ST. LOUIS — Middle Tennessee State Coach Kermit Davis wanted his team to be That Team in this year’s N.C.A.A. tournament, and on Friday, after the 15th-seeded Blue Raiders beat Michigan State, among the most accomplished basketball teams of the past decade, that’s what it was.
“There’s such great college stories this time of year every year,” Davis said. “We looked at it and said, ‘Guys, why not Middle Tennessee?’ ”
Paul Jesperson, a Northern Iowa senior, reflected on the annual madness of March shortly after hitting a half-court buzzer beater Friday night to upset sixth-seeded Texas by saying, “We’re just trying to play as long as we can.