Sometimes the best individual player doesn't win, as Virginia's instant-classic overtime victory over Purdue demonstrated. Here are the three players who shone brightest Saturday.
Carsen Edwards, Purdue
In defeat, Boilermakers star Carsen Edwards had one of the most memorable single-game performances ever in the NCAA Tournament. The junior guard finished the loss with 42 points, going 10-of-19 from beyond the arc. In doing so, he became the first player in tourney history to have multiple games with nine or more 3-pointers.
He also joined elite company by logging more than 25 points for the fifth straight NCAA Tournament game, dating back to last year. The only other players to do that since the tourney expanded to 64 teams in 1985 are Glen Rice and Stephen Curry.
Whether Edwards extends that streak as a senior remains to be seen, but his NBA draft stock has certainly risen this season, a year after he tested the draft waters before returning to school. If this is it for him at Purdue, he leaves the school a legend.
Ty Jerome, Virginia
Virginia had problems finding its flow offensively in the first half against Purdue, but Ty Jerome led the charge in the second and, in doing so, helped backcourt mate Kyle Guy get going as well. The junior finished the game with 24 points and seven assists, shooting 4-of-10 from deep.
It was lost in the shuffle of the end-of-game chaos, but Jerome may have had the play of the night in overtime. The guard lost his dribble while splitting two defenders, picked it back up, and kissed the ball high off the glass to tie the game.
Virginia outscored Purdue 8-3 from that point on, advancing to the school's first Final Four since 1984.
Tariq Owens, Texas Tech
Texas Tech advanced to its first-ever men's Final Four thanks to their triumvirate of guards. Jarrett Culver, Matt Mooney, and Davide Moretti combined for 48 of the team's 75 points, but the X-factor in the upset win over Gonzaga was wiry big man Tariq Owens.
Owens' arrival as a senior grad transfer from St. John's this season galvanized Texas Tech's Division I-leading defense. That was abundantly clear when the Red Raiders tightened their grip on Gonzaga in the second half. His block on Rui Hachimura with under a minute left effectively won the game and was reminiscent of Hakim Warrick's swat to clinch Syracuse the 2003 national championship.
It was one of five blocks for Owens in the contest, who now has 12 in the NCAA Tournament. While Hachimura and Brandon Clarke had big games for Gonzaga, Owens' ability to harass them inside and outside led the Bulldogs to kick out and jack 26 threes - above their season average. Those shots didn't fall either, with Gonzaga hitting under 27 percent of them.
