Getty Image / M. Anthony Nesmith
- South Dakota State was the most popular upset pick for the first round of the NCAA Tournament
- Providence quickly shut that narrative down as they slowed one of the country’s most potent offenses
- Read more BroBible articles here
There was no upset pick more popular for the round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament than South Dakota State over Providence. Whether it was a dominant loss to Creighton stuck at the forefront of the memory of fans or the advanced metrics showing they had the best shot luck in the country, there were many doubting Providence this week.
South Dakota State came into the game as one of the hottest teams in the country. They came into the game as the best 3 point shooting team in the country by a wide margin and hadn’t lost a game since the middle of December.
Providence quickly shut all of that down with some stifling defense. The Friars held South Dakota State to 2/8 from 3 in the first half and actually outshot the Jackrabbits from deep in the first half. Providence never trailed in the last 29 minutes of the game.
There was some drama late as South Dakota State nearly mounted a comeback, cutting Providence’s lead to 3 with 59 seconds left. Then disaster struck the Jackrabbits. With the shot clock winding down, Douglas Wilson ran to close out on a three point shooter and fouled him with 29 seconds remaining in the game.
Jared Bynum knocked down all 3 free throws and South Dakota State wouldn’t score again.
Jackrabbits fall just short as a popular upset pick 😕#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/vPxdRUxUzE
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 17, 2022
The win sends Providence to the second round to take on the winner of a game later today between Iowa and Richmond. They’ll continue to carry a big chip on their shoulder as they try to prove all of their doubters wrong.