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Elise Amendola/Associated Press
Games are underway from coast to coast in the 2019 NCAA men’s tournament as the first round nears its conclusion.
Check in here for the first-round previews and predictions from Bleacher Report’s David Gardner, David Kenyon, Kerry Miller and Elliott Pohnl. If you missed any of the Day 1 action, scroll down a bit further to get caught up.
Keep this tab open, bookmarked or both, and refresh often for updates and recaps. The predictions will be replaced with postgame analysis shortly after each contest ends.
Predictions written by Kerry Miller.
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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
No. 10 Iowa used a barrage of three-pointers in the second half to rally from a five-point halftime deficit and knock off No. 7 Cincinnati.
The Hawkeyes took the lead with 5:47 left in the second half on a Nicholas Baer three-point shot and never let go.
Baer, Jordan Bohannon, Luke Garza and Joe Wieskamp all chipped in during Iowa’s second-half surge. Back-to-back baskets from Wieskamp and Bohannon secured the victory with just over a minute left.
Iowa made 11 of its 22 three-point shots and finished the game off at the free-throw line to become the third No. 10 seed to pick up a first-round victory.
Top Performers
Garza led the Hawkeyes with 20 points, while Wieskamp added 19 in the victory. Justin Jenifer led the Bearcats with 19 points.
X-Factor
As Tyler Cook dealt with foul trouble, Baer made some important contributions off the bench by scoring 10 points and pulling down four rebounds.
Next Round
Iowa faces either No. 2 Tennessee or No. 15 Colgate in the second round Sunday in Columbus, Ohio.
–Updated by Joe Tansey.
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Associated Press
No. 9 Oklahoma stormed into the second round with one of the tournament’s most impressive performances. The Sooners dominated No. 8 Ole Miss from start to finish to set up a potential clash with No. 1 seed Virginia.
Oklahoma had the game in the bag by halftime as it put up 50 first-half points on the Rebels. It continued the offensive onslaught in the second half to record its highest point total of the season.
The loss capped a miserable finish to the season for Ole Miss, which dropped five of its last six games.
Top Performers
Christian James and Rashard Odomes scored 20 points each for the Sooners, while Kristian Doolittle and Brady Manek also worked their way into double digits.
X-Factor
Odomes, who averages 6.7 points per game, exploded for his best scoring performance of the season.
Next Round
Oklahoma will likely meet No. 1 Virginia on Sunday in the second round in Columbia, South Carolina.
–Updated by Joe Tansey.
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Jarrett CulverDavid K Purdy/Getty Images
No. 3 Texas Tech became the fourth Big 12 team to book its spot in the second round, as it controlled its first-round contest with No. 14 Northern Kentucky.
As he has all season, Jarrett Culver starred for the Red Raiders. He also produced a terrific defensive performance against NKU star Drew McDonald, who was held to five points.
Chris Beard’s team pulled away from the Horizon League tournament champion in the second half as it extended a four-point halftime lead to double digits.
Texas Tech’s victory was the third win of 10 points or more by a Big 12 team in the first round. Kansas and Oklahoma were the other two.
Top Performers
Culver led all scorers with 29 points for the Red Raiders, while Tyler Sharpe provided 23 points for the Norse in defeat.
X-Factor
Tariq Owens was one of the Texas Tech players who put the clamps on McDonald’s offensive production, and he contributed 12 points, five blocks and three rebounds.
Next Round
The Red Raiders take on the winner of No. 6 Buffalo vs. No. 11 Arizona State on Sunday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
–Updated by Joe Tansey.
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Robert CartwrightAssociated Press
In one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far, No. 13 UC Irvine took down No. 4 Kansas State 70-64. The Anteaters extended their winning streak to 17 games with the victory over the Big 12 regular-season co-champions.
UC Irvine went into the game as a popular upset pick with Kansas State star forward Dean Wade out for the tournament with a foot injury.
Behind timely three-point shooting and a defense that held the Wildcats under 70 points, the Anteaters advanced to the second round Sunday.
The win also marked UC Irvine’s first NCAA tournament victory.
