ZWF: The story of Fairleigh Dickinson
Zander's Weekend Facts #58: Sunday, March 19, 2023
There’s madness, and then there’s MADNESS. And this year’s edition of the NCAA Tournament has definitely been MADNESS!
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, an update to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 98 features Zander and his brother Andrew exclusively unveiling their March Madness brackets. Even if the brackets have already been busted many times over, listen in to hear all the facts about this year’s madness. Go download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, March 19, 2023:
The Madness leaps to another level
For just the second time ever in the history of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, a #1 seed has fallen at the hands of a #16 seed.
On Friday night, Fairleigh Dickinson University shocked Purdue and the world as they took down the #1 seed Boilermakers 63-58.
This has happened before. Back in 2018, #16 seed UMBC stunned #1 seed Virginia to become the first #16 seed ever to advance out of the First Round. However, this year’s bracket buster might have been an even bigger upset.
Out of 363 Division I men’s basketball schools, the 20-15 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights took the 312th spot on the KenPom rankings before the tournament started. In fact, the team didn’t even win it’s conference tournament. The Knights lost to Merrimack in the championship of the Northeast Conference tournament. However, since Merrimack is currently transitioning from Division II to Division I and is therefore ineligible to participate in the tournament, FDU took the conference’s automatic bid.
Last season, the Knights were nowhere near the tournament, finishing the season in last place in the Northeast with just four wins. Tobin Anderson was the head coach of Division II school St. Thomas Aquinas, and had never even been an assistant at the Division I level. In May 2022, Anderson was named head coach of Fairleigh Dickinson.
When the tournament field was unveiled last Sunday, the selection committee placed the Knights in the First Four, meaning they would have to go to Dayton, Ohio and play Texas Southern before they even qualified for the First Round. The Knights handled Texas Southern with a 84-61 win and advanced to the field of 64.
Their reward? Purdue. The Boilermakers had spent seven weeks this season at the top of the AP poll, had just won the Big Ten conference tournament, and featured the likely National Player of the Year in Zach Edey.
But the Knights were not fazed. In a video that’s gone viral, Anderson told his team after beating Texas Southern, “the more I watch Purdue, the more I think we can beat them.”
We should have believed him.
The Knights never trailed by more than five points and crucially held Purdue to under 20% shooting from three. It came back to bite the Boilermakers, because a three was likely the biggest shot of the game.
Unbelievably, the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights pulled the massive, perhaps largest upset in tournament history, with a 63-58 win over Purdue.
And with that, every single bracket in the country was officially busted.
It’s what the tournament is all about. What an incredible story.
MADNESS!!!
—
Now to an update on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, here’s a look at the official bracket as of Sunday morning.
Half of the Sweet Sixteen field is already set. The teams that have advanced to the second weekend of the dance are Alabama, San Diego State, Princeton, Tennessee, Houston, Texas, Arkansas, and UCLA.
That’s right, Princeton. For the second straight tournament, a #15 seed is heading to the Sweet Sixteen. And just like Saint Peter’s last year, Princeton also calls the state of New Jersey home. So does Fairleigh Dickinson. What’s in the water in the Garden State?
Later today, eight matchups will decide the remaining half of the Regional Semifinal field. Here’s today’s Second Round schedule:
#11 Pittsburgh vs #3 Xavier
Midwest Region - 12:10 pm et - CBS
#6 Kentucky vs #3 Kansas State
East Region - 2:40 pm et - CBS
#7 Michigan State vs #2 Marquette
East Region - 5:15 pm et - CBS
#5 Saint Mary’s vs #4 UConn
West Region - 6:10 pm et - TNT
#6 Creighton vs #3 Baylor
South Region - 7:10 pm et - TBS
#16 Fairleigh Dickinson vs #9 Florida Atlantic
East Region - 7:45 pm et - truTV
#5 Miami (FL) vs #4 Indiana
Midwest Region - 8:40 pm et - TNT
#6 TCU vs #3 Gonzaga
West Region - 9:40 pm et - TBS
For more on this week’s top story, check out NCAA - March Madness Live
What Zander’s been reading this past week
As the residents of East Palestine, Ohio continue to deal with the aftermath of a hazardous trail derailment, it’s important to know that trail derailments are probably more common than you think. Last year, there were 1,164 train derailments in the U.S., about three per day. While that number has gone down over the years, the East Palestine derailment has brought a renewed call for additional safety measures.
