March Madness 2021: 6 biggest takeaways from Round of 64 action

By Matt Melton | Mar 21, 2021

WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA - MARCH 19: E.J. Liddell #32 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on after losing to the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Mackey Arena on March 19, 2021 in West Lafayette, Indiana. Oral Roberts defeated Ohio State 75-72. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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March Madness Kevin Obanor Max Abmas Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

March Madness has arrived, and as expected……the “madness” ensued. Historic upsets, back-and-forth games, and more were only a part of an action-packed first two days in Indianapolis. Let’s take a look at a few takeaways from the Round of 64 of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

15-seed Oral Roberts Upsets 2-seed Ohio State

Undoubtedly the top moment and takeaway of the Round of 64 were 15-seed Oral Roberts bringing the “Madness” of March as they upset 2-seed Ohio State. This was the 9th time in the history of the NCAA Tournament that a 15-seed upset a 2-seed.

Oral Roberts was led by junior forward Kevin Obanor who had a double-double with 30 points and 11 rebounds, as well as the nation’s leading scorer Max Abmas who had 29 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. EJ Liddell and Duane Washington Jr each had a double-double to lead Ohio State.

While the Golden Eagles got excellent performances from their two best players, Oral Roberts also won this game due to a few other areas as well. The Golden Eagles committed 10 fewer turnovers than the Buckeyes while also making six more 3’s and five more free-throws.

While this was certainly a shocking upset for Ohio State, Oral Roberts deserved to win this game. Look out for the Golden Eagles in the Round of 32. If they can get similar production from Obanor and Abmas, Oral Roberts might just find themselves in the Sweet 16.

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