Top Performers
Max Hazzard was the lightning bolt for UC Irvine, connecting on five three-pointers en route to a 19-point outing.
Makol Mawien had a double-double for K-State with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
X-Factor
Kansas State spent most of the game testing the limits of its depth with injuries and foul trouble. Barry Brown Jr. missed nearly 16 minutes of the first half after picking up two fouls. Cartier Diarra had four fouls early in the second half, and Xavier Sneed fouled out late.
Next Round
UC Irvine will face the winner of No. 5 Wisconsin-No. 12 Oregon on Sunday in the second round.
–Updated by Sean Frye.
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BILL FEIG/Associated Press
The No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers sweated it out until the end, but a late run pushed the Vols to a 77-70 win over the No. 15 Colgate Raiders in the first round in the South Region.
While Tennessee led most of the way, Colgate took a 52-50 lead with 11:37 left in the game. Colgate stayed within single digits the rest of the way, but the Volunteers held on to advance.
Top Performers
Admiral Schofield hit two big three-pointers in the final 95 seconds of regulation to help give the Volunteers the distance they needed. He finished the game with 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting with four rebounds.
Colgate’s Jordan Burns led all scorers with 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting, including 8-of-13 on three-pointers.
X-Factor
While not putting up points in volume, Grant Williams was efficient on the floor with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting while leading Tennessee with seven rebounds.
Next Round
Tennessee will face No. 10 Iowa, which beat No. 7 Cincinnati 79-72, in the second round Sunday at Nationwide Arena.
—Updated by Sean Frye.
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De’Andre HunterAssociated Press
For a while, it looked like history was about to repeat itself. The No. 16 Gardner-Webb Bulldogs led the top-seeded Virginia Cavaliers by as many as 14 points in the first half.
But a 41-20 second half advantage for the Cavaliers put last year’s ghosts to rest as UVA defeated Gardner-Webb 71-56 to advance to the second round in the South Region.
Top Performers
De’Andre Hunter led Virginia with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field coupled with six rebounds and two blocks.
Jose Perez paced Gardner-Webb with 19 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting.
X-Factor
Mamadi Diakite came off the bench for Virginia and poured in 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting with nine rebounds.
Next Round
Virginia will face the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners in the second round Sunday at Colonial Life Arena.
—Updated by Sean Frye.
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Jeremy Harris had a double-double for Buffalo.Stacy Revere/Getty Images
No. 6 Buffalo led the final 32 minutes in a dominant 91-74 win over the No. 11 Arizona State Sun Devils, marking the second straight season the Bulls have won an NCAA tournament game.
The 17-point margin of victory was the third-largest by a MAC school in tourney history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Top Performers
Jeremy Harris posted a double-double for Buffalo, scoring 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting with 10 rebounds. He also had four assists and two steals.
Zylan Cheatham led the Sun Devils with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting to go along with eight boards, three assists, two steals and a block.
X-Factor
The Bulls’ sixth man, Nick Perkins, had his own double-double. He came off the bench to score 21 points and grab 10 rebounds.
Next Round
Buffalo will face the No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the West Region’s second round Saturday.
—Updated by Sean Frye.
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Oregon advanced to the second round with a win over Wisconsin.Associated Press
No. 12 Oregon is starting to peak.
After earning a bid to the NCAA tournament by winning the Pac-12 tourney title, the Ducks upset No. 5 Wisconsin 72-54 by pulling away in the second half of the first round on Friday.
The Ducks and Badgers were tied at 25 at halftime. But Oregon outscored Wisconsin 47-29 in the final 20 minutes to advance to the second round.
Top Performers
Payton Pritchard went 8-of-18 from the field to lead Oregon with 19 points. The guard also added eight assists and five rebounds to fill the stat sheet.
Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Badgers.
X-Factor
Oregon was hot from behind the arc, connecting on seven of 15 three-pointers while Wisconsin was just 6-of-30.
Next Round
Oregon will face No. 13 UC Irvine, which upset Kansas State, on Sunday in the second round.
