ESPN Men's Basketball

CHICAGO -- The NCAA tournament does strange things to teams. Or maybe it's something in the United Center Gatorade.

Whatever it is, the lower half of the 2011 NCAA tournament's Southeast Region witnessed two unlikely and surprising transformations from the two most surprising and unlikely teams to advance to this year's Sweet 16.

Virginia Commonwealth spent all season letting opponents score at will. Florida State received a No. 10 seed because the Seminoles, despite having one of the nation's best defenses, watched shot after shot (after shot after shot) carom off the rim throughout their up-and-down season.

Then, on Sunday night, Florida State watched VCU manhandle the third-seeded Purdue Boilermakers on both ends of the floor. A couple of hours later, the Seminoles came out uncharacteristically -- almost miraculously -- hot against the Irish.

By the end of the night, VCU had run Purdue off the floor in a 94-76 win and Florida State had shot the nearby Irish out of the tournament in a 71-57 victory. The stunned fans in the Second City had seen their two regional favorites fall to double-digit seeds, and both losing coaches were given the unenviable task of explaining what, exactly, had just happened.

The answers did not come easy.

"Florida State just beat us," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said.

"We just couldn't get them corralled," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "We couldn't get them stopped."

You can forgive both coaches for their shock. Neither of Sunday night's Chicago games lived up to advance expectations. Not even close.



Notre Dame prepared for the Florida State team that scored 57 points in a win Friday over Texas A&M. That FSU team excels at defense, as it has all season. The Seminoles are the nation's No. 1-ranked defense according to Ken Pomeroy's adjusted efficiency, which basically means they allow fewer points per possession than any team in the nation. But there's a reason FSU didn't compete for the ACC title this season. As good as the Noles were on defense, they were just as bad on offense.

So Brey prepared his Irish for the struggles to come on the offensive end. As long as they could ensure that their typically brilliant offense wasn't too hampered by the FSU defense, surely they couldn't fall too far behind the offense-bereft Noles.

Instead, Florida State made seven 3-pointers in the first half and went 9-of-19 from beyond the arc for the game. By the time the Seminoles cooled down in the second half, the Irish found themselves in a deep hole against the nation's most stifling perimeter defense. There was no digging out.

"I thought, if we had to give up anything, we'd give up some jump shots," Brey said. "But they made them. ... You know, they've -- I don't know if they've made [that many 3s] before.

"I really thought we could help in the post more on their big guys and come down, and we started to gain [some momentum] that way, and darn if they didn't knock a couple down."

Indeed, Florida State has made nine or more 3s only five times this season. The Seminoles average 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks among the worst 150 or so teams in the nation. But if you didn't know any better, on Sunday night you'd have thought Derwin Kitchen, Michael Snaer and Deividas Dulkys were consistent marksmen from beyond the arc.

Of course, Florida State is not likely to become a consistent offensive threat. After all, this was just one game, and FSU had its fair share of offensive struggles in its opening win over Texas A&M. Still, this remarkable turnaround in shooting accuracy came at the perfect time for the Seminoles.

"Very dangerous," said Florida State guard Kitchen, when asked how dangerous the Noles can be if they knock down outside shots. "We've just been so up-and-down and inconsistent on the offensive end, it allowed us to stumble a few times during the season and lose a few games. But if we could stay consistent and execute how we did today on the offensive end, I like our chances because we play so well on the defensive end."

Like Florida State, VCU opened a first-half lead against a favored opponent and never looked back. Like Florida State, VCU won its game Sunday thanks to dominance on both sides of the ball. Like Florida State, this comes as something of a surprise. Yes, the Rams are the hottest team in the country, but they're also the same team -- they have the same personnel, anyway -- that allowed opponents to shoot with accuracy and rebound frequently throughout the season.

On Sunday, then, it was assumed that VCU would cool off. Or, failing that, that Purdue's vaunted defense could slow Shaka Smart's team down. Or, failing that, that the Rams wouldn't be able to stop the always-potent combination of JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, not to mention Purdue's bevy of complementary outside shooters.

Instead, the Rams held Purdue to 44.7 percent shooting for the game and 32 percent from beyond the arc. They also forced Purdue into 15 turnovers while thoroughly dismantling the Boilers on the offensive end.

"Our defense and motivation [were the difference]," VCU guard Bradford Burgess said. "We lost focus sometimes on the road, and against certain opponents we weren't as focused as we should have been."

Clearly, that wasn't a problem for the Rams this weekend. They're plenty motivated. They're plenty confident. And when you couple those things with some unforeseen excellence, you get what happened in Chicago this week.

Two double-digit seeds advance. Two regional fan favorites and high-seeded high-majors go home. The unpredictable becomes expected. The pregame previews become pointless.

"That's college basketball," Smart said. "That's the way you play the game. Purdue beat Ohio State a few weeks ago. Ohio State beat George Mason by 30 today. George Mason came to our place and beat us, and we came and beat Purdue in the tournament.

"Unfortunately, we're not coaching robots," Smart added. "We can't push a button and play the same way every time."

No, what matters is how you play this time. That's college basketball. That's why Florida State and VCU advance. That's why Purdue and Notre Dame go home. That's why everybody's bracket is pretty much busted.

Florida State an offensive powerhouse? VCU a defensive stalwart? Strange. But in the NCAA tournament, "strange" is always just a relative term.

