If you were wondering what was up with the lack of upsets, wonder no longer. The Sweet 16 was our most shocking round yet, with a #1 seed falling and a #6 and #8 advancing to the Elite Eight.
Ali Salami (#5) continued his magical run, defeating former finalist and #1 overall seed Buck Eagleburger in the Fanny Wadling region. Meanwhile, in the Forever Toppin region, upsets in both matchups blew up the bracket even further, with #6 Man Man Baker and #8 Harry Johnson advancing. McCorkle Madness also lived up to the hype in the Jalyn Sackrider region, with #3 Styles knocking off #2 Champ in a close one.
I would now like to take a moment of reflection to honor PJ Pipes and his service to this tournament. PJ debuted in 2018 as a freshman with Green Bay. An unknown player in the college basketball world at the time, he won his first matchup in Tournament of Names competition, but was defeated in the second round by a young Shackeel Butters. He did not let this loss deter him. He returned to win another first round matchup in 2020, only to lose one round later to Phlandrous Fleming Jr.
For most players, the second appearance is the last. But, somewhere along the way, either due to COVID policies or his transfer to Santa Clara, PJ gained a fifth year of eligibility that made him our first ever three-time participant. Taking this opportunity to heart, he won not one, but two matchups, earning a hard-fought Sweet 16 appearance. With all the momentum in the world, the possibilities seemed endless. And, like clockwork, he took a swift loss to the uncreative and very common name of Harry Johnson.
I hope those who voted for Johnson feel good about themselves. While it is not my place to openly campaign for or against certain candidates, as many other media outlets often do, PJ was one of my favorites. I will do the honorable thing and advance Johnson to the Elite Eight, but other News From The Couch contributors will not be as understanding as they react to this news.
You can find an updated printable version of the bracket here: 2022 CBTON Updated Bracket
And here is the link to Elite Eight voting: 2022 CBTON Elite Eight Voting
