Sweet 16: Three takeaways from Thursday night's action
March Madness continued to live up to its name Thursday night as the NCAA men’s basketball tournament rolled on.
The first night of Sweet 16 action saw two No. 1 seeds, Gonzaga and Arizona, sent packing, while Houston, perhaps the Final Four participant from last year least likely to return, live to fight another day. Elsewhere, coach Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell tour isn’t over yet, Arkansas is evoking memories of Nolan Richardson’s "Forty Minutes of Hell" era in the 1990s, and another set of Wildcats from Villanova continues its quest for a third title in seven years.
Three key takeaways from Thursday night’s Sweet 16 action:
Officiating matters
We don’t like to talk about officials, particularly in high-stakes settings like March Madness when a key play or two can determine the outcome.
Let us stipulate up front that basketball is a notoriously difficult game to officiate with so many big bodies in close proximity. But it’s an undeniable fact that the officiating throughout the NCAA Tournament has been wildly inconsistent (Baylor-North Carolina, anyone?), and executing a game plan is made even more difficult when players have no idea what does or does not constitute a foul, and that seems to vary from possession to possession.
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Whistles alone did not sink Gonzaga, but they were a factor, and that is unfortunate. To be sure, Arkansas has reason to complain about a number of ticky-tack calls in the opening half given the overall physical nature of the game. But the three dubious calls against Chet Holmgren after halftime that took him out of the game clearly altered the complexion.
Perfection is impossible, but consistency must be emphasized more by the game’s overseers.
Experience matters
Villanova didn’t have a particularly good shooting night, especially by the lofty standards Jay Wright’s teams usually display. They shot only 33% in a defensive struggle with Michigan. But the Wildcats’ veterans, particularly super senior Collin Gillespie, made more key plays than the talented but younger Wolverines. It was Gillespie’s dagger three with just over two minutes remaining that effectively iced the game.
Guard play matters
Building on the Villanova point, in March point guard play, and successfully defending the opposing facilitator, is often the difference between advancing and going home.
It’s hard to win a national championship without a strong primary ball handler. One of the knocks against Duke all season, a team with superior talent, is that the Blue Devils lacked a true initiator. It is therefore impossible to overstate just how instrumental Jeremy Roach has been in getting Coach K’s team to the Elite Eight, especially in the second half of the Texas Tech victory. Roach finished the game with 15 points and five key assists, including several highlight lobs to Mark Williams at the rim.
SWEET 16: Winners and losers from Thursday's games
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On the flip side, top seeds Gonzaga and Arizona were sent packing in large measure because their lead guards were shut down. Andrew Nembhard had been exceptional for the Bulldogs for much of the season but had his worst game of the year against Arkansas with just seven points on 2-for-11 shooting with more turnovers (five) than assists (three). The Razorbacks had a lot to do with that, of course. DJ Notae didn’t shoot particularly well either (9-for-29) but also contributed six assists, six rebounds and three steals.
Arizona, meanwhile, struggled mightily all night against Houston’s lock-down defense. Bennedict Mathurin, the Pac-12 player of the year, shot just 4-for-14 from the field and was forced into a pivotal turnover as the Wildcats attempted to rally in the closing minutes.
Follow colleges reporter Eddie Timanus on Twitter @EddieTimanus