Day 4 tourney takeaways: Maryland changes buzzer-beater luck
theScore runs down the top storylines and developments from Sunday's biggest NCAA Tournament games and what it all could mean moving forward.
Maryland's buzzer-beater luck finally changes
The buzzer-beater hasn't been kind to Maryland this year - three of the Terrapins' last four losses came with less than 0.5 seconds to play. But the tables turned Sunday against No. 12 Colorado State.
It looked like a similar heartbreak was on the way after Jalen Lake canned a deep triple to give the Rams a one-point lead with just under four seconds to play. Then freshman star Derik Queen entered the huddle during the timeout, told coach Kevin Willard to "give me the MF ball," and hit a ridiculous runner to send the Terrapins to the Sweet 16.
Queen's winner didn't just send Maryland to the next round - it also injected some much-needed drama into a tournament that's lacked excitement in the opening week. It also sets up a massive test for the Terrapins in the next round with No. 1 Florida on deck.
Colorado State looked to be the worst seed headed to the Sweet 16 after Lake's late triple. However, Queen's heroics mean that No. 10 Arkansas is the only double-digit seed advancing past the opening weekend.
Clayton is a bad man
Early in the broadcast of the Florida-UConn Round of 32 matchup, CBS Sports' Ian Eagle identified Walter Clayton Jr. as an example of knowing when a player at the collegiate level is destined for the pros. That proved prophetic down the stretch, as the All-American came up large to flip a narrow deficit into a victory for the top-ranked Gators.
Florida spent virtually the entire contest bogged down by the Huskies' tenacious defense, trailing for the entire second half with under three minutes to play. Clayton took it upon himself to fix that issue, canning a clutch contested triple to finally give the Gators the lead with 2:54 left. Clayton then hit two free throws with 1:50 remaining to stretch the lead to three and then supplied the dagger with another triple to put the contest out of reach.
The Gators will certainly walk away Sunday thrilled with the victory but fully aware they need to greatly improve if they hope to make a deep run. The offense was far too sloppy, turning the ball over 12 times, and the team shot just 65% from the free-throw line - well below its season average of 72%.
Plenty of honor in UConn's loss
Dan Hurley nailed it in the postgame availability when he told CBS Sports that "there's an honor" in how UConn lost to Florida. Yes, the Huskies' bid for a three-peat is now over, as is the 13-game tournament winning streak, but the effort they showed Sunday was a reminder of just how special the culture is in Storrs under Hurley.
UConn entered the contest as a 9.5-point underdog and outmatched by Florida's overwhelming talent at almost every position. Effort and toughness proved to be the great equalizer, as Hurley clearly directed the team to run down the clock on offense and muck the game up when possible.
"I don't know that we could have managed the game better than we did. We dragged them into the type of game that we wanted to drag them into," Hurley admitted after, according to ASAP Sports. "We kind of dragged them into a Big East, low-possession game. It just did not resemble an SEC game. "
That led to the Huskies holding a lead for the first 17 minutes of the second half despite shooting just 27.6% from deep.
The latter stretches of the game weren't even a result of poor play by the Huskies, as Clayton simply seemed determined to take over regardless of some very stout defense. You may see some dunking on Hurley for the Round of 32 exit after he famously called himself "the best coach in the f---ing sport" earlier this year. However, if that's your first inclination after watching what transpired Sunday, you simply do not know ball.
Nobody touching Duke through 2 rounds
We've seen enough to call the 2025 NCAA Tournament in favor of Duke.
The Blue Devils have been the best team through two rounds of play, with an offensive masterclass on Sunday versus Baylor clinching their spot in the Sweet 16. With the 23-point triumph over the Bears, Duke is now winning by an average margin of 33.5 points in this year's tournament.
Perhaps the entire world would have picked the Blue Devils to win the tournament if we knew Tyrese Proctor would turn into Steph Curry before it started. The junior torched the nets for a career-high 25 points on 7-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc versus Baylor. That came on the heels of his brilliant 6-of-8 showing from deep in the first round to put his tournament total at an eye-popping 13-for-16.
According to college basketball statistician Jared Berson, Proctor is the first player in NCAA Tournament history to make at least six triples in back-to-back games while shooting at least 75% from deep in both. Berson also notes that Duke's 1.50 points per possession versus Baylor represents the best by any team in a tournament game since the 2016 Final Four.