—Updated by Sean Frye.
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Sam MerrillTony Dejak/Associated Press
Our experts were split on this game, but with an aggressive defensive approach, the Washington Huskies got off to a good start in their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011. The Huskies kept Mountain West Player of the Year Sam Merrill off the scoresheet in the first half and limited him to 10 points in total on their way to a comfortable win over Utah State.
Turnovers were the undoing of the Aggies in a game that had its share of sloppiness at both ends of the court. Utah State coughed up the ball 21 times, while Washington had 14.
Down by 12 at halftime, Utah State made a strong push to start the second half—whittling the Washington lead down to just one point with 9:54 left to play—before the Huskies reasserted their control.
Top Performers
Senior forward Noah Dickerson had a double-double for Washington with 20 points and 12 boards. With Merrill largely neutralized, Utah State’s leading scorer was Brock Miller, who had 13 points.
X-Factor
Pac-12 All-Defensive recipient Matisse Thybulle was his usual tenacious self, with five steals and three blocks to go along with 10 points.
Next Round
Washington will face the winner of North Carolina vs. Iona in its second-round matchup on Sunday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
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Zion WilliamsonKevin C. Cox/Getty Images
It started out closer than expected for a matchup between a top seed and a No. 16 seed, but Duke is through to the second round after dispatching No. 16 North Dakota State in East Region action on Friday in Columbia, South Carolina.
With a free throw by junior guard Vinnie Shahid, North Dakota State took a 25-24 lead with 2:35 left to play in the first half, but that’s when Duke woke up. The Blue Devils outscored the Bison 7-2 to take a four-point lead into the locker room and then came back out with a 9-0 run to start the second half before cruising to an easy win.
The Blue Devils shot 50.8 percent in the game, while the Bison finished at 36.2 percent.
Top Performers
Zion Williamson delivered as expected for the Blue Devils, going 12-of-16 from the field for 25 points and adding three boards. Shahid did everything he could to force the upset, dropping 20 points for the Bison.
X-Factor
With 26 points and 15 boards, Duke freshman RJ Barrett showed that March Madness suits him well.
Next Round
Duke will face the winner of Friday’s late game between VCU and UCF in second-round action on Sunday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
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Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
With a strong defensive effort, Houston comfortably advanced to the second round of the Midwest Regional by knocking out Georgia State on Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Panthers were held to just 30 percent shooting from the field in the game and tallied only two assists in the first half as they struggled to make shots from inside. Down by nine at the break, Georgia State failed to mount much pushback as they were outscored by 20 in the second half.
Top Performers
Senior guard Corey Davis Jr. lived up to his status as Houston’s top scorer, dropping 26 points while adding six assists and seven rebounds. D’Marcus Simonds led the way for Georgia State with 18 points.
X-Factor
The Panthers’ perimeter attack failed to click on Friday. Georgia State went just 6-of-23 from three-point territory.
Next Round
Houston will square off against the winner of Iowa State vs. Ohio State in second-round Midwest Regional action on Sunday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
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Reggie Perry (1)Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press
Matchup: No. 5 Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Liberty (East Regional)
Details: Friday at 7:27 p.m. ET (truTV) in San Jose, California
Mississippi State Wins If…
It pushes around a smaller Liberty team. Scottie James (6’8″) is the only big man on the Flames roster, and he’ll be looking up at Mississippi State’s trio of 6’10” Reggie Perry, 6’10” Aric Holman and 6’11” Abdul Ado, each of whom logs a lot of minutes.
In three of four games against major-conference opponents this season, Liberty was destroyed on the glass. Now, it needs to deal with one of the better offensive rebounding and shot-blocking frontcourts in the tournament. As long as the Bulldogs put that size to good use, they should be able to keep the upset-minded Flames at bay.
Liberty Wins If…
It controls the pace and maintains its high-efficiency shooting against a quality foe. Liberty usually plays at one of the slowest tempos of any team, but in losses to Alabama, Georgetown and Vanderbilt, the Flames let the pace of play get away from them. Also, in those three games, they were well below their season average in either two-point or three-point percentage, which did them no favors.
