No Cinderella? No Problem. March Madness Still Delivers

March Madness is under fire… but is it actually dead?

In this episode of Big Game Energy, we break down the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament and react to the biggest storylines:

•  Is NIL really killing Cinderella runs? 
•  Why people are overreacting to a “chalk” bracket 
•  The BEST games, buzzer beaters, and moments from Round 1 & 2 
•  Biggest winners (coaching masterclasses 👀) 
•  Biggest disappointments (looking at you, BYU…) 
•  Updated Final Four predictions heading into the Sweet 16 

Even without the classic double-digit Cinderella runs, this tournament has delivered insane finishes, elite coaching performances, and plenty of chaos.

So… is March Madness actually worse now, or are fans just mad their brackets got cooked?

•  Is March Madness still the best playoff in sports? 
•  Who’s your Final Four right now? 
•  Biggest winner and biggest fraud so far? 

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and tap in for more weekly sports content from Big Game Energy.

#MarchMadness #CollegeBasketball #NCAATournament #BracketMadness #SportsPodcast

Transcript

Speaker 0:00

Is March Madness dead? Everyone's complaining about it on the timeline, James. There's no more upset. NIL ruined everything. These mid-major teams don't get the love and respect that they used to. But everyone's complaining about that. For round one, round two of the tournament was an absolute banger. We had buzzer beaters, we had upsets. We had everything that March is about. We just don't have the 12 seed. Cinderellas going very far anymore.

Speaker 2 0:29

Spence man, like we always say, man, they need to shut the hell up, man. Just because a 13, 14, 15 seat did not advance past the first round does not mean March Madness is dead. Quick click baiting like Emmanuel Acho and speakeasy we had High Point Beat Wisconsin Cal Baptist, who played Kansas. Very close game,, Northern Iowa got a screwed out of, St. John's being a five seed when they won their big Easts championship. But some of these other games. I'm not mad about, Illinois is way better than we expected, facing Penn, even though Penn was the weaker Ivy League team than Yale or Harvard or Princeton in the past The one thing I'm real upset about is people saying, March Madness is dead, Spence, and then they're saying Texas is a Cinderella story, bro. You play in the SEC. Yeah, like your NIL is so much bag that everyone drives Lamborghinis. Bro, you are not a Cinderella story. The Cinderella story from the SEC would've been old miss if they would've won the SEC from being like 14 and 15, whatever their record was. But let's pump the brakes on that part. Texas, you are not a Cinderella team. Just be lucky. You got to play a few of wins. A few of those and a few of Gonzaga. That's all we,

Speaker 1:41

yeah. A mark. Few of Gonzaga. No, I think Texas being labeled as a Cinderella this year is solely because of the lack of crazy upsets that we had in this year's tournament High point's. The only seed below 11 that got a win in the first round, all the other twelves, thirteens, and fourteens and beyond, all of them got pretty much blown out with the exception of Sienna. The 16th seed had Duke on the ropes in the first half, and I think that was a good reminder that yes, we had another year where it was Chalk Madness just like it was in the 2025 tournament. But I will not sit here and allow people to slander. What is the second greatest sporting event, the best playoff format in any sport we have here in America. I will not allow slander to go unchecked here. Yeah, it is still the best tournament that we see in sports period. And this weekend, like great games between St. John's in Kansas, right? Not no upset but crazy finish there. Game winning basket between two all time head coaches, Rick Pitino and bill Self. Then of course Iowa buzzer beater against Florida in the corner for three. That was an absolute. Absolutely defeating the defending national champions. We still have a ton of madness to go. I don't think we're gonna see much craziness when it comes to the teams that make the final four. It's starting to look like it's gonna be, if you're a five seed is gonna be about the absolute highest seed you'll see in the final four. And there's really only one team I think right now would be, that would be that team and that would be Arkansas. I think they would be the team to really throw a wrench in a one or a two seed. Not making it outta the region at this point. But James, what teams this weekend? We're recording this late Sunday night. We got about two more games to finish right now. But over the entire weekend, what teams really. May which team stood out to you the most, whether that be teams that impressed you, or teams that really disappointed you and failed your expectations?

Speaker 2 3:54

My number one most impressive team was sna, even though they lost to the six, to the number one team in the nation in Duke, they played all damn game and did not substitute anyone and put Duke on the ropes. I ain't gonna allow, I'm very impressed because even though they may not have the NIL budget, they may not have the roster. The five stars. They showed a couple things. One. You can OutCo anybody in this tournament too. You can have better fundamentals than most of these teams. Most of these teams live off a skill. Trust me, I'm going to my disappointing team in a second about skill. And number three, man, they played with heart. So I'm gonna give Sienna my most impressive for a loser. Now for my biggest disappointment. AJ de Manta, BYU. What the dude? I had you going to the final four. Dude I rode this Bansta, BYU, whatever they call it, in the Mormon country bed. Soaking, rocking the sheets, whatever they did, I was supporting these guys. And you're telling me the other team in Utah, Utah State, went further than y'all who spent 4 million on a roster and they spent 12 million on you, aj, you called it earlier, Spence. Now with NIL and all that top draft picks they're using the margin madness as like a draft, pre-game and all that for. For tape. I was really disappointed in BYU because me and probably 60% of others fell for this trick. And that was AJ Bansta and BYU.

