Biggest Losers From The 2018 NCAA Tournament's First Weekend

The first weekend of the 2018 NCAA Tournament is in the books and boy was it crazy. Here’s a look at the biggest losers from the first two rounds of this year’s tournament.

Tony Bennett

Well, Tony Bennett and his Virginia team are now the answer to the most dubious trivia question in college basketball history. Bennett authored an absolutely horrific meltdown, as his No. 1 overall seed Cavaliers were blown out by 16th-seeded UMBC, 74-54. I can’t remember a more inept performance by a top-level team in any sport.

Bennett won’t ever live this down unless he wins a national title. Virginia was 31-2 entering the tournament and its two losses had come by a total of eight points. UMBC lost to Albany by 44 this season. It was a supreme embarrassment for Bennett and his program.

Miles Bridges

Miles Bridges skipped the 2017 NBA Draft to return to Michigan State because he wanted to win a national championship. He didn’t. On top of that, his final collegiate performance left a lot to be desired. Bridges scored just 11 points on 4-of-18 shooting from the field and was 3-of-12 from 3-point range.

Sean Miller

Sean Miller has had an awful few weeks and really an awful season. Despite loads of talent, Miller’s Wildcats were blown out 89-68 by 13th-seeded Buffalo in the opening round. On the one hand, it was an embarrassing showing, on the other, it mercifully ended a mess of a season.

Theo Pinson and Joel Berry

Theo Pinson and Joel Berry have been the backbone of North Carolina as the Tar Heels reached the title game in 2016 and won a championship in 2017. It was awful watching them go out like they did, in an 86-65 blowout at the hands of Texas A&M in the second round.

Bruce Pearl

This year’s Auburn squad was the most talented team Bruce Pearl has ever had. Yes, even better than his 2007-08 Tennessee team. Yet, despite a ton of talent, Pearl and the Tigers got hammered by Clemson on Sunday in the second round. The 84-53 loss ended a tumultuous season that may even be Pearl’s last at the school due to the FBI’s investigation into the program.

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hoo boy, Sunday was a rough one for “The Fountain City.” Cincinnati was up 22 points with 11 minutes left in its game against Nevada. Somehow, the Bearcats lost 75-73. Mick Cronin’s second-seeded team authored the second-biggest collapse in NCAA Tournament history (BYU erased a 25-point deficit in 2012).

Then, Xavier led by as many as 12 in the second half of its matchup with Florida State before collapsing. The top-seeded Musketeers lost 75-70 after the Seminoles finished the game on an 18-4 run.

Larry Scott and the Pac-12

The Pac-12 was 0-3 in the 2018 NCAA Tournament and became the first major conference since 1996 to fail to reach the Round of 32. Commissioner Larry Scott should be on the chopping block after this and the conference’s massive football failings.

Trae Young’s draft stock

Trae Young played fine (28 points, five rebounds, seven assists) during Oklahoma’s first-round loss to Rhode Island, but it wasn’t the kind of dominant performance some were hoping for. He has yet to prove that he can actually elevate a team to victory, though his numbers are certainly pretty to look at.

Tom Izzo

The legend of Tom Izzo has dimmed considerably this season. Despite having the most talented squad he’s ever run onto a floor in East Lansing, Izzo didn’t even make it to the Sweet 16. The Spartans last reached the Final Four in 2015 and haven’t made it out of the tournament’s first weekend since. Meanwhile, some are now referring to Michigan’s John Beilein as the nation’s best late-season coach.

Everyone’s brackets

Throw ’em on the fire. That’s all they’re good for at this point.