Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

Over the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament there were no major upsets, no classic buzzer beaters and very little fodder for "One Shining Moment". This begs the question, are we in the midst of the worst NCAA tournament ever?
The question is a little hyperbolic; as the first tournament I remember actively watching was in 1988. But looking back at some old brackets, I think it's safe to say that the first two rounds were the worst in recent memory.
There wasn't one first-weekend game that will be instantly memorable one year from now. The Siena-Ohio State and Gonzaga-Western Kentucky finishes were great, but not classics. The biggest upset (Cleveland State over Wake Forest) was a snoozer. A few No. 1 seeds were challenged (Pittsburgh, Louisville) in the second half of their second round games, but each pulled away by the last TV timeout.
The only other recent tournament with as little early excitement was in 2004. But, in that year, two No. 1 seeds were upset in the second round (Kentucky and Stanford), which made for a more interesting weekend. Not that chalk can't be exciting, but it hasn't been this year.
More than 75 percent of the tournament games have been played so far, but there's still plenty of time for 2009 to redeem itself. A couple of good Sweet 16 games and a memorable regional final will wash away all memory of the yawner we had this weekend.
The natural follow-up question is whether this is symptomatic of a larger problem with NCAA basketball? I don't think so. Odds are, there's going to be a stinker every few years. Plus, a lame NCAA tournament is still better than almost anything else.
The Dagger is a college basketball blog edited by Jeff Eisenberg. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Posted Jan 28 2010
Posted Jan 28 2010
Posted Jan 28 2010
Edited by MJD
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Edited by Jay Busbee
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148 Comments
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Has it been as amazing as, say, 2005 (the year of Bucknell and Vermont taking down Kansas and Syracuse in the first round, WVU over Wake in a 2OT thriller in the second round, and three out of four regional finals going OT)? Obviously not. But despite the favorites winning out, there have been several near escapes.
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The tournament so far has been a yawnfest with the exception of the games you mentioned. I am, however, looking forward to seeing the matchups coming up between UNC/Gonzaga, Villanova/Duke, Mizzou/Memphis etc. Hopefully the fun is just beginning.
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The tournament is great so far.
Keep whining, your loss.
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I know for sure that you must be commenting on years past. I sat in a sports bar Sunday afternoon, and watched the station flip between 3 and 4 games. With less than 5 minutes to go, all those games were either tied or within 2 points...................
Hey Chris, you really should watch this years tournament.
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