But in the two wins over Lipscomb and the road win over UCLA, the Flames were able to play at their pace and had shooting marks more in line with their norm. If this game is 65 possessions or fewer, they’ll have a chance.
Most Important Players Are…
Perry for Mississippi State and James for Liberty. If it’s a 65-possession game because Perry and the Bulldogs keep extending possessions with offensive rebounds, that won’t be so great for Liberty. James will be in charge of keeping that under control and will be a big part of Liberty’s efforts to score efficiently, as he shoots better than 70 percent inside the arc.
Predictions
David Gardner: Mississippi State
David Kenyon: Liberty
Kerry Miller: Mississippi State
Elliott Pohnl: Liberty
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Coby WhiteGerry Broome/Associated Press
Matchup: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Iona (Midwest Regional)
Details: Friday at 9:20 p.m. ET (TNT) in Columbus, Ohio
North Carolina Wins If…
It can maintain decades of consistency in this situation and against this type of opponent. Since the beginning of KenPom data in 2002, North Carolina has never lost to a team ranked 160th or lower. Even when the Tar Heels went 8-20 in 2001-02, their worst loss was to No. 121 Florida State. And Iona is ranked 198th this year.
Moreover, North Carolina has not lost a first-round NCAA tournament game since 1999, and Roy Williams is 28-0 in the first round in his career. Also, this team is much, much better than Iona in just about every way.
Iona Wins If…
Something even more shocking than UMBC over Virginia needs to happen this year.
Iona’s best win of the season was against KenPom No. 189 Hartford. The Gaels only played three games against KenPom top 100 teams and lost each one by a double-digit margin. Worst of all, Iona’s preferred fast pace of play isn’t going to be any problem for North Carolina, as the Tar Heels push the tempo even more than the Gaels do. This is the worst draw Iona could have gotten.
Most Important Players Are…
Coby White for North Carolina and Ben Perez for Iona. The Tar Heels shouldn’t need much from White in this game, but he is the player they could least afford to lose to an opening weekend injury, a la Kendall Marshall in 2012. If something unbelievable is going to happen for Iona, it would probably need to start with Perez draining a ton of threes.
Predictions
David Gardner: North Carolina
David Kenyon: North Carolina
Kerry Miller: North Carolina
Elliott Pohnl: North Carolina
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Marcus Evans (2)Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
Matchup: No. 8 VCU vs. No. 9 UCF (East Regional)
Details: Friday at 9:40 p.m. ET (CBS) in Columbia, South Carolina
VCU Wins If…
This is a rock fight won by the best defense. Both of these teams rank in the top 15 in defensive effective field-goal percentage, so you’re just asking for trouble if you bet the over here.
In addition to eFG%, VCU forces a lot of turnovers—what else is new?—and does a great job of keeping threes from even being attempted. UCF isn’t great at anything on offense aside from drawing fouls, so it could have a lot of trouble putting points on the board.
UCF Wins If…
Marcus Evans is playing at less than full strength for VCU. Evans left the A-10 tournament loss to Rhode Island with a knee injury, though he is expected to play in this one.
How healthy will the leading scorer and distributor for the Rams’ anemic offense be, though? VCU already doesn’t shoot well and struggles with turnovers. Put that unit on the floor with a leader playing at maybe 90 percent health against UCF’s defense and things could get ugly.
Most Important Players Are…
Marcus Santos-Silva for VCU and Tacko Fall for UCF. What’s a rock fight without a tussle in the paint? Santos-Silva had 26 points and 22 rebounds in VCU’s last game and has been an outstanding offensive rebounder all season. Standing in his path is merely a 7’6″ Fall, who blocks shots and draws fouls at a high rate.
