By a rather tall midget.
Indiana didn't get beat by a tall midget, they lost as expected as a #12 seed to a #5 seed.
Saint Mary's wasn't even a league Champion. They lost to Gonzaga in their league title game so they were an at-large team just like Indiana and St. Mary's was a better one which is why they were the #5 and Indiana was the #12.
The WCC actually had five decent teams this year (by NET):
- #1 Gonzaga
- #19 St. Mary's
- #22 San Francisco
- #54 BYU
- #67 Santa Clara
Then they had five BAD teams ranging from #176 Portland to #297 Pacific. For comparison, the B1G's worst team was #141 Nebraska.
Yeah, how do you spin that one?
"You can't expect a high seed to get jacked up for the opening round"? Even though all their hopes and dreams are all still very much alive and well?
What is your argument, that St. Peter's is actually better than Kentucky?
No spin is necessary, this:
The only excuse needed: The other team played well, the favorite did not.
It happens, the better team doesn't always win. Players and teams have good days and bad days and basically $h!t happens.
One of the legit NC Contenders (Kentucky) was eliminated by losing a game they clearly should have won but that doesn't mean that St. Peter's is a better team nor that St. Peter's now replaces them as a legit NC Contender. #15 seeds have now won 10 of 145 games against the #2. Two of the previous nine then went on to beat the #7/10 winner and make the S16 but exactly zero #15 seeds have ever won a second weekend game and it is the same for the #16's, the #14's, and the #13's.
These teams are NOT legit NC contenders they are plucky underdogs who occasionally pull off an upset. It is cute when it happens but the only impact it has on the NC is that Kentucky is now eliminated so the chances just got a little better for each of the remaining legitimate contenders especially Baylor and Purdue who no longer have the prospect of facing Kentucky in the E8 or S16 respectively. As noted above, should they make it, Purdue's strongest possible S16 opponent is now #7 Murray State. Similarly, should they make it Baylor's strongest possible E8 opponent is now #3 Purdue.
