Superlatives from first two rounds of men’s March Madness

The GIST: Four days and 48 games later, the first two rounds of men’s March Madness wrapped last night, and not a single bracket survived. Here are the superlative performances from the weekend as you regroup before Thursday’s Sweet 16 tip-off.

‼️ Biggest upset: No. 10 seed Arkansas’ 75–66 Saturday second-round win over No. 2 St. John’s. First-year Razorbacks head coach (HC) John Calipari won the battle of the former Kentucky HCs in a back-and-forth thriller, pulling away at the end to send infamous Red Storm HC Rick Pitino’s squad packing.

🚨 Splashiest buzzer-beater: No. 4 Maryland freshman Derik Queen’s bank shot to survive No. 12 Colorado State 72–71 — especially glorious when you consider Maryland lost at the buzzer four times this season. March is for redemption.

💔 Biggest heartbreaker: No. 8 UConn’s failed upset attempt against No. 1 Florida. The two-time defending champ Huskies nearly stunned the Gators yesterday, but a scoring drought in the crucial final possessions brought their three-peat quest to an emotional end in yesterday’s 77–75 loss. Pain.

📣 Best cheerleader: No. 6 BYU junior Dawson Baker, who was caught on camera rooting his teammates on from the locker room after being ejected from their 91–89 Saturday upset of No. 3 Wisconsin. Pacing, muttering, and screaming in front of the TV? So relatable.

❤️‍🩹 Best athletic trainer: Whichever one fixed up Cooper Flagg’s ankle and eye. The No. 1 Duke freshman superstar suffered a scary injury during last week’s ACC Tournament and again yesterday, but he was in peak form with 18 points and nine rebounds in their 89–66 drubbing of No. 9 Baylor. Absolutely oop-in’.