CHICAGO -- Notre Dame waited too long to find its shot, and by the time its fans -- who packed the United Center in hopes of watching Notre Dame advance to its first Sweet 16 since 2003 -- had something to cheer about in the second half, it was too late.

No. 10-seeded Florida State wielded its stifling defense in a 71-57 upset over No. 2-seeded Notre Dame.

It was just another night in this topsy-turvy Chicago pod. A few hours earlier, No. 11 seed VCU completed a dominating win over No. 3 seed Purdue.

Notre Dame never got its offense going, and though Ben Hansbrough & Co. did creep back into the game in the second half, the Irish could never get within striking distance.

Turning point: This was all FSU almost from the opening tip. Florida State extended its lead to as much as 23 in the second half, but the Irish didn't go away easily. With 8:37 left, Hansbrough sank a 3-pointer, and as FSU guard Michael Snaer got up off the court, he appeared to yell at the nearest official. Snaer was promptly assessed a technical foul. Snaer protested; he said he was yelling at his own bench about, well, something. The ref didn't buy it. Tim Abromaitis sank the ensuing free throws, and all of a sudden Notre Dame had closed the lead to 12, its thousands of fans were on their feet, and it looked like the Irish had one last charge in them.

That sensation didn't last long. On the next possession, Florida State guard Derwin Kitchen drove to the rim and drew a foul. Kitchen sank both free throws, expanding the lead to 14, and it wasn't long until the game was fully out of reach.

Key player: Florida State forward Bernard James was emblematic of the challenges the Seminoles posed for Notre Dame. The Irish are a perimeter-oriented team, one that is more at home in a finesse game played around the margins. James, on the other hand, is a bruising 6-foot-10 forward with reach for days. Every time ND needed a stop, the Seminoles found James in the post. He almost always converted (6-for-8 from the field, 14 points, 10 rebounds).

Key stat: Florida State's defense has been great all season. Its offense? Not so much. But if you didn't know better, you'd think the Seminoles -- who scored around 1.4 points per possession Sunday -- were one of the best offensive teams in the country. Notre Dame was always going to struggle with FSU's defense. Most teams do. But once FSU started scoring at that rate, it was clear ND had no chance.

Miscellaneous: Notre Dame's loss means only two -- yes, two -- of the Big East's 11 NCAA teams will advance to the second weekend of the tournament. Yikes.

What's next: ND ends another season with a first-weekend tournament disappointment. The Irish cap this season, one of the best in recent program history, at 27-7 overall. Meanwhile, Florida State advances to San Antonio, where it will meet Virginia Commonwealth next weekend. That should be a fun one.

CHICAGO -- VCU's weekend has no precedent.

That is not an exaggeration, either. The Rams were one of the first two teams to emerge from the NCAA tournament's new First Four format. While fellow Dayton winners Clemson bowed out in the first round versus West Virginia, the Rams were busy putting together the two most impressive wins of any double-digit seed in this NCAA tournament. First came No. 6 Georgetown. Next was No. 3 Purdue. Both wins came over skilled, veteran clubs, teams with player of the year candidates and annual designs on national titles.

And VCU -- one of the last two at-large teams in the tournament -- didn't just win. They dominated.

Sunday's was another peerless victory, a 94-76 win that mirrored the Rams' thrashing of the Hoyas. After a rally late in the first half, Shaka Smart's team buried their opponents in the second, and it was never close again.

Turning point: The turning point came late in the first half, when VCU held the ice-cold Boilermakers scoreless for four of the final six minutes. In that span, VCU scored 13 straight points, and suddenly, at 36-24, the Rams were just where they like to be: in charge.

Key player: This win was so thorough and commanding that you could probably call every Ram the player of the game, but point guard Joey Rodriguez deserves highlight for his commanding quickness and intelligence in the open floor. Rodriguez facilitated the majority of VCU's easy buckets in the second half -- and there were lots of those. When Purdue switched to a desperate full-court press late, Rodriguez's speed made breaking that press a cakewalk.

Key stat: Purdue needed a rally at the beginning of the second half. They needed to tighten up on defense and work for better shots on offense. Instead, they allowed VCU to score six straight dunks or layups, most of them uncontested. These shots didn't come at the end of press break scenarios, either. They came in the half court. It was a thoroughly shocking display from one of the nation's best defensive teams.

And in case you needed a visual, check out VCU's second-half shot chart in our GameCast. Notice a theme?

Miscellaneous: With 7:42 left in the second half, the Boilers were fighting to turn a minute or so of momentum into a last-ditch comeback. As Brandon Rozzell missed a 3-pointer -- just the thing Purdue needed -- guard Terone Johnson was whistled for a questionable loose-ball foul under the rim. Bradford Burgess made two free throws, and VCU's lead was back to 15. ... VCU's fans have been representing the Colonial Athletic Association all weekend long, and their "CAA! CAA!" chant in the game's closing moments was no different.

What's next: VCU will move on to San Antonio, where it will await the winner of Notre Dame-Florida State, Sunday's round of 32 nightcap. The Boilermakers, meanwhile, will wave farewell to E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, two of the best players in school history, and two who -- thanks to Robbie Hummel's back-to-back ACL tears -- were robbed of a chance to make a national championship in two straight seasons. Boilers fans won't forget either player anytime soon.

