March Madness has produced yet another troubled victim.
This time, 12 seed Oregon State won over 8 seed Loyola Chicago, winning 65–58 in the Sweet 16. The Rumblers were a seven-point favorite over the Beavers – who, you may remember, only accessed the NCAA tournament with an A. Win in Pac-12 tournament – and a tournament darling. After three wins, Oregon State became the first team to punch their tickets for the Elite Eight.
They are also the first 12 seeds to do so since 2002 in Missouri.
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Oregon State limited Loyola to 16 first-half points, 18-54 shooting (33.3 percent) and 3-point shooting (21.7 percent) from 5-23, with an unprecedented defensive effort. Except for center Cameron Krutwig (14 points, 10 rebounds, 6 -12 shooting), no Rembler reached 50 percent shooting on the floor.
Meanwhile, Oregon State received a monstrous offensive effort from senior guard Ethan Thompson, who produced 22 points in 6-of-13 shooting, including 2 of 3-point range. Junior forward Warith Altishe also scored the team’s only double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Here’s how Oregon State’s unlikely elite run compares to other Cinderellas – Ahem, Cinderella – To make the fourth round of March Madness.
The last time a 12 seed made an Elite Eight
Only one other 12 seed made it to the Elite Eight: Missouri 2002.
The Tigers defeated 5-seed Miami 93-80, 4-seed Ohio State 83-67 and 8-seed UCLA 82-73 to make the Elite Eight. Curiously, both Missouri and Oregon State earned their fourth round berth on 8 seeds, beating 1 seed (the Bruins of Cincinnati and the Rambellars of Illinois). The Tigers’ March Madness run ended in the Elite Eight against 2-seed Oklahoma, which won 81-75.
Will the Beavers end their tournament in a single round or make the history of March Madness as the first 12 seeds to make the Final Four?
How did a total of 12 seeds make it into elite eight?
Missouri (2002)
- Opponents: 4-seed Miami, 5-seed Ohio State, 8-seed UCLA
- Margin of victory: 12.7 points per game
Missouri opened its tournament with Miami’s fiery opening, finishing 20th in the AP Top 25 at the time of the up. The Tigers produced six double-digit scorers, including all five in the starting lineup. In addition, he held the Hurricanes to 33.8 percent shooting in the loss.
After that, the teaser edged Ohio State with an excellent shooting night: 47.8 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from 3-point range. Only Brian Brown – was allowed to break double-digit scores for the Buckeyes, while the four Tigers – Arthur Johnson, Ricky Pauling, Clarence Gilbert and Kareem Rush – scored a minimum of 14 points.
The Tigers had their final win in the elite eight bid against UCLA. Despite the smallest margin of victory in their runs, the Tigers had their best shooting knight (51.4 overall and 43.5 from 3-point range). Four Missouri starters, including Gilbert (23) and Rush (20), scored at least 14 points, scoring at least 20 points.
Key Players
- Karim Rush: 17.8 PAPS, 7.7 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.0 SPG
- Clarence Gilbert: 19.7 ppg, 2.0 spg, 50.0 percent 3-point shooting
- Arthur Johnson: 13.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 53.1 field goal percentage
- Ricky Pauling: 17.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 50.0 percent 3-point shooting
- Travon Bryant: 5.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG
The four Missouri players had a double-digit average score for the Elite Eight, which was none other than Clarence Gilbert’s 19.7 points per game and 50 percent 3-point shooting. Karim Rush, the only future NBA player on the roster, averages 17.8 points per game, 7.7 rebounds and four assists. Arthur Johnson and Ricky Pauling scored double-digit scorers in that run; Tron Bryant, while not an avid scorer, was arguably the most important defensive player, scoring eight rebounds per game as well as 1.3 steals and one block per game.
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How does oregon state compare
- Opponents: 5-seed Tennessee, 4-seed Oklahoma State, 8-seed Loyola Chicago
- Margin of victory: 10.3 points per game
The Beavers scored an equally dominant win in their first-round game against a Tennessee team that finished sixth nationally in the AP Top 25 for 2020-21. The Volunteers, who earned their 5 seed after losing in the semifinals of the SEC tournament in Alabama, looked like an easy pick in the first round. But he shot 33.3 percent from the field and 19.2 percent from 3-point range in losses compared to Oregon State’s 48.6 percent and 47.6 percent.
In the second round, Oregon State did a poor job of taking Cade Cunningham, the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He scored 24 points on the night, but it was unforgivable, completing only 6 out of 20 field goal attempts (30 percent). Meanwhile, Oregon State’s Thompson scored a game-high 26 points on 5-of-11 shooting (45.5 percent). Only Avery Anderson III scored in double digits for the Cowboys.
Oregon State’s latest win comes over the Rambellars. It was a major defensive effort against a Loyola team that gave 60 and 58 points respectively to their previous two opponents. Krutwig did his best against Oregon State’s defense, but was the only player to reach the 50 percent shooting limit in the loss. The Ramblers tried to bounce back, leaving the score 47–44 with 3:31 left in the game from an Aher Uruguay layup. But the Beavers defeated Rambalar 18–14 in the last 3:31 to secure the win.
Key Players
- Ethan Thompson: 20.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 44.4 percent field target percentage
- Warith Altishe: 10.6 RPG, 6.7 ppg, 0.75 bpg
- Jarod Lucas: 12.3 PPS, 4.3 APG, 34.7 3-point percentage
It is no secret that Oregon State has enjoyed its success brilliantly due to Thompson’s scoring skills. The senior guard has scored 13, 26 and 22 points in Oregon State’s three wins, shooting 44.4 percent from the field.
With two double-digit rebounds in each of Beavis’ three wins, Alitis has been more of a defensive player. He also had two blocks in each of his first two wins.
Lucas, a sophomore guard, has scored a good 12.3 points per game so far in this tournament. Which also includes a 34.7 3-point percentage.
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