Borzello: Wrapping up Sunday - Sunday wrap: Fantastic finishes don't excuse questionable calls

Despite all the fantastic endings from the first weekend, the unfortunate overlying theme of the four days was the referees. Well, to be more specific, the, um, "questionable" calls at the end of games.
Sunday was no different. With 14.6 seconds remaining in the Arizona vs. Texas game, Longhorns guard Cory Joseph was called for a five-second violation despite calling timeout well before five seconds were counted off. On Texas' final possession, it seemed J'Covan Brown and Gary Johnson were both fouled to some extent on potential game-winning shots. The focus turned from the fantastic back-and-forth game to the calls by the referees. And in the NCAA tournament, that's a shame.

Best game from Sunday: A couple of other games might have had better finishes, but North Carolina vs. Washington was probably the most entertaining contest in the Big Dance. Washington shot nearly 46 percent from the field and 53 percent from 3-point range, while North Carolina hit 47 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep. The two teams combined for 169 points and there was a great ending. Washington had several chances to tie, but Venoy Overton made two poor decisions down the stretch and North Carolina escaped, 86-83.
Worst game from Sunday: Games involving Florida State are usually pretty ugly, but when the Seminoles' opponent shoots 32 percent from the field, it makes it even worse. The 10th-seeded Seminoles upset No. 2 seed Notre Dame, 71-57, and the game was never really close. Florida State led by as many as 23 in the second half, using its physicality and athleticism to dominate the Fighting Irish. Just imagine if Chris Singleton were healthy. The 'Noles' best player was scoreless off the bench.
Most impressive win: Sure, Virginia Commonwealth and Marquette picked up upset wins, but nothing touched Ohio State's performance against George Mason. After getting down 11-2 early, Ohio State scored 47 points in the next 15 minutes and outscored George Mason by 34. The Buckeyes were unbelievable offensively, shooting 61 percent from the field and better than that mark from 3-point range. David Lighty was 7-for-7 from deep, scoring 25 points, while Aaron Craft dished out 15 assists.
Most embarrassing loss: At least Notre Dame made a semblance of a run in the second half. Purdue, not so much. VCU went on a 17-2 run in the first half to take a lead it would never relinquish. Purdue cut it to eight early in the second half, but VCU's lead ballooned to as many as 20 late in the game. Purdue allowed VCU to shoot nearly 57 percent from the field, giving the Rams open driving lanes and layups all afternoon. The Boilermakers were allowed 61 points per game coming into the contest -- VCU scored 94. Bradford Burgess led the way for VCU with 23 points and eight rebounds, clearly deserving of top honors in the next category -- if we didn't mention him here.
Player(s) who rose to the occasion: Arizona's Derrick Williams struggled against Texas for most of the night, but the Wildcats picked up the slack with Jordin Mayes and Solomon Hill. Mayes, a freshman from California, made all four of his 3-point attempts en route to 16 points. Hill took advantage of Jordan Hamilton's defensive deficiencies and scored 16 points and also grabbed eight boards. Williams came up big down the stretch, in the 70-69 victory, but Arizona wouldn't have been in that position without Mayes and Hill.
Player(s) who faded in the spotlight: Two big men that dominated throughout the regular season failed to show up on Sunday. Texas freshman Tristan Thompson struggled when 6-foot-11, 290-pound big man Kyryl Natyazhko was guarding him, leading to a disappointing effort. Thompson finished with three points and four fouls. Syracuse's Rick Jackson averaged better than 13 points and 10 rebounds during the season, but had trouble with Marquette's versatile frontcourt. He finished with only seven points and four rebounds. One last note: Notre Dame's frontcourt combined for eight points in its loss to Florida State.
Why you should listen to me: After Texas lost to Nebraska in February, I wrote that no one could trust the Longhorns in March because of the Rick Barnes factor. The Longhorns head coach simply can't win consistently in March, underachieving on an almost-yearly basis. Barnes doesn't come up big when it matters in the Big Dance, losing during the first weekend in eight of his 13 NCAA tournament appearances with Texas. This season was no different, with Texas falling to Arizona on Sunday.
Don't trust my predictions: I didn't listen to myself when it came to Rick Barnes and Texas. I thought that Texas would have a chance to upset Duke in the Sweet 16 due to the Longhorns' defensive personnel and ability to dominate in the paint and on the boards. Of course, I forgot to factor in Rick Barnes' NCAA tournament coaching acumen. Sunday's loss to Arizona wasn't entirely his fault, but he was out-coached by Sean Miller and failed to get out of the first weekend yet again.
Parting shots to remember:
•  In a game that took on added interest with the Fab Five documentary last week, Duke scraped by Michigan 73-71. The Wolverines went on a 13-4 run to cut the Blue Devils' late lead to one point, but Duke moved on when Darius Morris missed a leaner in the lane.
•  One Big East team was guaranteed to reach the Sweet 16 when Marquette and Syracuse battled. The No. 11 Golden Eagles advanced when a Darius Johnson-Odom 3-pointer with 27 seconds left put Marquette up three. Free throws iced the game and gave Buzz Williams and Co. a 66-62 victory.
•  Marcus and Markieff Morris combined for 41 points and 24 rebounds to lead Kansas to a 73-59 victory against Illinois. The Fighting Illini kept it close for awhile, but a 16-5 run late in the second half ended their hopes.
Game Balls:
•  Nolan Smith, Duke: 24 points -- beat Michigan, 73-71
•  Kendall Marshall, North Carolina: 13 points, 14 assists -- beat Washington, 86-83
•  Bernard James, Florida State: 14 points, 10 rebounds -- beat Notre Dame, 71-57
•  Jae Crowder, Marquette: 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists -- beat Syracuse, 66-62
•  Joey Rodriguez, VCU: 12 points, 11 assists, 0 turnovers -- beat Purdue, 94-76
Set the DVR: There are four days until the Sweet 16 kicks off, but the storylines are already developing. Three double-digits seeds are still alive in the Southwest Regional, while a rematch of last year's Florida-Brigham Young classic highlights the Southeast bracket. In the East Regional, Ohio State vs. Kentucky might be the best game of the entire Sweet 16, and Kemba Walker faces San Diego State in a battle out West.
In a season highlighted by parity, four double-digit seeds reached the Sweet 16. That number doesn't include No. 8 Butler, which upset top-seeded Pittsburgh.
Expect the surprises to continue on Thursday.