5 First Round moments that epitomize what March Madness is all about

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils attempts a shot against the North Dakota State Bison in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 22: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils dunks the ball in the first half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

4. The Zion Williamson Experience

CBS decided to dedicate a camera exclusively to Duke star Zion Williamson in the NCAA Tournament, and he delivered an excellent return on investment for the network. With Duke rolling over North Dakota State in the first round, all eyes were on Williamson and he put on a show.

Williamson simply did it all for the Blue Devils, whether it was blocking shots, throwing down power dunks, nailing three-pointers or swiping passes. The poor Bisons were simply a part of the Zion Williamson experience, and we were all witnesses to true greatness.

The Zion show is back in action on Sunday when the Blue Devils take on UCF and 7-6 Tacko Fall in the Round of 32. Seeing Williamson try and dunk over Fall should be worth the price of admission.

3. Belmont blows their shot at an upset

For the first time since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 68 teams in 2011, a team from the First Four did not make it to the Round of 32. Belmont had an excellent chance to extend the streak this year, but they simply threw away their chance at an upset.

After building a huge lead in the first half, the Bruins let Maryland fly by them in the second half, but the contest turned into a nip-and-tuck affair down the stretch. Belmont was in perfect position to win the game in the final seconds, holding the basketball with the shot clock off, down one with a timeout in their pocket.

Instead of calling time and drawing up a play to score, Bruins’ coach Rick Byrd ordered his team to run the clock down to try for one last shot. The Bruins tried to execute a backdoor cut that had worked in a win over UCLA earlier in the season, but the Terrapins were ready for it, stealing the ball and hitting the icing free throw to send Belmont home empty-handed.

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