No. 11 seed VCU (25-11) vs. No. 3 seed Purdue (26-7) 7:10 p.m. ET (TBS)

How they got here: Purdue blew out No. 14 seed St. Peter's. Virginia Commonwealth, after disposing of USC in Dayton, blew out No. 6 seed Georgetown. One of those results was a major surprise. It wasn’t shocking to see the Rams beat Georgetown -- that seemed like a plausible result, given the Hoyas’ late-season struggles -- but it was a shock to see VCU so thoroughly handle their battle-tested Big East foes. Coupled with VCU’s win against the Trojans and its deep run in the CAA tournament in early March, it’s safe to call the Rams one of the nation’s hottest, most confident teams.

Storyline: VCU coach Shaka Smart hasn’t shied away from that age-old classic coaching chestnut: “No one believed in us.” Smart has boosted his athletic Rams into the round of 32 by capitalizing on that discontent; he even showed his players a video of ESPN’s Joe Lunardi saying the Rams “couldn’t defend me” in advance of Friday night’s game. But after the dominating win over the Hoyas, can the Rams really say no one believes in them? Or will they find -- or create -- more disrespect to fuel their fire?

Players to watch: Purdue forward JaJuan Johnson and Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore are always players to watch. The Boilers are built around their two stars, and the explanation for their consistent excellence in 2010 and 2011 starts with both. But Purdue can’t rely only on their stars. They’ll also need big games from Ryne Smith and Lewis Jackson. Jackson will be crucial. VCU’s pressing defense put Georgetown in uncomfortable situations from the opening tip Friday night. The lightning-quick Jackson will have to handle that pressure competently.

Meanwhile, the Rams’ pressure will be a major focus of their attack, and to turn that up-tempo play into points, they’ll need to get another big game from point guard Joey Rodriguez and another hot shooting night from guard Brandon Rozzell.

What to look for: A battle of styles. It’s no secret Purdue comes from the slow-down, grind-it-out Big Ten, and the Boilermakers’ success has always come in the half court. Purdue’s offense is classic patient motion. Its defense is designed around checking opponents with aggressive half court man-to-man. VCU, on the other hand, likes to force an up-tempo style; the Rams like to press, force turnovers, run at the rim and make the game as skittish and unpredictable as possible. The first few minutes will be key. Purdue has to assert itself much more soundly than Georgetown did if Matt Painter’s team want to keep the Rams from controlling the game’s trajectory.

Quoteable: “Any time somebody presses you, you've got to be able to attack when it's there and be under control and take good shots. When it's not there, be able to run half-court offense. But that is the theme of a pressing team. They're trying to get you to get at a speed you're not used to. You've got to play fast but under control.” -- Purdue coach Matt Painter

No. 10 seed Florida State (22-10) vs. No. 2 seed Notre Dame (27-6) 9:40 p.m. ET (TBS)

How they got here: Notre Dame got a bit of a test from pesky 15-seed Akron on Friday, but the Fighting Irish eventually put the Zips away in the second half. Florida State, on the other hand, had a much tougher path. The Seminoles relied on their trademark defense to stall No. 7-seed Texas A&M 57-50. It was one of the tournament’s ugliest games, but it was plenty pretty to the Noles.

Storyline: It sounds weird, but in some ways, the Irish are still fighting for respect. Many -- including President Barack Obama -- believe Purdue is the team to beat in the bottom half of the Southwest region despite the Irish’s stellar offense and 14-4 finish in the rough-and-tumble Big East. This veteran team has its sights set on the highest of postseason goals. But first they have to find a way to score against Florida State.

Players to watch: Ben Hansbrough is the Big East player of the year. The reasons for that honor -- Hansbrough manages to be both an efficient scorer and a fantastic distributor, not to mention this team’s de facto leader -- are not mysterious. Hansbrough didn’t play well against Akron, but he didn’t really need to. Facing one of the nation’s top defenses, he will have to be comprehensively good on Friday. Also keep an eye on ND forward Scott Martin, who adds a crucial mid-range scoring option to a stacked group of perimeter shooters.

On Friday, Florida State forward Chris Singleton played his first game since a Feb. 19 foot injury. While he wasn’t at full strength, he did contribute a key 3-pointer to help FSU fend off a second-half A&M run. Singleton is likely to get more time Sunday, and his unique mix of hyper-athletic defense and creative offense could be the difference for the Seminoles.

What to look for: Perhaps the best offense-versus-defense matchup of the entire tournament. Per Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted efficiency metric, Notre Dame’s offense is the third-best unit in the entire country. By the same standard, Florida State’s defense is the single stingiest in the nation. It’s strength versus strength, and whoever can execute at the opposite end -- can Florida State’s ugly offense get buckets against ND’s so-so defense? -- will be the winner.

Quotable: "I don't know about it. I was very young then and wasn't really paying attention to stuff like that.” -- Florida State guard Derwin Kitchen on whether he was familiar with the classic 1993 Notre Dame-Florida State football game.

CHICAGO -- Hours before Virginia Commonwealth took the floor to play No. 6 seed Georgetown on Friday, coach Shaka Smart gathered his players for a prepared video session.

It wasn't for extra, last-minute film study. It wasn't an impromptu team movie to lighten the tone. And it wasn't home footage of a family trip to Disneyland.

