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'They threw us in a coffin. They just forgot the nails.'
John Calipari takes his 4th program to Sweet 16 with upset of 2-seed St. John's (and Rick Pitino). We dive into their turnaround, plus detail how Houston ended Gonzaga's remarkable Sweet 16 streak, Auburn's closing burst, and much more.
Mike Miller
March 23, 2025
Good morning! The Big East is down to its final team in the tournament (UConn), while the Big Ten (10-2) is still thriving.
Let's get Saturday’s stories.
A Sweet 16 without Gonzaga will be a strange sight
The last time Mark Few’s program didn’t reach the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend, Graham Ike was in junior high. Kelly Olynyk was a year removed from starring for the Zags.
Heck Kelvin Sampson wasn’t even Houston’s coach yet. But Sampson’s team ended one of the NCAA Tournament’s most remarkable active streaks on Saturday night with an 81-76 win in the Midwest Region.
I mean, look that run!
Gonzaga’s 9-year Sweet Sixteen streak comes to an end tonight. An unbelievable feat for a golden era of basketball
— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters)
3:04 AM • Mar 23, 2025
Not bad for a program that wasn’t part of a power conference.
1. West Region: It seems John Calipari can still coach
St. John’s entered Saturday’s Round of 32 games against Arkansas as perhaps the most feared defensive team in the Field of 68. It’s relentless ball pressure forced teams into bad shots, turnovers and loooong days on the court. It did most of that vs the Hogs. It just couldn’t hit shots. Like, any shots.