Predictions
David Gardner: UCF
David Kenyon: VCU
Kerry Miller: UCF
Elliott Pohnl: UCF
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Marial ShayokCharlie Neibergall/Associated Press
Matchup: No. 6 Iowa State vs. No. 11 Ohio State (Midwest Regional)
Details: Friday at 9:50 p.m. ET (TBS) in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Iowa State Wins If…
Threes are falling. Sure, that applies to every team to some extent, but especially to the Cyclones, who have five players with more than 40 triples this season. Virginia transfer Marial Shayok has been the top guy with 68 makes, and he is surrounded by teammates capable of shouldering that load, too. Even starting center Michael Jacobson has made 16 threes and canned both of his attempts in the Big 12 championship game.
Iowa State does a lot of things well on offense, but even an average night of three-point shooting from the Cyclones will be tough for Ohio State’s offense to match.
Ohio State Wins If…
It suddenly wakes up from an 11-week slumber. The Buckeyes lost 13 of their final 20 games. Save for one home game against Iowa, NCAA tournament teams consistently blew them out, and they lost to the likes of Rutgers, Illinois and Northwestern.
But this team was good at one point. Ohio State won road games against Cincinnati and Creighton with great defense. It also crushed Minnesota and UCLA en route to a 12-1 start to the season. The fight they displayed late in the season—coming back from a huge deficit to force overtime against Wisconsin, beating Indiana and staying within shouting distance of Michigan State—may have been a sign the Buckeyes are coming out of hibernation.
Most Important Players Are…
Tyrese Haliburton for Iowa State and Kaleb Wesson for Ohio State. Haliburton’s freshman-year stats (7.0 PPG, 3.6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 44.1% 3PT, 4.6 assists/turnover) aren’t all that different from what Monte Morris did in his first season at Iowa State, and he was an indispensable part of Iowa State’s offense for four years. Wesson is Ohio State’s star player, and he is someone who could make this game mighty interesting with a 25-point, 12-rebound effort.
Predictions
David Gardner: Iowa State
David Kenyon: Ohio State
Kerry Miller: Iowa State
Elliott Pohnl: Iowa State
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Kerry BlackshearRobert Franklin/Associated Press
Matchup: No. 4 Virginia Tech vs. No. 13 Saint Louis (East Regional)
Details: Friday at 9:57 p.m. ET (truTV) in San Jose, California
Virginia Tech Wins If…
Justin Robinson’s return doesn’t somehow mess things up. The senior point guard has been out with a foot injury since late January, and the Hokies have had some ups and downs without him. He’s back now, and that might make Virginia Tech a threat for a deep run.
Even if it doesn’t immediately help the offense, as long as it doesn’t hurt them for some reason, they should win this game. The Hokies only went 7-5 without him, but all five losses were close games against KenPom top 35 teams. They also won a home game against Duke. Saint Louis (KenPom No. 104) is a big step down from what they have been facing lately.
Moreover, the Billikens are extremely unlikely to capitalize on Virginia Tech’s biggest weakness: its three-point defense. SLU ranks in the bottom 10 percent nationally in both three-point percentage and three-point rate on KenPom. If the Billikens come out and drain a dozen threes in this game, it would be one of the most unpredictable developments of the first round.
Saint Louis Wins If…
It breaks Virginia Tech’s will to fight with defense and rebounding. This team does have a strong defense. It held Houston, Seton Hall, Butler and Oregon State each below 70 points. And led by Hasahn French, Saint Louis rebounds well on both ends of the floor.
The Billikens will also need to make more shots than they usually do, but asking them to out-shoot Virginia Tech is a foolish request. They need to dominate in other areas and hope that shooting isn’t their downfall.
Most Important Players Are…
Kerry Blackshear for Virginia Tech and Javon Bess for Saint Louis. Blackshear will be VT’s most important player in every round because he is its only legitimate frontcourt presence. Plus, he does a little bit of everything. Bess is the one Billiken who is actually efficient on offense, although even he doesn’t shoot well. It’s mostly because of his minuscule turnover rate.
Predictions
David Gardner: Virginia Tech
David Kenyon: Virginia Tech
Kerry Miller: Virginia Tech
Elliott Pohnl: Saint Louis
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Jordan NworaJamie Squire/Getty Images
No. 10 Minnesota survived a late push from No. 7 Louisville to secure the first victory of the first round Thursday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Golden Gophers, who led by five points at halftime, broke the game open at the start of the second half with three-point shooting, strong play on the glass and frustrating defense.
