have since beaten.
MOST SMARTS
Harvard
This honor is given by default considering the Crimson's presence in the Ivy League. Nonetheless, it's also fitting considering how deftly Harvard handled New Mexico in the round of 64, earning the first NCAA tournament victory in school history.
MOST LIKELY TO BE FORGOTTEN
Montana
Were there actually people selling the Grizzlies as a candidate to author an upset? A tick overseeded, Montana suffered an 81-34 loss to Syracuse in its only tournament game to go out as meekly as anyone this year.
La Salle won at least two games for the first time in the tournament since 1955. (Photo: Jamie Squire, Getty Images)
BEST END TO A LONG WAIT
La Salle
The Explorers hadn't won two games in an NCAA tournament since 1955, a streak that finally came to an end when John Giannini's team beat Boise State, Kansas State and Mississippi over a five-day span to reach the round of 16. The backcourt-oriented Explorers couldn't handle Wichita State's size, but it was still a cool feat to be the last team standing from Philadelphia.
BEST STAY
Wichita State
It was --- or, rather, is --- the longest out of anyone on the bottom three-quarters of the seed list. The Shockers knocked off a No. 1 seed (Gonzaga), demolished a power conference team (Pittsburgh) and handled La Salle with ease. Only Ohio State stands in the way of Gregg Marshall's team reaching its first Final Four since 1965.
WORST STAY
Middle Tennessee
Pilloried for not having a resume with much meat, the Blue Raiders responded by suffering a 67-54 loss to Saint Mary's in a play-in game. It was an underwhelming performance for a team with so much depth and so many upperclassmen in its rotation, and fairly or not will leave people wondering what a Virginia or Tennessee might have done in Middle Tennessee's stead. It probably wouldn't have been worse.
BEST RESPONSE TO SEEDING
Oregon
The Ducks were blatantly underseeded after winning the Pac-12, as the selection committee turned a potential No. 7 or No. 8 seed into a plucky No. 12. Oregon then handled Oklahoma State and Saint Louis to reach the round of 16, and made a respectable run at Louisville in the latter stages of their round of 16 games before falling 77-69.
PHOTOS: HEARTBREAK AT NCAA TOURNAMENT