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The Breakfast Buffet: Markquis Nowell, Gonzaga/UCLA, Norchad Omier

Here’s today’s installment of “The Breakfast Buffet”, the morning column on everything that’s happened from the day/night before and everything that’s going to happen in the next 24 hours.

Mangia!

Things To Sample

Markquis Nowell is going home for the Sweet 16
The New York native has had an All-American caliber season in his fifth year and now gets to play a Sweet 16 game this week at Madison Square Garden. The 5-8 Nowell has been arguably the best guard in the NCAA Tournament and made several big shots down the stretch in Sunday’s win over Kentucky. Through two NCAA Tournament games, Nowell is averaging 22 points and 11.5 assists — that’s utterly ridiculous. The Wildcats will face Michigan State on Thursday at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Gonzaga and UCLA are ready to run it back
The top game of the Sweet 16 will be on Thursday night in Las Vegas as these two blue blood programs meet again in a big spot in the NCAA Tournament. Two years ago in 2021, the Bulldogs beat the Bruins in an epic game in the Final Four which was capped off by a half court buzzer beater by Jalen Suggs. 17 years ago in 2006, UCLA erased a massive second half deficit in the Sweet 16 to beat Gonzaga en route to their first of three Final Four appearances under former coach Ben Howland. This game has all the requisites to be a classic.

Norchad Omier willed Miami to the second weekend
It’s hard to believe that this guy was questionable for the first round after suffering an ankle injury in the ACC Tournament. The 6-7 Omier — who has excelled all season for the Hurricanes as an undersized center — was simply outstanding during the first week of the NCAA Tournament. In a pair of wins over Drake and Indiana, Omier averaged 9.5 points and 15.5 rebounds. Miami will play Houston later in the week in Kansas City. It’s the first time in program history that the Hurricanes have reached the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons.

On The Side

  • Four power conference teams who won their respective conference tournaments last week — Duke, Marquette, Purdue, and Arizona — did not qualify for the Sweet 16.
  • The Big Ten has sent a total of 26 teams to the last three NCAA Tournaments. Only four of those teams have advanced to the second weekend.
  • UConn’s Adama Sanogo is averaging 23.5 points and 12 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament. Sanogo was a combined 24-33 from the field in two games this weekend in Albany.
  • Michigan State’s Tyson Walker — who had 23 points in Sunday’s win over Marquette — currently does not have a turnover during the NCAA Tournament.
  • Xavier is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. Who was the Musketeers’ opponent that year? Arizona, who was coached by Sean Miller. Anarchy?Nope. Just college basketball.

Leftovers