Five consecutive points from Darius Perry brought the Cardinals within seven points with two minutes remaining, but that was as close as Chris Mack’s team would get.
Minnesota received all 86 of its points from its five starters, all of whom finished with at least 13.
Top Performers
Minnesota freshman Gabe Kalscheur knocked down five three-pointers to lead the Golden Gophers with 24 points. Christen Cunningham scored 22 points in defeat for the Cardinals.
X-Factor
Daniel Oturu provided a nice complement to Jordan Murphy in the paint for Minnesota, as he contributed 13 points, six rebounds and two assists.
Next Round
Minnesota will likely face Big Ten foe and East Region No. 2 seed Michigan State in the second round Saturday.
—Updated by Joe Tansey
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Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
No. 3 LSU’s 16-point halftime lead nearly evaporated in the final minutes of the second half against No. 14 Yale.
The Tigers cruised through the first half and the majority of the second half, but the Bulldogs out of the Ivy League made a late surge after getting hot from deep.
Yale shot 22 percent from beyond the arc on the day, but it made four three-pointers in the final minute to force LSU to close out the game at the free-throw line.
The Tigers answered by hitting nine of their 10 free throws in the last 60 seconds to clinch a spot in the second round.
Top Performers
Skylar Mays led LSU with 19 points, while Tremont Waters added 15. Yale’s Alex Copeland was the game’s top scorer with 24 points.
X-Factor
Kavell Bigby-Williams affected everything Yale did in the paint, as he finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
Next Round
LSU faces the winner of No. 6 Maryland vs. No. 11 Belmont in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday.
—Updated by Joe Tansey
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Bruce PearlTom Pennington/Getty Images
No. 5 Auburn stumbled to the finish line in its one-point victory over No. 12 New Mexico State.
The Tigers appeared to have an easy first-round win in the bag, but the Aggies stormed back from a double-digit deficit to leave the result up in the air until the last second.
Auburn’s late-game execution featured a comedy of errors, including turnovers, missed free throws and fouling a three-point shooter with one second left.
New Mexico State’s Terrell Brown had an opportunity to win the game, but he missed two of his three free throws.
The Aggies had one final shot at victory as the buzzer sounded, but Trevelin Queen missed an open three-point shot off an inbounds play.
Top Performers
Before fouling out, Jared Harper scored 17 points to lead the Tigers, while Johnny McCants led New Mexico State with 16 points.
X-Factor
J’Von McCormick added 16 points off the bench for the Tigers, and he made a pair of clutch free throws with 12 seconds left to keep Auburn ahead.
Next Round
Auburn takes on either No. 4 Kansas or No. 13 Northeastern in the second round Saturday in Salt Lake City.
—Updated by Joe Tansey
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Mfiondu KabengelePhil Sears/Associated Press
No. 4 seed Florida State survived a first-round upset bid from No. 13 Vermont, winning 76-69 after being tied at 27-27 at halftime.
The Seminoles entered the tournament as a contender to make a deep run into the second weekend. But Vermont nearly derailed Florida State’s aspirations and looked like it could shake up plenty of brackets.
Top Performers
Mfiondu Kabengele posted a double-double for Florida State with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony Lamb led Vermont with 16 points.
X-Factor
Terance Mann nearly posted his own double-double for the Seminoles, racking up 19 points and eight rebounds.
Next Round
Florida State awaits the winner of No. 5 Marquette-No. 12 Murray State.
—Updated by Sean Frye
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Cassius WinstonAl Goldis/Associated Press
Spartans fans can exhale.
No. 2 Michigan State survived a massive upset bid from No. 15 Bradley, winning 76-65 thanks to a late second-half run.
The Braves led the Spartans 55-54 with seven minutes left, but an ensuing 9-0 run gave Michigan State enough breathing room to advance to the second round.
Top Performers
Cassius Winston proved to be a steady presence for Michigan State, pouring in 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting.
