The 2017 NCAA Tournament finally had a major upset. It was USC knocking off SMU.
The 2017 NCAA Tournament has so far lacked the major upset that March Madness is known for. The high seeds have dominated and any low seeds that did win were usually considered the favorite already by vegas. On top of that it’s had a severe lack of buzzer beaters. Well, SMU-USC had all of that and more for fans craving for some madness to go in their March.
RELATED: Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket
SMU was a sexy pick to make a run at either the Elite 8 or Final Four. They had dominated their regular season without much opposition and featured some of the top young players in the country. USC on the other hand needed a play in game to even reach this far. However, history has shown that, ever since adding in the additional play in games, one of the play in teams has advanced to at least the second round every year. This year that will be USC after the stunned SMU in the final moments. Here’s an updated bracket that you can click on to enlarge.
The game initially appeared to be a smooth ride for SMU on the way to the second round. They had a double digit lead late, but slowly USC chipped away at it and before anybody knew what was happening they were tied with less than three minutes to go. SMU initially held on to the lead, but then USC pulled off this huge shot to give them the go ahead lead.
SMU had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but their attempt fell short and USC ran off the court victorious. For yet another year a play in team has advanced to the next round. How far can USC go? It’s hard to say, but if they’re good enough to knock off SMU then anything is possible.