NCAA Men's Tournament: 10 takeaways from wild weekend

By Andy Katz
FOX Sports College Basketball Analyst

The first weekend of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament was chaotic, emotional and wild — exactly what fans need, want and desire.

The reigning national champs are gone. Three No. 1 seeds are still alive in Gonzaga, Arizona and Kansas, with the first two getting pushed to the limit before winning in their respective second-round matchups. 

The Big Ten had nine teams in the field, but only two — Purdue and Michigan — survived to make the Sweet 16. 

The SEC was left with just one team, Arkansas, after three of the Final Four favorites — Kentucky, Auburn and Tennessee — bowed out.

And the best conference in America still has — well, read below. 

Here are 10 observations from the first weekend. 

1. Most surprising result: No. 15 Saint Peter’s over No. 2 Kentucky, Round of 64

The Peacocks completed arguably the biggest upset … ever. Of course, No. 16 UMBC over No. 1 Virginia in 2018 will go down as the first 16 over a 1. But I would contend that the Cavaliers were without top defender De’Andre Hunter, and the state school in Baltimore County is not as far off from Virginia as St. Peter’s is from Kentucky. 

This was a true David vs. Goliath when it comes to facilities, coaching salaries, student body and overall talent on the floor. Yet the Peacocks won 85-79 in overtime. Player of the Year candidate Oscar Tshiebwe scored 30 points and grabbed 16 boards, and the Wildcats still lost. The Peacocks limited Kentucky to under 30% shooting while St. Peter’s shot over 50%. Daryl Banks III scored 27 points, and Doug Edert scored 20 off the bench. This was probably the least picked upset in the first round outside of any 16 over a 1. It's still shocking days later. 

2. Best finish: Notre Dame 89, Rutgers 87, 2OT, First Four

An offensive rebound and layup from Paul Atkinson Jr. with 1.4 seconds left pushed the Irish to the exhausting, thrilling win over the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers’ Ron Harper Jr., who hit big shots throughout the season, made a game-tying 3-pointer with 22 seconds left. The Scarlet Knights defended Notre Dame well during the final Blake Wesley drive but didn’t put a body on Atkinson and suffered the consequences. The pair of 11-seeds delivered a tremendous game.

3. Best moment: Michigan head coach Juwan Howard hugging and consoling a sobbing Kennedy Chandler

The 11-seed Wolverines upset the 3-seed Vols in the second round in Indianapolis. But during the handshake line, Howard and Chandler met, and Chandler collapsed into his arms. The touching moment was emotional, raw and genuine. Chandler played with Howard’s son, Jett, so there was a preexisting relationship. 

Howard, who was maligned for his slap of Wisconsin assistant Joe Krabbenhoft last month — which earned him a five-game suspension — showed the better side of his character here. The day was filled with emotional hugs for Howard, with former Fab Five teammates Jalen Rose, Chris Webber and Ray Jackson in attendance.

4. Most important performance: Drew Timme, Gonzaga 

Timme scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half to lead Gonzaga past Memphis 82-78 in the second round in Portland. The Zags were down by 10 at the half and were in serious trouble. But Timme’s motivational tactics off the court and his dominance on the court against the Tigers' rotating, foul-prone bigs of Jalen Duren, DeAndre Williams and Malcolm Dandridge proved invaluable. Timme was an all-American in the second-round game. He willed the Zags to their seventh straight Sweet 16 appearance.

5. Most disappointing team: Iowa

The Big Ten tournament champs were a trendy Final Four pick (by me among many) because of the way they won the conference tournament last week. They also have one of the best players in the country and a National Player of the Year candidate in Keegan Murray. Yet the Hawkeyes ran into a hot Atlantic 10 champion in Richmond and lost 67-63 in a dreaded 12-5 game. The Hawkeyes had their chances but couldn’t stop the Spiders and Jacob Gilyard when it mattered most. This was a disappointing ending to a wonderful final month of the season for Iowa.

6. Best Sweet 16 matchup: No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 4 UCLA, East Region 

The Tar Heels had a 25-point lead over No. 1 seed Baylor before winning in overtime. RJ Davis and Armando Bacot were sensational. So, too, was Brady Manek before he was ejected due to a flagrant 2. 

Now the Tar Heels get a UCLA team that ran away from Saint Mary’s on Saturday in Portland. The key will be whether Jaime Jaquez Jr. plays after injuring his ankle late in the win over the Gaels. Tyger Campbell has been clutch for the Bruins, and the defense was stifling against the Gaels.

7. The most vulnerable remaining No. 1: Gonzaga

The Zags found a second gear against Memphis to win in Portland — but there were some concerns. The size and strength of the Tigers did bother Gonzaga. Arkansas isn’t as tall but can fluster Gonzaga on the perimeter in the Sweet 16. And facing Duke again could also pose a threat — the same one that was an issue in November in Las Vegas. The Blue Devils have size to match Gonzaga with Mark Williams and Paolo Banchero. Texas Tech could also be a real problem because of its ability to lock teams down defensively.

8. Best conference: Big 12

Sure, Baylor lost. But Kansas looked extremely impressive. Texas Tech did as well. Iowa State shocked Wisconsin. And TCU obliterated Seton Hall and gave a massive scare to Arizona before losing in overtime in San Diego. Texas put up a good showing against Purdue, too. The Big 12 was the best conference all season, and it placed three teams in the Sweet 16 in Kansas, Texas Tech and Iowa State.

9. Upset alert: Michigan over Villanova

Don’t be surprised if this game is close or ends up a win for the Wolverines. They are this season’s UCLA: a brand name going on a run as a double-digit seed. Michigan played its best game of the season against Tennessee, and the Wildcats will have their hands full with Hunter Dickinson.

10. National champion: My pick was Arizona. I’m not changing it. 

The Wildcats have had their test, nearly getting clipped by TCU. But Christian Koloko and Bennedict Mathurin stepped up big-time. The Wildcats continue to be a matchup nightmare for teams and have the size, strength and defensive prowess to win four more games.

Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on FOX Sports and Big Ten Network platforms, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast "March Madness 365." Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.