10 Reasons The 2018 NCAA Tournament Had The Most Fun First 2 Rounds In Forever

Though it might have had you busy burning all evidence of your 2018 NCAA tournament bracket and dancing in the ashes while whispering the names of every member of the UMBC Retrievers roster, it’s hard to deny a severe case of exhilarating March Madness has struck hoops fans and lovers of teams named after very good dogs alike.

Here’s 10 reasons the 2018 NCAA tournament had the best opening week we can remember.

1. The UMBC Retrievers

Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way first. On the 136th try, the Retrievers of University of Maryland, Baltimore County became the first No. 16 seed to topple a No. 1 seed, the Virginia Cavaliers. The squad then stayed within a possession of No. 9 Kansas State for most of their second-round matchup, falling just shy of the Sweet 16, but not before gifting the masses with free pizza.

2. The Late Game-Winners

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The No. 11 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers reached the Sweet 16 on the strength of a pair of game-winners with 0.3 seconds and 3.6 seconds left. No. 3 Michigan advanced past No. 6 Houston with a truly insane Jordan Poole buzzer-beater. Houston got to that second-round matchup with the Wolverines thanks to a bonkers game-winning layup by Rob Gray with 1.1 seconds remaining against No. 11 San Diego State. And the Nevada Wolf Pack’s historic comeback against No. 2 Cincinnati (more on that later) came courtesy of a Josh Hall putback with 9.1 seconds remaining.

3. Sister Jean

The 98-year-old nun serves as chaplain of the biggest Cinderella story remaining in the tourney: the No. 11 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers. The job involves everything from praying for wins to giving out hugs to doling out scouting reports. “Don’t let those Tennessee team members scare you with their height,” she told the Ramblers before their upset of the No. 3 Volunteers. “Height doesn’t mean that much. You’re good jumpers. You’re good rebounders. You’re good at everything. And just keep that in mind.”

4. This Moment Between Moritz Wagner And Corey Davis Jr.

After Jordan Poole’s thrilling game-winner sent the No. 3 Wolverines to the Sweet 16 and the No. 6 Houston Cougars packing, Michigan big man interrupted his celebration to console Davis. “Seeing the guys like that, at the end of the day, sports is all love,” Wagner said later. “I have feelings for both sides. It’s very emotional and this group is special. … At the end of the day, you’re only human. Seeing people like this, it’s a weird feeling. For an emotional guy like me, I knew if (Poole) doesn’t make that shot it’s us laying on the floor. You got to appreciate both sides.”