Open Thread: The 3:30 Games

That is exactly what we needed. We didn't quite get the upset we wanted, but we did get one hell of an exciting battle, some remarkable individual performances, Gus Johnson on top of his game, and maybe the first legitimate tournament thriller. The seal is broken now. Let the excitement flow.

At the end of regulation, Oden, needing to foul someone, pulled a Chris Simon on the guy with the ball and just leveled him. It fouled Oden out, but was not called an intentional. Xavier missed one free throw, a Ron Lewis three-ball sent the game to overtime, and from there, Mike Conley Jr. just decided that he'd beat Xavier by himself. 78-71 was your final.

So now we back up that borderline classic with a couple of other pretty intriguing matchups. The little Butler Bulldogs take on ACC powerhouse Maryland, who did happen to struggle with another mid-major in the first round. Then comes Texas A&M and Louisville, two talented and athletic teams that should give each other all they can handle.