The Biggest Upset of Day One in Mythical March Madness has a Zippy Ending

The vaunted Big Blue of Kentucky wasn't quite ready for what they opened up with in Mythical March Madness.

USA Today Sports Images - Jaime Rhodes

Here is a look at the prime time results of the first day of the Mythical March Madness as play gets started in Philadelphia at The Palestra and in Eugene, Ore. at McArthur Court. The tournament and results are determined using all-time odds for each seed in the tournament for each round of advancement. The roll of dice with rolls of six or below representing the higher-seeded team and rolls of seven or greater representing the lower-seeded team determine results. If the game is written up as close then the roll of the dice went to the eighth, ninth, or tenth roll. If it is written up as a blowout then it was decided early. 

#12-Akron 78  #5-Kentucky 73

When Kentucky rolls out on the court in the NCAA Tournament there is always that mystique the Wildcats carry with them. It has been going on for years dating back to Adolph Rupp, but in a regional match-up in The Palestra in Philadelphia, the Akron Zips of the MAC didn't seem to care who was in the other uniform. 

"You guys are 24-7 and you have come so close this season to beating a big boy," Akron head coach John Groce said to the Zips in the locker room before coming out. "You nearly beat West Virginia on the road and you almost knocked off Louisville. Tonight we get a skin, the skin of a Wildcat."

Okay, it's a little over the top, but on this night so were the Zips. Kentucky played well as leading scorer and All-American Immanuel Quickley scored 22 points and 6-11 forward Nick Richards from Jamaica scored 16 points and had 12 rebounds. 

However, tiny guard Loren Christian Jackson was on fire and the Kentucky guards couldn't keep up with the 5-8 lightning bolt. Jackson had 24 points and eight of those points came on steals that he turned into coast-to-coast buckets. 

Australian Deng Riak was a key to keeping Richards of Kentucky from going completely crazy and in the end Akron took the lead with three minutes left and held Kentucky at bay winning 78-73. 

Kentucky bows out with a 25-7 record and Akron puts the skin on the wall with win 25 to make the Zips 25-7. 

#4-Seton Hall 82  #13-Belmont 47

Belmont has become known for being a basketball school, but in reality the Bruins are a music school with a lot of famous alumni in the music town of Nashville. Tonight Belmont would have been better off making music because what they did on the basketball floor was anything but. The Bruins shot a season low 19 percent from the field and Seton Hall had plenty to do with it. 

Pirates head coach Kevin Willard had his team come out in a pressing man defense that flat our suffocated the Bruins. It wasn't expected either as the Pirates had allowed opponents this season to shoot close to 41 percent against them from the field. Defense was the key as Seton Hall also forced 21 turnovers.

Myles Powell had 28 points to lead the way for the Pirates and Quincy McKnight, the senior transfer from Sacred Heart had 23 points. Seton Hall is now 22-9 wile Belmont finishes their season at 26-8.

Out West play continued at McArthur Court and there was one upset and one favorite winning in the early session.

#12-Yale 91  #5-Butler 62 

The upset came first as Yale showed no signs of wanting to put up the basketballs and start studying for final exams at the Ivy League institution. The Bulldogs, who came in on a five-game winning streak and had won seven of their last eight games, never let Butler get comfortable as they took a 12-2 lead off the tip and never looked back. 

The three-headed monster for Yale included leading scorer Paul Atkinson as he had 18 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, but Azar Swain scored 22 points and Jordan Bruner added 13 points and 12 rebounds. 

Yale won it going away over the other Bulldogs 91-62. Yale is 24-6 on the season and winners of six games in a row.  

#4-Brigham Young 84  #13-Bradley 66

Keep an eye on BYU as I see the Cougars as a big sleeper out West. They completely floored Bradley in the opener in Mythical March Madness with a 84-66 win. 

It wasn't that close as BYU led at the half 50-23. The second half featured a lot of back-ups getting quality NCAA Tournament time. Yoeli Childs, the 6-8 forward and MVP had 22 points and 10 rebounds. He had help inside as 6-7 Dalton Nixon had a season high 21 points. 

BYU is now 25-8 and readies to face a powerful Yale team in the next round.