Check out this week’s featured article on NPR - There are about 3 U.S. train derailments per day. They aren't usually major disasters - (Link for article on Apple News)
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the ZF Sporting Club:
Ownership Developments: According to ESPN sources, Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan is in talks to sell a majority stake in the franchise. Since Jordan paid $275 million for a majority stake in the team in 2010, the Hornets have only been to the Playoffs three times, losing in the first round in 2010, 2014, and 2016. Additionally, Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder is reportedly on the verge of selling the franchise. Pro Football Talk sources say that the Snyders have cleared out of the team’s facility, while the group that is purchasing the organization is currently unknown.
World Baseball Classic: The World Baseball Classic is currently taking place in Miami, Florida, with the final four nations having clinched their spots in the semifinals. Tonight at 7:00 pm et, Cuba will face the United States, while Mexico will face Japan tomorrow at 7:00 pm et. The two teams that win those semifinal matchups will meet in the final, which is set for Tuesday at 7:00 pm et. The semifinal and final games can be watched on FS1. The United States won the most recent edition of the tournament in 2017, while Japan is the only nation that has won multiple WBCs.
Aaron Rodgers: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on Wednesday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show that he intends to play for the New York Jets next season. Since Rodgers is still under contract with the Packers, he must be traded in order to become a member of the Jets. Rodgers’ news is the biggest story so far of the NFL Free Agency period, which kicked off on Wednesday. Rodgers’ 18 years with the Packers are tied with Ben Roethlisberger for the most seasons played with one team in NFL history.
Ja Morant: Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was suspended eight games by the NBA due to conduct that was found to be detrimental to the league. On March 4, Morant was live streaming a video of himself in a Colorado nightclub while holding a gun. Morant has also found himself in hot water for events that took place earlier in the season, including fighting a 17-year-old during a pickup basketball game and Morant’s associates pointing lasers at members of the Indiana Pacers staff. Morant entered a counseling program in Florida during the suspension and is eligible to return to the floor on Monday.
U.S. Soccer Report: Last week, U.S. Soccer released the findings of its investigation into allegations made by Claudio and Danielle Reyna against U.S. Men’s National Team coach Greg Berhalther. The report revealed some of the messages that were sent by the Reynas to U.S. Soccer during the World Cup, when Berhalter had given limited minutes to their son Gio Reyna. The messages were described by one staffer as “inappropriate,” “bullying,” and “mean-spirited.” The investigation also corroborated the Berhalters’ public statements regarding a domestic violence incident that took place three decades ago. The report noted that Berhalter remains a candidate to retain his job as USMNT manager.
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Putin Warrant: The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The ICC alleges that Putin is responsible for war crimes that have taken place in the one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. The allegations relate to Putin’s unwillingness to stop children from being deported from Ukraine. Considering Russia is not a member of the ICC, the warrant is not likely to be successful unless Putin travels to an ICC-member nation.
Trump Indictment: On Friday, reports came out that law enforcement and security agencies were preparing for the possibility of former President Donald Trump being indicted this coming week. While Trump is currently under multiple investigations in several jurisdictions, these charges would relate to an alleged hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in New York. On Saturday, Trump responded on his Truth Social platform in all caps, claiming he will be arrested on Tuesday, and ending his statement by saying, “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!”
TikTok Ban: The Biden administration has ordered TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the popular social media app or be at risk of a ban in the U.S. As the U.S. government grows increasingly concerned about the security of users’ data on the Chinese-owned app, the U.K. joined the U.S. last week in banning the app on government devices. Past attempts to ban the app by the Trump administration were blocked in courts, with TikTok almost certainly resorting to that strategy again if the Biden administration follows through on its threat.
France Retirement Age: French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he has ordered Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to use a special constitutional power that will raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without the approval of parliament. The highly unpopular move is expected to trigger a vote of no-confidence in parliament of Macron’s government, while protests have already begun across the country. Macron argues that the move is necessary in order to make sure the country’s pension system doesn’t fall into deficit.
First Republic Bank: Following the collapse of two financial institutions, including Silicon Valley Bank, banking stocks took a beating last week. That includes First Republic Bank, which traded at $23.03 per share at close on Friday after starting the month at $122 per share. In response, some of the largest banks in the U.S., including Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co, and Wells Fargo & Co., announced an injection of $30 billion into First Republic.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on everything Zander’s Facts related, including the all-new Zander’s Facts website. At ZandersFacts.com, get the latest on all the facts that Zander is putting out, and check out the freshest styles at the Zander’s Facts shop!
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.substack.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment! That includes the next Zander’s Facts flashback, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, March 26, 2023.
