March Madness 2022: Arizona, Texas and Duke bettors among winners and losers

Did you think that No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s beating No. 2 seed Kentucky on Thursday night would be the end of the madness for the first round of the NCAA Tournament? If so, think again. While no 2-seeds went down Friday, there were upsets, dramatic finishes, heroic individual efforts, devastating finishes for bettors and some big-time highlights (looking at you, Jabari Smith).

In short, it was just another day in March, as more double-digit seeds advanced to the second round and more scenes unfolded that will end up in the “One Shining Moment” video montage after a national champion is crowned. As the sun rose on a new day following Kentucky’s historic loss, some of the tournament’s top seeds seemed particularly invigorated to avoid similar fates as the Wildcats.

Fellow No. 2 seeds Auburn, Villanova and Duke took care of business with double-digit victories, while No. 1 seed Arizona kept a feisty Wright State squad at arm’s length. It wasn’t all roses for higher-seeded squads, though, a the first round kept delivering captivating stories.

Here are the winners and losers from Friday’s action as the field of 68 continued to shrink.

Winner: Texas snaps drought

Texas picked up its first NCAA Tournament victory since 2014 by defeating No. 11 seed Virginia Tech 81-73. The Longhorns went through Shaka Smart’s entire six-year tenure without winning in the Big Dance, but it only took Chris Beard one season at the helm to get UT back in the second round. Next up is a showdown with Purdue that will be a contrast in styles as the Longhorns deploy their stingy defense against the Boilermakers’ high-powered attack.

Winner: Tyrese Hunter

Iowa State guard Tyrese Hunter scored a career-high 23 points for the No. 11 seed Cyclones, which advanced to the second round with a 59-54 win over LSU. For a team that finished 2-22 last season, merely going .500 in coach T.J. Otzelberger’s first season would have constituted nice progress. But the Cyclones are dancing on in the NCAA Tournament, thanks in large part to Hunter’s big night. The freshman phenom combined with teammate Izaiah Brockington for 42 points. It’s a good thing they were hot, because their teammates combined to go just 6 of 27 from the floor.

Loser: LSU enters the night

With LSU seeking its next head coach after Will Wade’s firing last week, the future looks a bit frightening for the Tigers, which could still face a postseason ban or other penalties for alleged violations committed during Wade’s tenure. Five-star signee Julian Phillips shared Friday that he was released from his letter of intent, and restocking the roster may prove to be difficult for then next coach amid the possibility of looming sanctions. A deep NCAA Tournament run under interim coach Kevin Nickelberry might have changed the narrative surrounding the program a bit. But now the Tigers enter an uncertain night with athletic director Scott Woodward’s excellent track record of hiring coaches shining as the only light in what may wind up as a bleak tunnel for the LSU program.

Winner: TCU’s first tourney win since Reagan’s presidency

TCU picked up…