The NCAA Tournament's First Weekend: In a word, boring? Actually, no. A look back at 48 games in four days.

The NCAA Tournament looks awfully chalky this year. For the first time ever, all of the top three seeds have reached the Sweet 16. Two four seeds also made it through the tournament's first weekend.

The only two teams that are not a top four seed still alive?

Purdue, the 5 seed out west, is a team that many had as a Final Four dark horse early in the season, and were it not for a series of injuries during the season, would probably not be seeded this low; and Arizona, a 12 seed in the midwest, who has reached 25 straight NCAA Tournaments, although this is the first time they have been seeded this low.

Not exactly full of cinderellas.

If I had to think of a word to describe the first weekend of the tournament this year, it would be "anti-climactic". Every buzzer-beater missed. (Almost) Every upset attempt was foiled.

Every time you thought the incredible was about to happen, it ... didn't.

That's not to say there weren't some fantastic finishes. The cajones Ronald Moore showed at the end of each overtime against Ohio State will be immortalized in "One Shining Moment". Demetri Goodson became a household name for all of 24 hours when he went coast-to-coast to help Gonzaga stave off David-wannabe Western Kentucky (think about how far the Gonzaga program has come that they are now considered a "Goliath" in the tourney). The back-to-back and-one's by Tyler Smith and Byron Eaton were two of the best individual plays of the 48 games.

But there was nothing like this. Or this. This either.

Perhaps the weekend can best be summarized by Lazar Hayward. Hayward is a forward for Marquette, and a damn good one at that. He had a good first weekend, averaging 19.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg as the Eagles advanced to the second round despite having half of Dominic James. In fact, it was Hayward's heroics against Utah State that was the reason Marquette was even playing Missouri in the second round.

In the first half, Marquette had found themselves down 16 points to Mizzou, unable to solve the Tiger's press and transition game. The Eagles had no quit in them, however, as they fought all the way back, even taking the lead for a stretch at the end of the second half. With the score tied at the end of the game, Mizzou guard JT Tiller drove to the hoops, drawing a foul. After two Missouri foul shots, Marquette had the ball under the basket with 5.5 seconds left. With the likes of Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews to take the ball the length of the court, a two point lead was not safe.

It should have been a classic ending. Everyone was expecting a moment that you would always remember. The entire viewing audience wanted a play that would go down in tournament history, a play that would certify the career of one lucky Marquette Golden Eagle.

None of that happened.

Instead, as Hayward was about to inbound to ball, a Missouri player darted into the passing lane. Hayward held on to the ball, not wanting to throw it away and commit a turnover. But his momentum carried his right foot across the end line.

Marquette's season - gone in six inches.
(photo credit: The Dagger)

Violation.

Turnover.

Missouri ball.

After two Leo Lyons free throws, the game was over.

Letdown city.

It was a common theme in 2009's version of the first weekend. East Tennessee State gave Pitt everything they could handle, pressing the Panthers and crashing the offensive glass, but in the end Pitt was just too much as the Buccaneers faded back into college hoops obscurity. Cleveland State missed 20 of their 23 three point attempts as their quest for the Sweet 16 and tournament immortality was ended by Nic Wise and Arizona. The trendy pick for the 2009 version of Steph Curry, a young man by the name of Ben Woodside who dropped 60 on Stephen F. Austin earlier this year, shined but was outdueled by Sherron Collins as the North Dakota State Bison just did not have the horses to run with Kansas.

That isn't a bad thing, it just means that you have to dig a little bit deeper for the interesting story lines.

Instead of focusing on how Woodside could not carry his team to an upset of the defending national champion, how about you focus on the fact that he and his classmates came to NDSU when it was a D1 transitional school, and spent their freshman year sitting on the bench as red shirts just so they had the opportunity to take a run at the tournament as fifth-year seniors (worked out pretty well, didn't it).

Don't knock Arizona if you believe that they did not deserve to get into the tournament. Celebrate the fact that the guys that gutted out an extremely tough time for one of the marquee college basketball programs are now getting a chance to play the #1 overall seed in the Sweet 16.

Instead of knocking Jim Calhoun for playing guys with spotty records like AJ Price and Stanley Robinson, praise Calhoun and the players for remaining dedicated and turning their lives around while bringing a team that two years ago came in 11th in the Big East and missed the dance back into national prominence, all while becoming upstanding young men in the process.

Don't call Blake Griffin soft for not retaliating when he gets beat up by opponents. Appreciate the fact that someone whose ability thrives on his raw athleticism and aggression is able to contain his emotions when he is repeatedly on the receiving end of cheap shots. Then get on youtube and spend the next hour in awe over what the kid can do at the rim.

While you can complain about how much Ty Lawson's toe has been in the news, you have to be able to give the kid credit for taking over the game against LSU, scoring 21 points in the second half, with the amount of pain he was in.

(photo credit: The Dagger)

There were no buzzer beaters in the first 48 games.

There is no bandwagon to jump on this year.

The slipper doesn't fit. Anyone.

While it may hurt the appeal of the dance for the casual fan, if you are a college hoops aficionado, then the outcome of this weekend should have you foaming at the mouth as we get some fantastic match-ups. Xavier coach Sean Miller starred at Pitt from 1987-92, is one of the hottest coaching prospects in the country, and has long been rumored to be the heir to the throne of the Panthers. Duke and Villanova are so similar and match-up so well that the game can't be anything short of sensational. Michigan State-Kansas. Missouri-Memphis. UConn-Purdue. Everywhere you look, there are great games that are going to be played. So what a chalky tournament lacks in early round cinderellas, it makes up for with blockbuster match-ups all throughout the second weekend.

Most importantly, when thinking about this first weekend of play, remember this: the best is yet to come.