More Upsets As the 2023 NCAA Tournament Wraps Up the First Two Rounds

As is the case with most March Madness NCAA Tournaments, this year’s edition has plenty of excitement and upsets, complete with underperformers and those punching above their weight. The Fairleigh Dickenson #16 Seed over #1 Purdue on March 16th is of course is the biggest upset we will have, but there have been others, and the way the brackets are shaping up, we probably aren’t done yet. (Alas, FDU’s run came to end at the hands of #9 Florida Atlantic 78-70, but the Knights’ place in NCAA lore is secure).

One thing that was decided this past weekend is that we will have a new champion. Last year’s runner up, North Carolina, didn’t even make the 68 team field. Defending champion Kansas, the #1 seed in the West Region, lost in the second round to #8 Arkansas 72-71. Time spent practicing free throws is time well spent; Arkansas was 21 of 26 from the line, with Ricky Council IV sinking five of six in the last 24 seconds. Kansas was 18 of 25; not bad, but it made the difference in a one point game. There are just two #1 seeds left in the Sweet 16, Houston in the Midwest and Alabama in the South.

Speaking of the South, that part of the bracket has had some big surprises. #13 Furman beat #4 Virginia 68-67 in Round 1 before losing to #5 San Diego State in Round 2 and #6 Creighton beat #3 Baylor in Round 2 85-76. But the big news out of the South was #15 Princeton’s run. The Tigers upset #2 Arizona 59-55 in Round 1, and for an encore, they took care of #7 Missouri in Round 2 78-63 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1967. They will match up against Creighton next. History is not on the Ivy League’s side in the NCAA tournament. The last Ivy school to make the Final Four was Penn in 1979. The only time Princeton got that far was in 1965, and the last time an Ivy school reached the championship game was in 1944, when Dartmouth made it. That school also made it to the championship in 1942. Dartmouth lost both times, and no Ivy League school has won the national championship.

Here’s the highlight reel for that Princeton over Arizona upset: