Murray State scores tourney's first buzzer-beater win

Just when I thought the intensity of the NCAA Tournament's first few games couldn't be topped, Murray State upped the ante and hit a buzzer-beater to top Vanderbilt.

The last-second victory will be one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, though it was a popular pick to take the No. 13 Racers over the No. 4 Commodores.

In another tight game, No. 3 Baylor pulled away from No. 14 Sam Houston State toward the end of the game to win 68-59. They'll face No. 11 Old Dominion on Saturday.

Kansas State has been blowing out North Texas all day, providing the least intriguing game, and what was once a close one between No. 7 Richmond and No. 10 Saint Mary's (tied at 36 at the half) is also turning into a blowout in favor of Saint Mary's.

What do these games tell us?

1. Before, I thought BYU could compete with Kansas State. Scratch that.

2. The winner of Baylor-Old Dominion will make a trip to the Elite 8 after beating the Villanova-Saint Mary's winner.

3. I made a big mistake putting Richmond in the Elite 8. I liked the Atlantic 10 teams' chance of success in this tournament, but it was too risky a pick with which to move forward. Baylor would have been the safest choice because they were the best team in the worst quadrant in the South Region. I didn't like Villanova's chances, especially because they'd face a strong second-round opponent in either Saint Mary's or Richmond. Long story short: Pick the teams with the easiest path to the later rounds. They're less likely to be upset than are the teams with tough first- and second-round games.