No, to hear Smart describe it, VCU's pregame video session was a fiery mix between motivational seminar and George Orwell's Two Minutes Hate.

"Today, before we had lunch, we sat down and watched a video of Joe Lunardi saying we couldn't guard him," Smart said. "He said over and over in the video, they can't guard me, they can't guard me. We were showing clips of Chris Wright and Austin Freeman and Jason Clark."

Smart watched as his players responded. He liked what he saw.

"They don't like it," Smart said. "They don't like it. They grit their teeth, and they -- you know, you can see them ready to kind of fight back. That's what we're looking for."

If that sounds a bit over the top, well, it is. But it's hard to argue with the result.

On Sunday, VCU was one of two at-large tournament inclusions that many believed didn't belong in the field of 68. Two days later, the Rams knocked off USC and then polished off one of the more impressive wins of this young NCAA tournament, a 74-56 thrashing of No. 6-seed Georgetown in the final game of Chicago's first-round action.

Few lines are as overused in sports as "no one believed in us," but maybe there's a reason coaches seem to trot out that old cliché so frequently. Maybe, just maybe, it's the added edge those teams need.

At the very least, it can't hurt. Clearly, this VCU team wears it with pride.

"Any time people disrespect you, especially on national TV, it kind of hurts you a little bit," said Rams point guard Joey Rodriguez. "We had an opportunity to come out here and prove people wrong. Hopefully we keep it going. That's really it."

Whether they're proving people wrong is up for debate. After all, the Selection Sunday surprise at VCU's inclusion was never about whether the Rams could play. It was about whether their accomplishments were more impressive than those of a handful of teams left out of the tournament. VCU's pre-tournament résumé won't change no matter how far the Rams go in this tournament, and that's one reason all this talk about bubble disrespect is a little overblown.

Still, if these "haters" remain, they don't have much ammunition in the chamber. VCU was peerless in victory Friday night.

The Rams pressured Georgetown from the opening tip, forcing the Hoyas guards to avoid traps and rush the ball up the floor, and as a result Georgetown never settled into any sort of rhythm. Shots began clanging off the rim -- Georgetown was 1-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first half -- and turnovers began piling up. Virginia Commonwealth capitalized on the other end, shooting 12-of-25 from 3-point range. By the time the first half was over, VCU had built an 11-point lead.

After the break, the Rams only extended that margin. With 17:12 left, Brandon Rozzell added one of his six 3-pointers -- Rozzell went 6-of-10 from beyond the arc and finished with 26 points -- and backcourt mate Bradford Burgess followed up with two 3s of his own. Georgetown fans expecting their team to solidify in the second half, to calm down and close the gap, instead found the Hoyas flailing. VCU's lead was now 18 points. Georgetown would never recover.

It was another bitter postseason end for Hoyas coach John Thompson III. For the second straight season, Thompson's team lost to a double-digit seed in the team's first game of the NCAA tournament. This time, the loss ended the careers of guards Freeman and Wright, two of the best Hoyas of recent vintage who were never able to demonstrate their ability on the sport's largest stage.

Wright and Freeman shot a combined 6-of-27 Friday night, including an 0-of-13 mark from the 3-point line.

Asked to discuss the Hoyas' recent struggles in tournament play, Thompson instead focused on Wright and Freeman. The coach struggled to contain his emotion.

"A lot will be discussed about this group and what they have and haven't done in the postseason," he said. "We'll evaluate that. Right now my thoughts are just with the four seniors that will be wearing a Georgetown University jersey for the last time. And that hurts. That hurts to see them go. That hurts them."

The shell-shocked Hoyas were clearly in agony, but on the other end of the arena, VCU's locker room was brimming with joy. It was clear these Rams weren't just playing with an edge. They're playing with supreme confidence, too.

"I'm very confident in my team," Rozzell said. "When we play our brand of basketball, I feel like we can compete with any team in the country. We can create any margin on the court."

Smart was asked if he was surprised by the Rams' dominance -- whether he really doubted that VCU could hang an 18-point win on a full-strength Georgetown team. His response, simply, was "no."

That swagger will be tested soon. On Sunday, the Rams will play 3-seed Purdue, a superior team to the Hoyas. Purdue coach Matt Painter sat on press row for much of VCU's win, and he no doubt returned to the team hotel with plenty of warnings for his players.

Even more challenging, perhaps, is the loss of obvious disrespect. The media can no longer function as the bad guy. The Rams have proven themselves, and few will doubt them now.

Can Smart find a way to keep his team confident and aggrieved? Can this ebullient batch keep its edge?

One thing's for sure: If there's a way, Smart will find it. Even if it means another video session.

"It's a very fragile thing, confidence," Smart said. "It comes and goes. ... The terrific thing for us is it's mid-March, and we're playing our best basketball, and our guys are believing in what we do.

"It really doesn't matter who we're playing against," he said. "They know if we follow the plan and they trust each other, good things will happen."

CHICAGO -- Whether VCU belonged in the tournament or not, they're here now. And they apparently plan to stay for a while.

That was the obvious verdict after the Rams' 74-56 win here Saturday night. Usually, upsets are supposed to look like, well, upsets: A scrappy underdog hangs around just long enough to hit a desperate game-winner, the crowd goes wild, Gus Johnson freaks out, all that.

Instead, VCU dominated Georgetown for 30-plus minutes. The Rams opened a double-digit lead late in the first half and never looked back, and a Hoyas comeback never materialized.