Speaker 5:25

Yeah I'll say this, watching that game, it was very clear that AJ Desta is just different. He moves different. He operates different. The ball comes out of his hand, just it's different. He's an NBA guy. He could be playing in the NBA right now, but obviously have to go to college for one year. And so I, I've, same thing for Darren Peterson. Like neither of these guys really felt like their presence in the tournament was really much about I care about winning a ton. It was very much I wanna show out, I want to get my numbers, I wanna put up my film and just go about it because AJ Dimon. He balled out, he dropped 30 in the game. Mm-hmm. He was absolutely sensational, but there were so many times in that game I was just watching his body language just be so bad. He really looked like someone that was ready to just be done with college hoops. Yep. Again, he still got his numbers. He still balled out, he's still impressed. So I can't sit here and fully say that he didn't seem like he cared or didn't try. But it very much was, he was not gonna be putting in 120% of the effort. He was just there to get his buckets, get his numbers, and mm-hmm. I, I think honestly, BYU, Late in the season, I had some injuries and I think from that moment on, they all phoned it in

Speaker 2 6:41

some of these games have been very interesting, even though we're not getting the upsets. These games have been interesting and we've had buzzer beater, buzzer beater, buzzer, beater, and even some of these teams, heck, we got a couple to finish, but I'm real happy with how this tournament is going because at the end of the day, don't get me wrong, spent, I think we all agree we do want the Cinderella to George Masons and all that fun stuff. March Madness is the greatest playoff format. I would say. Hundred percent. Not that, you know, maybe not the greatest championship game'cause

Speaker 7:09

Right.

Speaker 2 7:10

You know, that depends. But this is the best, like, I don't know why people like, and you know why people are getting upset is because they picked freaking. All these teams in their parlays or whatever, their round robins or they're like,

Speaker 7:22

yep. They had Akron, they had Troy, they had Penn, they had Santa Clara, they had all the teams that lost around one and they were like trying to be the guy that call it, and then they didn't.

Speaker 2 7:31

Yeah, they didn't. And don't get me wrong, I had Santa Clara too and we could talk about how they got screwed with the timeout, but that could. Santa Clara's head coach has gotta run to half court to make that call. Man. He cannot be hanging out on the bench where LeBron sits when he takes his three minute break, and gets back in the game. So it this tournament was fun. There's a lot of fun games. I've been on the back burner. Spence Vanderbilt money line screwed me. Mm. Santa Clara plus three and a half. That screwed me. It's okay, man. But hey, I'm happy where I'm at. I still got three teams that can make my final four. Let's go to St. John's.

Speaker 8:02

Yeah, so my winners, we'll do a bracket challenge update here in a sec. My big winners this weekend, I have three teams total that I want to give shout outs to for how they dominated. But what I'm gonna shout out them for being winners is these are old school head coaches. All right? I'm gonna give you my three. Obviously Mike Cougs, Kelvin Sampson, OG coach as it gets two dominant performances against Idaho and Texas a and m. Just completely dominated two different just blowout victories. There was never a doubt over by halftime. How about Tom Izzo, Michigan State? Another showing of two just dominant performances by them. Really held it together, held strong. Louisville made a little surge late in the game, made it interesting, but really Michigan State controlled it all the way throughout. And then the last one, a team that. I felt was Underseed. So I had them going pretty far and it's turning out to be a good pick. How about the Tennessee volunteers and coach Rick Barnes? He looks like a ghost over there on the sideline at this point in his career, but he always gets his team to the Sweet 16 and I was very impressed. They completely blew out. Everyone's darling, Miami, Ohio, another team that was a very popular. Double digit seed team to win in round one. That was a popular pick because of the 31 in one record they had, but I was saying it for a while. James. Fraudulent, fraudulent. And look what happened Opening round. They get blown out by 22, but then Tennessee goes on into the next round against a very good Virginia team and it was a tough back and forth game. But Crunch Time, Tennessee picked it up, made their free throws, played good defense, and they move on to the Sweet 16. They're gonna play Iowa State, but these old school head coaches, right, Rick Barnes, Kelvin Sampson, Tom Izzo, these are coaches that you just simply cannot bet against. In March Madness now, or going forward, like just make sure when you're filling out your bracket in 2027, you automatically have all these coaches winning at least one game. These are not coaches that will get upset in the first round. Correct. Now, a coach that did get upset in the first round, that I am shocked he still has a job. Honestly, I could go two different directions. I'll give a brief shadow on this regard to Wisconsin's head coach, coach Bard. Probably needs to be let go at this point, considering he, he just does not win tournament games, period. He just never gets it done. He's been writing the success of that 2015 national title runner up team. Frank? Yeah, Frank the, with Frank Kaminsky and Sam Decker. He's been riding the coattails of that team for so long now. It's amazing that he's not been fired. The other guy, I'm amazed that hasn't been fired and he's my true loser. Yeah, co. You know who I'm gonna say, don't you?

