It wasn’t until the fourth game of Sunday’s slate that an underdog was able to win outright in what had been a largely anticlimactic round of 32 to that point. (Four more games yet to finish as I write this!).
Clemson (+4.5) surprised Baylor 72-64, holding on in the final moments after enjoying a comfortable lead most of the way. That result continued…
*A great run for the ACC, as FOUR teams are into the Sweet 16. You’ll see in a moment that Duke also won this afternoon. North Carolina and NC State won yesterday. The league has performed MUCH better than market expectations in wins and point spread performance. Yes, Duke and UNC were supposed to win. Not by 16 points over Michigan State and 38 points over James Madison. NC State and Clemson weren’t supposed to reach the second week.
*A very disappointing run for the Big 12. Yes, Houston (still to play Sunday) and Iowa State are still alive. Either is capable of going the distance (or underachieving next time they take the floor). Otherwise…Baylor joins BYU, Texas Tech, TCU, Kansas and Texas on the sidelines. The first three lost outright as favorites in their openers. Kansas was run out of the gym in the second half by Gonzaga Saturday. Texas only hung tough with Tennessee because the Volunteers shot 3 of 25 on three-pointers.
Let’s run the numbers from Clemson’s win and the other three games that have finished as of early evening Sunday night. We’ll tackle the four late finishes by lunch time Monday.
Clemson (+4.5) 72, Baylor 64
2-point Pct: Clemson 57%, Baylor 50%
3-pointers: Clemson 6/17, Baylor 6/24
Free Throws: Clemson 20/24, Baylor 16/26
Rebounds: Clemson 33, Baylor 33
Turnovers: Clemson 11, Baylor 10
Kenpom Pace: 66 possessions
Clemson shot better, while everything else was a wash. Good work if you’re the dog! You regulars know that many extreme results are keyed by three-point performances. Either somebody shot great, or somebody shot poorly. It was Baylor shooting poorly here, just 25% in a category where the Bears typically thrive. But, nobody can thrive all the time in this sport’s most fickle stat category.
Game stayed Under by about 9 points. Baylor stayed WAY Under its team expectation, only scoring 64 points (in 66 possessions) against a market target around 75 points.
Great weekend for Clemson, impressing as dogs vs. New Mexico and Baylor. Great weekend for the ACC (nobody even remembers Virginia!). Bulk of the Big 12 has been an embarrassment.