Winners and Losers from Day 1 of 2023 NCAA Tournament results

There were 16 team winners on the first day of the NCAA Tournament. Who were the overall winners and losers to this point and why?

Winner #1: Furman

If they haven’t already, college basketball purists are about to fall in love with the Furman program Bob Richey has built in Greenville, SC.

Furman has a squad built on commitment, dedication, and persistence. Players like Mike Bothwell, Jalen Slawson and JP Pegues had to scrape and claw for years before becoming regulars in the rotation. Richey has a starting lineup of five players that have never worn any colors besides purple and white, which is quite the anomaly when considering the current landscape of the sport.

In many ways, Furman’s culture is a direct slap to the obsession with instant gratitude that now dominated collegiate athletics. After losing the Socon Championship on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater a year ago, there isn’t a group in all of college basketball more deserving of this moment.

In case you missed it, Furman looked dead in the water at multiple points. With just over 10 minutes remaining, the Paladins were down by 10. And let’s not forget, a 10-point deficit against Virginia feels a bit more daunting when considering the slow brand of basketball the Cavaliers are defined by. The Paladins roared back into the lead with five minutes remaining, which established a perfect setting to foster the captivating drama that makes us addicted to this sport.

Following a wild final few minutes, Virginia looked as if it was going to avoid humility and the Cavaliers held a four-point lead with 19 seconds remaining.

On the corresponding possession, sub-50% free throw shooter Garrett Hien knocked down two free throws because of course he did. And then THIS sequence happened because, well, you know, March.