March Madness Sadness Overcomes Crying Villanova Band Member
— -- Tears flowed and brackets were busted during this weekend’s March Madness action.
Roxanne Chalifoux, a member of Villanova University’s band, was captured crying by TV cameras while playing her piccolo after the Wildcats lost to North Carolina State 71-68 – a moment that quickly drew viral attention. Villanova, a No. 1 seed, was expected to survive deep into the tournament.
“I’m a senior and … it was just really hitting me hard that I wasn’t going to be playing there ever again for that team,” Chalifoux said later.
Georgia State coach Ron Hunter also sobbed after his Panthers were eliminated by Xavier, losing his composure as he spoke about the team and son R.J., one of the team’s top players. The No. 14 seed was one of the tournament's Cinderella stories.
“I love this kid, man,” Hunter said of his son. “I love him.”
Two No. 7 seeds – Michigan State and Wichita State – both stunned their opponents, No. 2 Virginia and Kansas, respectively, to reach the Sweet 16.
The weekend’s upsets ensured that none of the 11.5 million brackets in ESPN’s Tournament Challenge accurately predicted all the winners in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
