The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament burst into life Thursday with 16 first-round games delivering the trademark madness fans have come to expect – dramatic upsets, dominant performances from top seeds, and individual heroics that set the stage for what could be the most unforgettable March ever.
Day 1 produced three significant upsets that have already busted brackets nationwide. Twelfth-seeded McNeese State, led by coach Will Wade, delivered the day’s most stunning result by thoroughly dominating fifth-seeded Clemson, 69-67, in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score suggests. The Cowboys led by as many as 24 points before a late Clemson surge made things interesting.
“McNeese was college basketball’s biggest story on the eve of the NCAA tournament,” said ESPN analyst Jeff Borzello, referencing both a viral team manager and Wade’s reported agreement to become the next coach at NC State. “Then the Cowboys were arguably the biggest story on Day 1.”
Brandon Murray led McNeese with 21 points off the bench as the Cowboys secured the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
In another thriller, tenth-seeded Arkansas overcame seventh-seeded Kansas 79-72 in a back-and-forth battle. The Razorbacks closed on a decisive 15-5 run in the final minutes after Kansas had taken a late lead. Jonas Aidoo led Arkansas with 22 points, while Johnell Davis delivered a clutch three-pointer with under two minutes remaining to seal the win.
Drake joined the upset party as the 11-seed knocked off 6-seed Missouri 67-57 behind Bennett Stirtz’s 21 points. The Bulldogs dominated the paint, outscoring the Tigers 38-22 inside despite Missouri’s size advantage. Drake’s defense proved to be the difference, holding a top-five offense to just 0.88 points per possession.
“Drake held a top-five offense – a team with wins over Kansas, Alabama and Florida – to just 57 points in a loss,” noted analyst Myron Medcalf.
Meanwhile, the tournament’s top seeds took care of business. Number one overall seed Auburn pulled away from 16-seed Alabama State 83-63 behind Miles Kelly’s 23 points and eight three-pointers. Houston, the other No. 1 seed in action, overwhelmed SIUE 78-40 in a game that saw the Cougars build a 28-point halftime lead.
The day featured several remarkable individual performances beyond the upsets. Creighton’s Jamiya Neal put up 29 points and 12 rebounds in the Bluejays’ 89-75 win over Louisville. Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier scored 29 points against Wofford, the third-highest NCAA Tournament scoring output in Volunteers history. Texas Tech’s Kerwin Walton, a former North Carolina guard, delivered a career-high 27 points with eight three-pointers to help the Red Raiders hold off UNC Wilmington.
St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, making his return to March Madness, guided his Red Storm to an 83-53 victory over Omaha. The win sets up a second-round coaching duel with Arkansas’s John Calipari – renewing one of college basketball’s most storied coaching rivalries.
“Rick Pitino vs. John Calipari – it doesn’t get better than that from a coaching standpoint,” Borzello said. “Two of the most successful basketball coaches of their generation whose careers crossed paths at multiple stops and are longtime rivals.”
Defensive excellence defined several victories. UCLA completely shut down Utah State in a 72-47 rout that saw the Aggies shoot just 30% from the field. BYU similarly pulled away from VCU 80-71 by building a lead that ballooned to 18 points in the second half.
The tournament continues Friday with 16 more first-round games before the Round of 32 kicks off Saturday with the winners from Thursday’s matchups.