According to March Madness men’s basketball on social media, every bracket created was busted during the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
It inevitably happens, but the number of upsets in the first round compared to the second round was night and day. In the first of three editions of Around March Madness this year, we will recap the best games, players and upsets from the first weekend.
Best Games
No. 7 seed Dayton rallies from 17-point deficit to stun No. 10 seed Nevada in closing seconds, 63-60
With 7:36 remaining in the game, Nevada was up 56-39 and had roughly a 99% chance to win, according to ESPN. Led by DaRon Holmes II, who had 18 points in the first-round win, Dayton went on a 24-4 run, taking the lead for the first time since the first half as Holmes made an old-fashioned 3-point play with 2:01 remaining. Enoch Cheeks gave the Flyers the lead for good with a layup with 34 seconds left. Dayton made their last seven baskets to advance to face No. 2 seed Arizona in the second round.
No. 13 seed Yale shocks No. 4 seed Auburn after chaotic final sequence, 78-76
Ivy Madness is real. Yale was down 10 points midway through the second half, but the Bulldogs fought to survive. John Poulakidas, who finished the game with 28 points, hit a step-back 3-pointer with just over two minutes remaining in the game to give Yale a 73-72 lead. Despite Auburn’s chances to win in the final seconds, Samson Aletan made a key block that helped the Ivy League Champions advance.
Simpson’s clutch shot pushes No. 10 seed Colorado past No. 7 seed Florida, 102-100
Colorado looked unstoppable for a good portion of the second half. The Buffaloes led 94-81 with 4:28 to play. However, Iona transfer Walter Clayton Jr. led the Gators single-handedly as Florida rallied. He scored the last 16 points for Florida, including a 3-point play with 1:12 left and another 3-pointer with 37 seconds left. Clayton tied the game at 100 with nine seconds left after pulling up from long-range. He finished with a career-high 33 points. KJ Simpson pushed Colorado to the second round with a tie-breaking jumper from the baseline with two seconds left.
No. 1 seed Houston survives No. 9 seed Texas A&M in OT, advances to Sweet 16 100-95
It was one of the final games of the day on Sunday, with No. 4 seed Duke waiting to find out their Sweet 16 opponent from the outcome between Houston and Texas A&M. Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson called the final two minutes of regulation “Murphy’s Law” as his team missed free throws and loose balls on multiple occasions. Texas A&M rallied late, outsourcing the Cougars 17-5 in crunch time. Andersson Garcia, who had only eight 3-pointers the whole season coming into the game, beat the buzzer to force overtime with a 3-point shot from the key. Despite four of Houston’s five starters fouling out, including All-American guard Jamal Shead, Houston beat the Aggies for the second time this season.
Best Upset
Gohlke, No. 14 seed Oakland upset No. 3 seed Kentucky, 80-76
Despite having the two best freshmen in the country, Kentucky’s season has come to an end. In a game where guards Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham combined for just 13 points coming off the bench, Oakland took advantage. Every shot that Oakland guard Jack Gohlke shot was from long-range. He made 10 of them, scoring 32 points.
Best Individual Performances
Marcus Domask, F, Illinois (vs. Morehead State: 12 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast)
Recording a triple-double in college basketball is rare. It’s even rarer in the NCAA Tournament. Before Domask’s triple-double performance in a comfortable win over Morehead State, only nine triple-doubles have occurred in the Big Dance since 1987. The most iconic triple-doubles include former Murray State guard Ja Morant’s performance against Marquette in 2019 and former Marquette guard Dwyane Wade in their Elite Eight win over Kentucky in 2003. Domask becomes the first player in the Big Ten to record one in March Madness since Draymond Green during his time at Michigan State.
Jermaine Couisnard, G, Oregon (vs. South Carolina: 40 pts, 6 ast, 14-22 fg, 5-9 3pt, 7-7 ft)
Couisnard played for South Carolina from 2019 to 2022 before transferring to Oregon. Against his former school, the East Chicago, Indiana native recorded a career-high 40 points, the most scored in an NCAA Tournament game by an Oregon player. The record before Couisnard was held by Tajuan Porter’s 33-point performance in the 2007 NCAA Tournament against UNLV in the Sweet 16.
Zach Edey, C, Purdue (vs. Grambling State: 30 pts, 21 reb, 3 blk, 11-17 fg)
Edey’s dominant season will add him to college basketball history. After sweeping the National Player of the Year awards last season, he will do the same once they’re all announced. The only players to have back-to-back seasons winning at least one of the major National Player of the Year awards include Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati), Jerry Lucas (Ohio State), Bill Bradley (Princeton), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (UCLA), Pete Maravich (LSU), Bill Walton (UCLA), David Thompson (NC State), Ralph Sampson (Virginia), Michael Jordan (North Carolina) and Luka Garza (Iowa). That is an incredible company to be a part of. He was dominant in both games, continuing to build on his legacy as Purdue’s greatest player ever.
Jared McCain, G, Duke (vs. James Madison: 30 pts, 10-15 fg, 8-11 3pt)
The five-star freshman isn’t just a star on TikTok. He also is an excellent player. To advance to the Sweet 16, the Sacramento, California native hit eight 3-pointers, including his first six, breaking the Duke record for most 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game. It was previously held by Quinn Cook, who drilled seven in 2014. His performance is tied for the second-most by a freshman in an NCAA Tournament game. The record-holder is former Temple Owl Johnny Miller, who hit nine in 1995.