Elijah Childs led Bradley with 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
X-Factor
Michigan State was nearly perfect from the charity stripe, converting 25 of 26 free-throw attempts. The Spartans’ lone miss at the foul line didn’t come until there was only 1:04 remaining in the game.
Next Round
No. 2 Michigan State will face No. 10 Minnesota, which upset No. 7 Louisville, in the second round on Saturday.
—Updated by Sean Frye
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Bruno FernandoPatrick Semansky/Associated Press
No. 11 Belmont got the last shot, but it was a desperation heave from beyond halfcourt that fell short as No. 6 Maryland survived an upset bid, winning 79-77 in the first round.
Belmont led by as much as 10 in the first half. But Maryland slowly wore down a Belmont team already weary from earning its way into the field of 64 in the First Four.
The Terrapins outscored Belmont 45-37 in the second half to advance to the second round.
Top Performers
Jalen Smith had a double-double for Maryland, posting 19 points and 12 rebounds. Bruno Fernando added his own double-double with 14 points and 13 boards.
Belmont’s Dylan Windler gave perhaps the best single-game performance of the tournament thus far, dropping 35 points on 11-of-23 shooting.
X-Factor
Both teams were well versed in ball security as Maryland and Belmont only committed five turnovers apiece. Maryland ended up pulling down 15 offensive rebounds to Belmont’s 10.
Next Round
Maryland will face No. 3 LSU in the second round.
—Updated by Sean Frye
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Dedric LawsonCharlie Riedel/Associated Press
While the No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks’ 14-year streak of Big 12 titles ended this season, Bill Self and Co. are still dancing after they throttled No. 13 Northeastern 87-53 in the first round Thursday.
Northeastern trailed by 12 at halftime. It trimmed its deficit by seven early in the second half, but Kansas ran away into Saturday’s second round.
Top Performers
Dedric Lawson, the unquestioned star for an injury-rocked Kansas, shined with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Jordan Rowland led Northeastern with 12 points.
X-Factor
Mitch Lightfoot, an energy guy for the Jayhawks, pulled down seven rebounds and scored five points off the bench.
Next Round
No. 4 Kansas will face No. 5 Auburn on Saturday in the second round.
—Updated by Sean Frye
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Ja MorantJessica Hill/Associated Press
Welcome to the Ja Morant Show.
No. 12 Murray State blew past No. 5 Marquette in the first round, cruising to an 83-64 upset.
After leading by seven at halftime, the Racers pulled away to seal a dominant victory. Murray State never trailed in the second half.
Top Performers
Do you even have to ask who the top performer was?
Murray State’s Ja Morant, one of the nation’s most explosive talents, stamped his March Madness legacy with a 17-point, 16-assist, 11-rebound triple-double.
It was the first triple-double in the NCAA tournament since Draymond Green’s in 2012.
He’s also just the eighth player to post a triple-double in the Big Dance since assists became a recorded stat in 1983-84.
X-Factor
Tevin Brown was Murray State’s leading scorer with 19 points. Brown converted five of nine three-pointers and added six rebounds.
Next Round
Murray State will face No. 4 Florida State in the second round Saturday.
—Updated by Sean Frye
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Kevarrius HayesAndy Lyons/Getty Images
Our experts were split on this matchup. But in the end, the Gators pulled off the upset over the Wolf Pack in Des Moines.
Florida went into halftime with a nine-point lead thanks to its strong work hanging onto the ball and ability to force Nevada into nine turnovers during the first 20 minutes.
The Wolf Pack pushed back in the second half and cut the lead to two points with 2:02 remaining. But that was as close as they’d get.
Top Performers
Kevarrius Hayes led a balanced Florida scoring attack with 16 points, while Jalen Hudson chipped in 15. The Martin brothers did the majority of the scoring for Nevada: Cody had 23 points, and Caleb added 19.
X-Factor
Though Nevada didn’t go quietly, Florida’s scoring surge to close out the first half and a 12-0 run early in the second helped crush the confidence of the high-flying Wolf Pack offense, which had averaged 80.7 points heading into its final game.
