Source: Grant Halverson / Getty
Charlotte didn’t provide the drama like it did the last time the NCAA Tournament was here, as the #1 seed Tar Heels routed Wagner, and the #2 seed Tennessee Volunteers made quick work of Saint Peter’s, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t learn a lot about the teams in the second session, which featured wins for Texas and Tennessee. Here’s a quick summary of what you need to know about last night’s action in the Queen City.
The Tides of March
- Less than 48 hours after Colorado State stifled Virginia in the First Four, the Rams offense stalled out in its own way in an ugly loss to Texas. Colorado State actually jumped out to an 8-2 lead, and it looked like it was possible they’d run Texas out of the gym. For the rest of the first half, they would score just 3 points, after an eight-minute scoring drought, and they found themselves down 27-11 at the half. It wouldn’t get any better in the second half, even though their defense kept them in the game, they’d score just 44 points, and as they shot 29% from the field, 25% from behind the arc in the 56-44 loss. Isaiah Stevens led Colorado State in scoring all season long but managed just 10 points on 4-16 shooting. You have to credit the defensive gameplan that Rodney Terry and co put together, but it was a reality check for Colorado State, who helped set Virginia’s offense back 50 years earlier in the week, and later in the week, the same thing happened for them, in a season-ending loss.
Tennessee Picks Up the SEC
- The SEC had a rough start to the NCAA Tournament, with Mississippi State and South Carolina getting blown out. It didn’t get any better as the #14 seed Oakland Golden Grizzlies upset the #3 seed Kentucky Wildcats, to give John Calipari another early March exit. Rick Barnes has failed to deliver a deep tournament run since he was fired at Texas and resurfaced at Tennessee, but he arguably has his best team since arriving in Knoxville. Saint Peter’s was looking to recreate the magic of March they had in 2022, making the Elite Eight as a #15 seed, but that was quickly off the table, as Tennessee ran out to a 21-7 lead, on their way to leading 46-20 at the half, and an eventual 83-49 win. While the win doesn’t make up for the Kentucky upset, or the blowouts that other SEC members experienced, but they stopped the bleeding on a day the SEC would love to forget.
Hornets Fans Get to Know Dalton Knecht
- It’s no secret that the Charlotte Hornets will once again be drafting in the lottery of the 2024 NBA Draft, and last night, they may have seen their future draft pick. Dalton Knecht has had an incredible season at Tennessee since transferring in from North Colorado last off-season. He’s going to be in the running for the Naismith Player of the Year, after earning multiple SEC honors. A big March will vault him up NBA draft boards, in a weak draft class. Last night was the first step to achieving that, as Knecht scored 23 points, on 8-15 shooting, he was 4-8 from deep, along with 8 rebounds in 29 minutes. If you’re a Hornets fan looking for a possible running mate to join LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, Knecht could be that guy, and he looked very comfortable last night in Spectrum Center, the obvious home of the Hornets.
Make sure to stay tuned in to Sports Radio 92.7 WFNZ for the latest NCAA Tournament coverage.
