Which team will emerge as Friday’s headline story? We’ve had a couple of close calls, but Friday night will hopefully bring a bit more drama.
No. 14-seed Kennesaw State led 3-seed Xavier by as many as 13 points in the second half before Jack Nunge blocked Terrell Burden‘s layup in the final seconds and the Musketeers escaped the Owls’ upset bid. NC State kept it close with 6-seed Creighton but the Bluejays pulled away late. The lone upset of the day was 11-seed Pitt beating 6-seed Iowa State 59-41 in an eminently forgettable offensive showing.
All is not lost, however. No. 12-seed Drake (vs. Miami, 7:25 p.m. ET) and 13-seed Kent State (vs. Indiana, 9:55 p.m. ET) are popular upset picks. — Jeff Borzello
