March Madness: Results of simulated 2020 NCAA Tournament

By Brian Rauf | Mar 16, 2020

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 30: The Virginia Cavaliers raise the trophy after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 80-75 in overtime of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional to advance to the Final Four at KFC YUM! Center on March 30, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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WACO, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 22: The Baylor Bears huddle during play against the Kansas Jayhawks at Ferrell Center on February 22, 2020 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Midwest Region

First Round

(1) Baylor 84, (16) Siena 70
(9) Providence 72, (8) Colorado 65
(4) Kentucky 75, (13) New Mexico State 63
(5) BYU 61, (12) Cincinnati 55
(6) Penn State 68, (11) Utah State 59
(3) Duke 81, (14) Bradley 72
(7) Illinois 66, (10) USC 59
(2) Villanova 70, (15) Northern Kentucky 60

All the higher seeds won in the first round of this region with the exception of Providence in the 8-9 game, so nothing really to report here – except for the Lamar Stevens had 37 points in Penn State’s win over Utah State, outdueling Sam Merrill and his 23 points.

Second Round

(9) Providence 80, (1) Baylor 67
(5) BYU 71, (4) Kentucky 61
(3) Duke 68, (6) Penn State 47
(7) Illinois 66, (2) Villanova 63

Another 1-seed goes down as Duke becomes the only top-four seed to make it to the Sweet 16! The red-hot Friars used their lockdown defense to stifle Baylor, limiting them to 5/15 shooting from three-point range and 21 turnovers. Center Nate Watson also had a huge game for Providence with 24 points.

Villanova, the 2-seed, goes down as well as Saddiq Bey (2/12 from the field) can’t find his shot and they turn it over 18 times against Illinois’ pressure defense. Illinois, despite shooting less than 50 percent from the free-throw line, found enough offense to make a second-half comeback thanks to 18 points from Trent Frazier.

Yoeli Childs led BYU with 18 points and 11 rebounds as the Cougars withstood a 20-point performance from Tyrese Maxey to beat Kentucky, while Stevens’ off game (7/22 from the field) sunk Penn State against the Blue Devils.

Sweet 16

(9) Providence 89, (5) BYU 72
(7) Illinois 71, (3) Duke 69

How about this for a pair of Cinderella stories? Providence, after starting the season 6-6, is in the Elite Eight after throttling BYU thanks to a rare hot-shooting night from the outside.

Meanwhile, Illinois’ defense wreaks havoc again by forcing Duke into 27 turnovers. Andres Feliz carries them offensively with 17 points despite Kofi Cockburn being a non-factor (zero points, fouled out in 16 minutes to play).

Elite Eight

(9) Providence 72, (7) Illinois 50

Providence becomes just the third 9-seed to ever make the Final Four, and are the first since Wichita State in 2013. Luwane Pipkins was on fire for the Friars with 19 points and six assists in a game that was never really close – Providence led by 17 points at the half. Illinois shot just 33.9 percent from the field as a team.

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