Turning point: VCU opened up an 11-point lead just before halftime, but the real "turning point" -- or at least the moment this ostensible upset became real -- came early in the second half, when a pair of back-to-back 3-pointers by guards Brandon Rozzell and Bradford Burgess expanded the Rams' lead to 46-28.

Key stat: Name a stat, look it up, and you'll get a figure that explains VCU's runaway excellence in this game. The Rams shot 48 percent from 3-point range; Georgetown shot 19.2. The Rams committed a mere six turnovers; the Hoyas coughed up the ball 17 times. The Rams scored 1.38 points per possession; Georgetown scored 1.18. (Which is still a high number. Just not as high as the Rams. Yikes.) What looked at first like an underdog knocking the favorite on its toes soon became a comprehensive clinic with VCU in the role of visiting professor.

Key player: It's hard to tease out one particular Rams performance -- pretty much everyone played great -- but Rozzell is a solid candidate. Simply put, Rozzell was on fire: He scored 26 points on 8-of-13 from the field, including 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Miscellany: It was hard not to feel for Georgetown guard Chris Wright, who was making his first appearance since a hand injury sidelined him on Feb. 26. The senior guard never got it going -- he went 3-of-13 from the field -- and his frustration with the referees (and maybe just his frustration in general) boiled over in the second half, earning him a technical and digging his team into an even deeper hole.

What's next: VCU's unlikely tournament run continues Sunday, when the Rams will take on No. 3 seed Purdue in what promises to be a fascinating clash of styles. Meanwhile, Georgetown's early end marks the second-straight season the Hoyas have lost to a double-digit seed in the first round of the NCAA tournament. John Thompson III's team finished 21-11 overall.

CHICAGO -- The chalk rolls on.

This tournament began with a bang Thursday afternoon, but hasn't featured many upsets (or thrillers, for that matter) since. Purdue's never-in-doubt 65-43 win over No. 14-seed St. Peter's Thursday night was no different. The Boilermakers built a 33-17 lead by the end of the first half, and though St. Peter's never stopped competing, Matt Painter's team cruised.

Turning point: The opening tip? OK, so that's not fair; St. Peter's didn't go away immediately. The Peacocks' defense was their calling card this season, and they did hold Purdue to just six points in the first five minutes of action. But Purdue soon went on a 9-0 run, punctuated by a ferocious JaJuan Johnson dunk via baseline inbounds alley-oop. From that point forward, this one was all Purdue.

Key player: Johnson. None of the Boilers shot particularly well, including the big man, but Johnson scored 16 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, dominating the middle on the way to the win.

Key stat: Again, St. Peter's was by no means a bad defensive team this season, and they played up to their standards against the Boilermakers. Problem was, Purdue's defense is pretty good too. The Boilermakers held the Peacocks to 17-of-57 from the field, and Purdue grabbed 79 percent of available rebounds on its own end.

Miscellaneous: St. Peter's mascot, as seen here, is not shy in the rump-shaking department. But his plumage could probably use a bit of an update.

What's next: Purdue will advance to play the winner of Georgetown-VCU, the final game of the night, the next step in its year-long quest to reach the Final Four without injured star Robbie Hummel. St. Peter's ends its season at 20-14 overall.

CHICAGO -- You can be forgiven if this game wasn't your cup of tea. You can understand why the average fan saw "No. 7 Texas A&M versus No. 10 Florida State" in the Southeast region of their bracket and said, "yeah, no thanks." Anyone who focused their remote control on Arizona's thrilling, last-second win over Memphis Friday afternoon had plenty of reason to do so.

Just don't expect Florida State -- losers of their previous two first-round NCAA tournament games -- to care.

"I mean, I can't express how much excitement I feel because I know we have another game," Florida State forward Chris Singleton said. "I mean, I'm trying to -- I'm not trying to stay right here and just have this be my glory point of the year. I'm trying to go past Notre Dame. I'm trying to go all the way as far as we can."

No matter how ugly Florida State's 57-50 win over Texas A&M may have been, no matter how many viewers sarcastically begged for mercy, no matter how many snarky comments came through the Twitter wire -- and there were plenty -- when ugliness is a winning strategy, you don't let the haters get you down.

You go ugly early. And yes, this one was ugly.

Texas A&M didn't score a point for the first seven and a half minutes of the game. The Aggies finished the first half with just two two-point field goals. Their final shooting tally came out to 16-of-51 on the evening, good for 31.4 percent overall.

Yet, unbelievably, A&M led the game at halftime. The Aggies had chances to win the game down the stretch. Florida State pulled away late, but only in so far as a 10-point difference in this game -- which featured a mere 57 possessions -- was roughly equivalent to 20 points in an a game of even average speed.

This is nothing new for the Seminoles, of course. Leonard Hamilton's team has been among the best defensive units in the nation in the past two seasons, but they rarely pair that defensive prowess with buckets on the other end. This year's group entered the tournament ranked No. 2 in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency according to Ken Pomeroy; the offense, on the other hand, ranked No. 157. If the Seminoles were even an average ACC team on offense -- they might not have faced the challenge of entering the tournament as a No. 10-seed in Chicago this week.

"It's been like that all year," guard Derwin Kitchen said. "Our offense struggled big-time all year long. We basically keep ourselves in the game with our defense."