Kentucky refresh headed to Sweet 16
John Calipari was certainly the most notable departure from Kentucky in the offseason, but he was far from the only person leaving Lexington. Most of the roster also hit the exits, forcing the Wildcats into a complete overhaul. Impressively, Mark Pope rebuilt the team on the fly and took Kentucky to its first Sweet 16 since 2019. According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, Kentucky is the first team in the last 20 years to make the Sweet 16 with zero returning points from the season prior.
Koby Brea - who transferred in from Dayton - led the way Sunday against Illinois with 23 points. Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh added 15 while former San Diego State guard Lamont Butler poured in 14 and Amari Williams - who left Drexel for Kentucky - poured in 14.
Next is a third meeting with No. 2 Tennessee, with Kentucky having already won both previous contests. It's nearly impossible to beat a quality team three times in one season but, if anyone can do it, it's the new-look Wildcats.
Alabama hare crushes the tortoise
The children's tale might have the tortoise beating the hare, but speed kills in the NCAA Tournament.
Alabama - the nation's fastest tempo team - played the role of hare and ran the country's fourth-slowest team, Saint Mary's, out of the gym to make the Sweet 16. The Crimson Tide's 80 points mark the first time the Gaels have given up that many in the last 105 games. Simply put, Saint Mary's doesn't have the speed to keep up with explosive teams like Alabama.
The Tide flexed their impressive depth, as six players scored at least 10 points in the victory. Nate Oats' program also out-rebounded the nation's top rebounding team, which served as an annual reminder to think about Saint Mary's statistics in the context of the competition it faces.
The next round will feel like a different league for Alabama with BYU on deck. The Cougars sport the nation's eighth-best offensive unit but rank outside the top 70 defensively. That likely means a Sweet 16 track meet is incoming - a scenario that has to make the Tide feel pretty good about their chances.
Ole Miss gives SEC new Sweet 16 record
There's no question this NCAA Tournament is an SEC party. After the Big Ten and Big 12 started March Madness 10-0 and 9-1, respectively, the SEC came roaring back with a dominant weekend. With No. 6 Ole Miss taking down No. 3 Iowa State on Sunday night, the conference set the new NCAA Tournament record with a seventh team in the Sweet 16.
Many questioned why the Rebels were a 6-seed after finishing just 10-8 in SEC play this season. It turns out that playing in possibly the toughest conference of all time is difficult and wins are hard to come by. Ole Miss didn't just beat the Cyclones - it dominated from the jump and actually led by 25 points with six minutes to play.
The Ole Miss win means it's now a battle between the SEC and Michigan in the Sweet 16 in the South Region. No. 1 Auburn will square off with the fifth-ranked Wolverines, while the Rebels will face No. 2 Michigan State.
Nothing foul about Izzo's 16th Sweet 16 trip
The performance certainly won't win any awards for style, but Tom Izzo will once again take up real estate in a familiar place with Michigan State. With the second-ranked Spartans' comeback win over No. 10 New Mexico on Sunday, Izzo is off to his 16th Sweet 16 to tie John Calipari for most among active coaches.
It wasn't pretty - not exactly a shock in the Izzo era - but the Spartans knew the Lobos' aggressive defense couldn't slow them down without fouling. That unleashed a parade to the free-throw line - Michigan State shot 18 more foul shots than New Mexico did. The Spartans' 19 points from the stripe were 14 more than the Lobos supplied - an eye-popping number given the final margin of victory was only eight points.
"We're not gonna sit there, and walk up, and out-talent anybody," Izzo explained to CBS Sports after the game.
Don't be shocked if Izzo once again instructs his team to try and get to the line in the Sweet 16. Michigan State is off to face Ole Miss, a team that commits more fouls than 275 of the 364 teams in the nation.
Love goes off to book another date with Duke
Three years ago, Caleb Love dropped 28 points for North Carolina in the Final Four, ended the career of Mike Krzyzewski, and got to forever hold one over Duke. It was clear Sunday that he wasn't going to miss another opportunity to inflict more pain on the Blue Devils as he winds down his college career.
Now with Arizona, Love took it to Oregon early and often to finish with 29 points and help the Wildcats book a Sweet 16 date with his old foe. There won't be any surprises when the two meet Thursday. They already played this year when Duke emerged with a 14-point win.
Love made just 3-of-13 shots from the floor in that one, but you know the senior guard will be fired up to add one final bit of Duke misery to his incredible college resume.