You can just feel the Madness

If you’re on basketball overload like me, just let it wash over you and enjoy it. It’s that time of year. Though I am still trying to figure out how a basketball behaves like this…

Let's get to Thursday’s news.

1. Tracking Thursday’s surprising results

If you’re a fan of tournament chaos, the Atlantic 10 is the place for you.

For the first time since 2006, all four of the top four seeds lost in the A-10 Tournament quarterfinals.

Top-seed Richmond, out. Loyola Chicago got a last-second dunk to force double overtime, but is home. 3-seed Dayton held Duquesne scoreless for a 6½-minute stretch in the second half, but fell short. And with 5-seed VCU (21-12) upending 4-seed UMass, the Rams — the reigning A-10 tourney champs — are the highest remaining seed.

They’ll play St. Joe’s (21-12) today (pro tip: face guard Erik Reynolds; he had 30 vs. Richmond), while the Bonnies (20-12) and Duquesne (22-11) face off in the other semifinal. It also means the A-10 will be a two-bid league as Dayton (24-7) is a lock for an at-large berth.

One of my favorite factoids for March? No team has ever won the NCAA Tournament after it lost its conference tournament opener.

Something to keep in mind (Duke, Creighton, Kansas) for your bracket.

The Devils (24-8) trailed the entire second half against NC State (20-14), a team that had lost four straight entering the ACC Tournament. Duke couldn’t contain DJ Horne (18 points), and Mohamed Diarra was fabulous as an all-around player (14 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks, 3 steals). Now the Wolfpack are in a coin-flip game today vs. Virginia (23-9), which had its own wild finish at the end of regulation.

Creighton simply got outplayed by Providence, which should feel better about its at-large hopes after the 78-73 win. Big East POY Devin Carter was fabulous (22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and an awesome block). This probably leaves the Bluejays (23-9) as a 3-seed in the Big Dance. The Friars (21-12) play a Tyler Kolek-less Marquette today.

But perhaps the most surprising/least surprising result? Toledo’s 67-59 loss to Kent State. The Rockets (20-12) were the top seed in the MAC tourney for the 4th straight season, but each one has ended the same way.

Tough beat for Tod Kowalczyk’s squad.

2. It’s gonna be a big bubble on Sunday

Those at-large bids are looking promising for the likes Providence, Colorado, St. John’s, Pitt and Texas A&M, among others.

For Wake Forest, Villanova, Iowa and Utah? Not so much.

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