This game was no different, but it did differ from FSU's recent efforts in one obvious way. Friday marked the return of leading scorer and hyper-athletic defender Singleton from a broken foot that had sidelined him for two months. Hamilton was said he was nervous to play Singleton for fear of jeopardizing his NBA draft chances this summer.

"I realize that he has an opportunity to play at the highest level, and I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that," Hamilton said. "But he convinced me that he was fine, that he really wanted to play, and he'd worked so hard and been so aggressive with his rehab, doubling up on his rehabs. ...

"He felt comfortable," Hamilton said. "I just was a little anxious, and I guess that's the mother hen in me."

Singleton said he felt in "pretty good" condition, that his only concern was whether his foot would "hold up" in his first game back. It did, and even in limited minutes, Singleton made major contributions, including a huge 3-pointer with 6:49 left in the second half. The 3 gave FSU a 45-40 late lead, and A&M never threatened to overtake the Seminoles again.

Whether Singleton's foot will withstand a second game in three days remains to be seen. What is clear is that FSU's next matchup will put the win-ugly theorem to the test. The Seminoles will face No. 2 seed Notre Dame -- owners of the nation's third-most efficient offense -- in the round of 32 Sunday. Can FSU's defense stand up?

"Florida State can guard guys," Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon said. "They can flat out guard. And I know Notre Dame can shoot it at all five positions.

"Should be a heck of a game," Turgeon said. "Should be a heck of a game."

A heck of a game? Maybe. Pretty? Definitely not. This year, in this tournament, that's just the way Florida State likes it.

CHICAGO -- College hoops is notoriously hard to predict, but this game wasn't. It was going to be slow. It was going to be physical. It was going to be defensive. It was going to be ugly.

Check, check, check and check.

Florida State entered the Friday afternoon's game with the second-stingiest defense in the country. Texas A&M arrived in Chicago with its slow pace and rebound-reliant attack in tow. Yep: This was always going to be a grinder.

In the end, Florida State's defense was enough. The Seminoles held A&M to 50 points in 57 possessions and advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament with a 57-50 victory.

Turning point: As tempting as it is to call Texas A&M's first basket of the day the turning point -- it came after nearly eight minutes of basketball, after all -- the real game-changer happened with 4:49 remaining in the second half, when FSU guard Derwin Kitchen drove to the rim, converted despite a foul, and sank his free throw to give the Seminoles an eight-point lead.

Key stat: Florida State is almost always going to keep its opponents from scoring in bunches. The question for the Seminoles is always whether or not they can score enough to get the win. FSU wasn't pretty Thursday, but it did shoot the ball well enough as a team (with a 51.2 effective field goal percentage) to score just under a point per possession on the day. That was plenty to outpace A&M, which went 16-of-51 from the field.

Key player: FSU forward Chris Singleton returned from injury for the first time since Feb. 19, but his minutes were limited. Instead, this honor goes to Kitchen, who offered the day's most efficient offensive performance and made the key drive down the stretch to push the Seminoles out in front of A&M for good.

Miscellany: For the first eight minutes of the game, it looked like the Seminoles and Aggies were determined to top Penn State and Wisconsin for sheer offensive ugliness. This game wasn't that bad, but the Aggies did open the first half with almost eight minutes of scoreless basketball. The score at half -- 26-23 A&M -- came thanks to the teams' combined 15-of-49 shooting from the field. In that span, A&M made exactly two 2-point field goals. It wasn't pretty, but that's the way FSU likes it.

What's next: The Aggies will end their surprising (if eventually disappointing) season at 24-9. The Seminoles will advance to the round of 32, where a matchup with the offensively efficient Notre Dame Fighting Irish. "Clash of styles" is the appropriate cliche here.

CHICAGO -- Notre Dame fans will be happy with a win. They might not be happy with much else.

The Irish opened their first big lead of the day -- a 21-10 gap built by on a pair of 3-pointers by ND guard Eric Atkins -- with 11 minutes left in the first half. By then, it wasn't hard to picture this game going the way of most of Thursday night's high-seed action -- the favorite asserting its dominance early and never looking back.

But Akron refused to go away. By halftime, timely 3s and stellar interior defense helped Akron close the gap to 34-30, and suddenly the thousands of local Irish fans in the United Center had reason to feel a little anxious.

ND used a 9-0 run to build another lead in the second half, but Akron responded again. After a Quincy Diggs jumper with 11:09 left to play, Notre Dame's lead had again dwindled to five (45-40), and again it seemed Akron could stick around long enough to make things interesting down the stretch.

In the end, it took all of 35 minutes -- Tim Abromaitis extended ND's lead to 59-45 with 4:49 remaining -- before the Zips eventually relented and the threat of an unthinkable upset finally waned.

Turning point: With 11 minutes left to play, just as Akron appeared to be mounting that second-half surge so crucial in upset situations, Notre Dame guard Tim Abromaitis sank two 3s in the next two minutes to help build ND's lead to 52-44. A minute later, Irish forward Carlton Scott earned an and-1 call on a fadeaway. Scott sank his free throw, put Notre Dame's lead into double-digit territory and the Zips never truly came close again.

Player of the game: None of Notre Dame's usually reliable seniors played all that well, but Abromaitis made the key buckets in the second half, and in an off night for ND's vaunted perimeter offense, his performance (14 points on 3-of-3 from beyond the arc and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line) made the difference.

