The NCAA Tournament is one of the most exciting and unpredictable events in sports. This year, the tournament has been even more unpredictable than usual, with all four top seeds being eliminated in the first two rounds. The biggest upset of the tournament so far has been No. 4 Miami’s victory over No. 1 Houston in the Sweet 16.
Houston was the top seed in the tournament and was expected to make a deep run. They had a strong regular season, finishing with a record of 27-3 and winning the American Athletic Conference tournament. They were led by star guard Quentin Grimes, who averaged 18.1 points per game and was named AAC Player of the Year.
Miami, on the other hand, was the fourth seed in the tournament and had a much more up-and-down regular season. They finished with a record of 17-9 and were bounced from the ACC tournament in the first round. Despite their inconsistent play, they had a strong core of players, led by guard Chris Lykes, who averaged 15.4 points per game.
The game between Houston and Miami was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team able to pull away. In the end, it was Miami who made the plays down the stretch, outscoring Houston 10-4 in the final two minutes to secure the victory. Lykes led the way for Miami with 23 points, while Grimes had 20 for Houston.
With this win, Miami became just the second team in NCAA history to knock off all four top seeds in a single tournament. The other team to do this was VCU in 2011. This is an incredible accomplishment for a team that was not expected to make much noise in the tournament.
The victory by Miami over Houston is a reminder that anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament. It’s a reminder that no matter how talented or experienced a team may be, they can still be beaten by an underdog. It’s a reminder that no matter how much we think we know about college basketball, it can still surprise us.
