Illinois was fairly even with first round opponent UNLV to start off the game.  After the Rebels took an early 9-8 lead, however, it was all Illini as Bruce Weber's team cruised to a 73-62 victory.  Frankly, the game was not as close as the score, as Illinois had around a 20-point cushion for most of the game. The turnovers played out as expected, with UNLV forcing a lot of them, while Illinois failed to do the same.  But when you shoot 62 percent on twos and 54 percent on threes, while holding the opponent to 47 percent and 29 percent, the turnover battle just isn't as important.  The Illini also limited UNLV's second chances, grabbing 79 percent of the available defensive rebounds.  Mike Davis was especially impressive with 22 points (13 shots), 9 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Illinois' reward is a second round matchup against former Illinois coach Bill Self and the #1 seed Kansas Jayhawks.

Ohio State opened up Tournament play against #16th seed UT-San Antonio.  I could probably just stop right there, and you could guess the outcome.  The Buckeyes dominated the shooting, dominated the glass, and dispatched of UTSA like they were Billy Madison in a game of 4th-grade dodgeball.  The final margin was 75-46, and William Buford led the team with 18 points to go with 5 assists and 6 rebounds.  Ohio State continues its march to Houston with a second round matchup against George Mason.