Key stat: Notre Dame's offense was the third-most efficient in the country this season; it averaged 1.23 adjusted points per possession, per KenPom.com. On Friday, the Irish fell well below that standard thanks not only to substandard shooting but to some uncharacteristically sloppy ballhandling. Still, ND salvaged that effort by getting to the line 26 times and sinking 20 of those attempts.

Miscellaneous: Akron won't be making any miracle runs to the Sweet 16, but there's reason to believe the future is bright. Center Zeke Marshall, a 7-foot center that mans the middle of the Zips' defense, is rare for his size and athleticism at the mid-major level. Marshall's offensive game needs work -- he went 2-of-13 from the field, and nearly all of those shots came from inside five feet -- but his interior defense gave ND fits for much of the afternoon. Marshall's just a sophomore. If he can add some things to his game, you might hear more from him in the next two seasons.

What’s next: Notre Dame advances to play the winner of No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 10 Florida State as the Irish look to keep their Final Four hopes alive. The Zips made their second NCAA tournament appearance in seven years under coach Keith Dambrot -- who is perhaps most famous for coaching LeBron James at St. Vincent-St. Mary's high school in Akron, Ohio, before taking the job with the Zips -- and will finish their season with a 23-13 overall record.

CHICAGO -- A look at the night games being held here at the United Center:

No. 14 seed St. Peter's (20-13) vs. No. 3 seed Purdue (25-7), 7:20 p.m. ET (TNT)

How they got here: Few teams have succeeded despite adversity quite as well as the 2011 Boilermakers. In October, Purdue lost star senior Robbie Hummel to his second torn ACL in eight months. Purdue coach Matt Painter was forced to recalibrate a team that had suddenly gone from a top-five national title contender to a team with two stars -- E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson -- and a lot of unheralded complementary pieces. Painter has succeeded in spades, and though Purdue fans may always wonder what could have been, it’s remarkable that this team still has a legitimate chance to reach the Final Four all the same. They’ll begin that quest against St. Peter’s, who finished fourth in the MAAC but toppled Loyola-Maryland, Fairfield and Iona on the way to a conference tournament title and an automatic NCAA berth.

Players to watch: Johnson and Moore are well-known to any casual college hoops fan, and it’s no secret Purdue’s stars have to excel on both ends of the floor for Purdue to succeed. But the Boilermakers also built success on the backs of role players this season. Lewis Jackson runs the show at the point, Ryne Smith -- who suffered a mild concussion this week but will play Friday -- is a deadly long-range shooter, and D.J. Byrd and Terone Johnson provide versatility and defense at the forward and guard spots.

One player missing from that list? Guard Kelsey Barlow, whom Painter suspended this week for disciplinary reasons. (Smith’s concussion and Barlow’s dismissal were not connected, as some speculated; on Thursday Painter confirmed Smith caught an inadvertent elbow from Moore in practice.) Whatever the reason for Barlow’s absence, the Boilermakers will have to spread their minutes and make up for Barlow’s unique ability to guard a variety of positions in Purdue’s pressing man-to-man.

What to look for: Can Purdue right the ship? The Boilermakers ended an otherwise peerless Big Ten season with back-to-back losses (at Iowa, to Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament). Will Purdue’s shots start falling again? How will Barlow’s absence affect Purdue’s defense, if at all? The first question could yield legitimate answers; surprisingly enough St. Peter’s boasts a top 20 defense per adjusted efficiency. The second question may be more difficult to gauge, as the Peacocks are among the nation’s worst offensive teams. But the shorthanded Boilermakers could go a long way toward proving itself to suddenly skeptical fans by handling a sneaky-tough No. 14 seed Friday.

Quotable: “It's kind of cool, I guess, in a way, that the President picks us to go to Elite Eight. But it's the reason that you play the games. I guess those people that they have us beating, I know they're not probably too happy about that.” -- Purdue forward Johnson on President Barack Obama’s prediction that Purdue will advance to the Elite Eight.

No. 11 seed VCU (24-11) vs. No. 6 seed Georgetown (21-10), 9:50 p.m. ET (TNT)

How they got here: Georgetown’s path to the tournament was never in doubt. But thanks to an untimely injury to starting point guard Chris Wright, the Hoyas lost their last four games down the stretch and, averaged 51.5 points per game in that span. Wright’s injury derailed a major mid-season surge; after starting 1-4 in Big East play, Georgetown won eight straight Big East games from Jan. 15 to Feb. 13, including a reputation-making win at Syracuse on Feb. 9. VCU, on the other hand, took the long road to the tournament. The Rams were one of the last four at-large teams included in this year’s field -- much to the chagrin of those who believed Colorado and Virginia Tech were more deserving -- but Shaka Smart’s team made the most of the opportunity with its win over USC in Dayton Wednesday night.

Players to watch: “Key player” is too understated a term for Wright. “Lifeblood” is more accurate. Wright isn’t Georgetown’s best or most efficient player; that honor goes to preseason Big East player of the year Austin Freeman. But the past three weeks have offered a clear picture of how Wright’s absence affects the Hoyas, and the picture isn’t pretty. The Georgetown guard responded well to four straight days of full practice this week, and the Hoyas will be glad to have him on the court. Defensively, Georgetown will be keen to stop VCU’s Jamie Skeen, a former Wake Forest transfer who has the size, athleticism and skill to play in the post or stretch defenses with the perimeter shot.

