NCAA Tournament Roundup: NC State Stuns Top-Seeded Villanova, Kentucky Survives

Let it be stated for the record: Villanova is not a fan of the Round of 32.

After a relatively upset-free Friday in the NCAA Tournament, things got crazy again Saturday when No. 8 seed North Carolina State survived a late rally to shock the No. 1 seed Wildcats with a 71-68 win.

Villanova has made four of the last five Big Dances but has failed to advance to the Sweet 16 every time. Nova entered last year’s tournament as a No. 2 seed but was ousted in the Round of 32 by No. 7 seed UConn, which went on to win the tourney.

The Wolfpack certainly weren’t daunted by the Wildcats’ higher seed, as they led for the majority of the game thanks to a balanced offensive attack (four of NC State’s five starters finished in double figures).

NC State led by as many as nine points down the stretch, but three clutch 3-pointers from Nova’s Darrun Hilliard II kept the Wildcats within striking distance.

Yet a late comeback just wasn’t in the cards, as Villanova’s Dylan Ennis missed a wide-open 3-point attempt with 19 seconds remaining and his team trailing by two. The loss was a crushing blow for Nova fans, including this incredibly sad piccolo-playing fan.