March Madness: 3/23 in Review

Baylor, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Kansas all advanced to the Elite Eight in well-played contests.

Baylor holds off Xavier: The Bears raced out to an early 24-8 lead, and then held on in the final minutes to top Xavier 75-70. Quincy Acy had 20 points and 15 rebounds, Perry Jones III added 14, and Pierre Jackson double-doubled with 16 points and 10 assists. Baylor's date with Kentucky will feature a ton of athleticism and future NBA draft picks.

North Carolina struggles, but outlasts Ohio in OT: The effects of not having Kendall Marshall were very visible for UNC. The Tar Heels looked lost for long stretches, shooting 40% from the field and turning the ball over 24 times. Despite out-rebounding the Bobcats 56-26, they needed five extra minutes to send the 13-seed home. Walter Offutt kept Ohio in the game but D.J. Cooper made just 3 of his 20 shots. Nevertheless, the Bobcats enjoyed a sensational run and pushed the ACC champions to the brink of defeat.

Kentucky avenges its loss to the Hoosiers: If we knew, before this rematch was played, that Indiana would shoot 50% from the floor and commit only 8 turnovers, we might pick the Hoosiers to win. Instead, Kentucky played a nearly-flawless game of basketball in defeating Indiana 102-90. Five Wildcats scored in double figures, led by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's 24. They turned the ball over just six times while pulling down 14 offensive rebounds. And they were a remarkable 35-of-37 from the free throw line. Baylor will be hard-pressed to defeat this ridiculously talented assembly of athletes.

Kansas withstands late N.C. State run: Kansas was in control of the game until the final three minutes, when the Wolfpack improbably cut the lead to one. But like they did against Purdue, the Jayhawks held on at the end to win 60-57. Kansas' frontcourt was the key, as Thomas Robinson scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds while Jeff Withey blocked 10 shots. For N.C. State, no one was consistent enough offensively outside of C.J Leslie. Kansas meets up with former head coach Roy Williams and the Tar Heels in the Elite Eight on Sunday.

So, the Elite Eight is set; this weekend, with a Final Four berth on the line, the matchups will be Kentucky and Baylor, Syracuse and Ohio State, Louisville and Florida, and North Carolina and Kansas.