What to look for: It’s never a surprise when a team that loses its point guard struggles to maintain its prior level of play, but it is rare to see a team fall off so far without one player. But it’s really rather simple. With Wright, the Hoyas were one of the Big East’s best teams. Without him, they were barely mediocre. Wright’s presence could be the difference between an early exit and a deep tourney run, but is he really at full strength? And if not, can the Hoyas hold off a hot VCU team that rolled to the CAA tournament final and manhandled an athletic USC team?

Quotable: “Stairmaster. I think I was on a stairmaster, which is probably harder than anything I’ve ever had to do. That's very hard. I don't want to do it anymore.” -- Georgetown guard Chris Wright, on what he did to stay in shape during rehab.

CHICAGO -- A look at the afternoon games being held here at the United Center:

No. 15 seed Akron (23-12) vs. No. 2 seed Notre Dame (26-6), 1:40 p.m. ET (TBS)

How they got here: Last time we saw Notre Dame in the tournament, the Irish, who struggled to earn a tourney bid in 2010, were bowing out thanks to an ugly, uninspired first-round loss to Old Dominion. Twelve months later, and after the graduation of four-year star Luke Harangody, the Irish are a whole different animal. In that time, guard Ben Hansbrough has rocketed from “good but not great” to the Big East player of the year. That surprising rise has dovetailed with this unheralded team's race to a second-place finish in the rough-and-tumble Big East this season.

Meanwhile, the Zips’ appearance in the NCAA tournament can be chalked up to survivalist instincts. Akron nearly lost in the first round of the MAC tournament; it had to fend off a 20-point comeback by Miami (Ohio) to take a double-overtime win on March 8. Three wins and one more overtime later, and Akron was sitting atop the MAC and headed to the tournament for the third time in school history.

Players to watch: How do you know you’re having a great year? When you -- and not Connecticut’s Kemba Walker -- are the only unanimous all-Big East first team selection, not to mention the Big East player of the year. But there are few who would argue Hansbrough didn’t deserve those honors. He’s been brilliant for Notre Dame, not only in a scorer’s role but in his ability to facilitate the uber-efficient perimeter offense that carried the Irish throughout their impressive Big East run. Forwards Tim Abromaitis and Carleton Scott are keys; when Scott is hitting outside shots, the Irish are almost impossible to guard.

What to look for: Can Akron find a way to keep Notre Dame from running away on offense? The Irish are deadly from the perimeter and willing to play at Mike Brey’s sloth-like “burn” pace; that negates the typical underdog strategy of slowing the game, packing the defense and hoping the big bad favorite goes cold. The Zips are a decent defensive team on the perimeter -- they held opponents to a 46.6 effective field goal shooting percentage this season -- but let’s be real: it will require a Herculean effort to keep the Irish from casually rolling in the Chicago opener Friday.

Quotable: “Most likely, if we play Notre Dame seven times, they would probably win the series, but we only have to win one game. And that's the beauty of sports. We have to play one great game. They have to be average, or we have to be good, and they have to be below average.” -- Akron coach Keith Dambrot

No. 7 seed Texas A&M (21-10) vs. No. 10 seed Florida State (24-8), 4:10 p.m. ET (TBS)

How they got here: Somehow, it seems Mark Turgeon always finds a way. The Texas A&M coach faced a serious challenge in the offseason: Replacing three seniors, including stars Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis, with a group of unproven unknowns. The Aggies didn’t miss a beat. Instead, A&M quickly established itself as another smart, solid Turgeon team, one that looked like it might compete for a spot among the Big 12’s elite before a late-January hiccup. Meanwhile, despite losing its leading scorer and best defender in forward Chris Singleton to a broken hand on Feb. 19, Florida State admirably maintained its spot above the bubble fray.

Players to watch: Singleton hasn’t seen action since his injury, but he practiced Thursday and appears likely to play Friday. Saying this is “huge” for the Seminoles is like saying water is “huge” for human survival. With Singleton on the prowl, an already-stout Florida State defense is one of the toughest, most disruptive units in the country. Texas A&M forward Khris Middleton will have to find a way to remain productive despite Singleton’s singular defensive prowess, and A&M will need to balance its interior scoring with some timely perimeter shooting from guard B.J. Holmes.

What to look for: A slow, defensive slugfest that will be decided on the offensive boards. FSU's defense is the second-stingiest in the nation; only Texas has allowed opponents fewer points per possession in 2011. That stinginess stems from Florida State’s excellent first-shot defense. The Seminoles simply don’t allow good looks. That said, Leonard Hamilton’s offense-averse team does allow opponents its share of offensive rebounds, and A&M ranks among the top 15 teams in the nation in retrieving their own misses. The Aggies aren’t going to get many good looks. But if they can take advantage of the offensive glass and get a few easy putbacks, they’ll be at a major advantage against a Florida State team that frequently struggles to score.

Quotable: “How big of a factor he's going to be will be in direct proportion to how he's going to adjust to not being available for a month, not being in practice, not having any contact, not being in rhythm. [...] He's only been in any type of contact with us now for four or five days. So to be honest with you, I think that's yet to be determined.” -- Florida State coach Hamilton on what he expects -- or doesn’t expect from Singleton.