Speaker 2 10:49

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 10:50

Hubert Davis for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Speaker 2 10:53

No, I had, I, we had Mark Few.'cause I was thinking,

Speaker 10:56

oh,

Speaker 2 10:56

25 years ain't done nothing. And find a way to lose

Speaker 10:59

I, yeah, that's valid too. You can throw Mark Few in there as well,

Speaker 2 11:02

but No,

Speaker 11:02

but I,

Speaker 2 11:03

I it's still a good pick.

Speaker 11:04

Yeah, I was just mostly just befuddled by Hubert Davis because VCU was dead to rights. You are North Carolina a true blue blood of the sport. I know Roy Williams is big shoes to fill. But despite being down their best player, I just could not believe that North Carolina as talented as they still were after Kalb Wilson, how do you lose in that fashion to a VCU team who then went on in the second round? To get completely blown out by an Illinois team that we mentioned it very up and down, hot and cold. I guess they're hot right now, but North Carolina had it right there for them. And again, a historic program that just has not gotten off the ground since Roy Williams retired. How Hubert Davis still has a job is amazing to me. And he got up in the press conference and was acting very much like a guy who is going to be fired now. I guess it could still happen. But I just feel like we would've heard about it by now. Maybe we're waiting for the weekend to end, and they're gonna get back home to Chapel Hill and see and reevaluate, and maybe we get the news later this week, but

Speaker 2 12:10

Right.

Speaker 12:11

Hubert Davis needs to be fired. It, it's amazing where North Carolina is at as a program. I'll give a shout out to Mark Few as well, but a little different for him because they always are up in the conversation. They like you won't see Gonzaga as a succeed very often. And they don't have the talent that I think North Carolina has access to. So I'll give a little pass, but I don't argue with you too much. He, mark Vue probably deserves to have that seat be a bit hot for him as well.

Speaker 2 12:39

Another team that I'm disappointed in, and I always fall for the trap. She looks pretty man on the outside, but it's just rotten on the inside. God dang, St. Mary's, you pissing me off, man. Every

Speaker 12:50

time. The Gales never again. With the Gales.

Speaker 2 12:52

Never again. I am on this bus where I'm like, oh, St. Mary's, they only know how to beat Gonzaga and nobody else. They win that stupid conference. They beat Gonzaga one or two times. They get in. I think they're gonna go far and then they. Looked like cock against a and m and look what a and m did. Of course, I don't think I had St. Mary's beating U of H, but man, at least St. Mary's could have not lost by 31, maybe the U of H

Speaker 13:17

through one weekend. James, if you could go back and pick a new Final Four, who would your final four be going into? The Sweet 16.

Speaker 2 13:27

So if I had to pick my Final Four, it's gonna be the same teams. I still have U of H playing St. John's. But I would have Michigan playing Arkansas. That's who I think will go. I had BYU and of course they're not in'cause they suck and they've pissed me off. But if I had to pick a team to replace BYU, it would be Arkansas. That would be my team.

Speaker 13:47

Yeah, I'm fortunate enough that I'm gonna still stick with my current Final four I had before the tournament. I'm gonna stick with Michigan State coming out of the east. Mm-hmm. Especially considering how Duke has looked a bit flawed in the tournament so far, especially when you look at how they played against the 16th seed Michigan State's been dominant in their few games. And they're gonna get, we're waiting for the winner of UCLA and Yukon right now as we record, but I think Michigan State's gonna have a very good chance to win their region knowing that Duke is a flawed team there. Arizona, they are looking pretty dominant and I think as long as they can contain Darius Acuff, I still feel good about them coming outta that region. Houston, now that Florida's out of the way. Houston has gotta get it done. You have the sweet 16 in Houston. I know it's three Midwest Big 10 teams coming to town, but I think Houston on paper's better than all three of them. They should be able to get back to the final four for the second straight year. And then in the Midwest, I think Michigan has looked great. I think they continue to look great. I don't see Alabama stopping them. Maybe a Tennessee team with Rick Barnes is hot and catches them slipping maybe. But I feel pretty good about my Final four still Michigan, Houston, I'm sorry, Michigan State. Houston, Arizona, and Michigan. But y'all let us know in the comments who were the biggest winners and losers from the opening weekend of March Madness. What were your big takeaways? Y'all let us know in the comments and we'll see you next time on Big Game Energy.