Next Round
In the West Region’s second round, Florida will now face the winner of Thursday’s game between No. 2 Michigan and No. 15 Montana on Saturday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
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Ashton HagansJohn Raoux/Associated Press
In a battle of two teams of Wildcats, Kentucky cruised to an easy win over Abilene Christian in first-round Midwest Region action in Jacksonville, Florida.
John Calipari‘s crew set a new team record by giving up just 13 points in the first half against a crew that reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history.
Kentucky eased off in the second half but still finished the game shooting 53.6 percent.
Top Performers
With leading scorer P.J. Washington watching from the sidelines due to a foot sprain, freshman guard Keldon Johnson had a big game. Averaging 13.4 points for the year, he tallied 25 on Thursday and added six rebounds. Jaren Lewis had a strong showing for Abilene Christian, with 17 points.
X-Factor
Kentucky senior Reid Thomas nearly recorded a double-double, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds.
Next Round
In the Midwest Region’s second round, Kentucky will now face the winner of Thursday’s late game between No. 7 Wofford and No. 10 Seton Hall.
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Phil BoothRob Carr/Getty Images
The Villanova Wildcats withstood a strong push but overcame a two-point first-half deficit to advance past Saint Mary’s in first-round South Regional action in Hartford, Connecticut on Thursday.
Jay Wright’s crew relied on 49 percent shooting to take the first step toward defending their 2018 NCAA title against one of the double-digit seeds that many picked for a possible first-round upset.
Top Performers
Senior guard Phil Booth put down 20 points for the Wildcats, while Malik Fitts and Jordan Ford each had 13 for the Gaels.
X-Factor
Considering their recent tournament successes, the Wildcats know their way around March Madness and didn’t get rattled when they fell behind early. By contrast, Saint Mary’s was playing in just its second tournament in the last six years, and the big stage may have overwhelmed the Gaels.
Next Round
In second-round action Saturday, the Wildcats will face the winner of Thursday’s late game between No. 3 Purdue and No. 14 Old Dominion.
—Updated by Carol Schram
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Rui HachimuraJeff Chiu/Associated Press
A 19-0 run to close out the first half was just one example of the dominant performance submitted by the best offensive team in Division I basketball.
Top-seeded Gonzaga had no trouble dispatching Fairleigh Dickinson in West Regional action on Thursday in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Top Performers
Rui Hachimura led the way for the Bulldogs with 21 points and eight rebounds. Mike Holloway Jr. and Elyjah Williams each scored 10 points for the Knights.
X-Factor
Off the bench, junior forward Killian Tillie chipped in with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting for Gonzaga.
Next Round
In the West Region’s second round, the Bulldogs will face the winner of Thursday’s final game between No. 8 Syracuse and No. 9 Baylor.
—Updated by Carol Schram
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Zavier SimpsonCharlie Neibergall/Associated Press
Stifling defense was the order of the day as Michigan cruised to a comfortable win over Montana in the final game of the first day of West Regional action in Des Moines, Iowa.
The game was a slightly more decisive case of déjà vu all over again. Michigan dispatched Montana by a score of 61-47 in the first round on its way to runner-up status in 2018.
Top Performers
Senior guard Charles Matthews was dialled in for Michigan, smashing his season average of 12 points a game by hitting 8-of-12 from the field for 22. Montana had three players hit double digits, led by Sayeed Pridgett with 17 points.
X-Factor
Though Montana is known for its sharpshooting, the Wolverines held the Grizzlies to just 33.3 percent from the field while hitting nearly half of their own shots.
Next Round
In the West Region’s second round, Michigan will face Florida on Saturday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
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Fletcher MageeMike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Is he the next Stephen Curry?
Fletcher Magee broke the NCAA’s all-time record for career three-pointers as Wofford cruised to a comfortable first-round win over Seton Hall in Midwest Regional action in Jacksonville, Florida.
The senior guard went 2-of-4 from downtown in the first half as the Terriers took a 10-point lead into the locker room. His historic trey came 29 seconds into the second half en route to a 7-of-12 performance from beyond the arc.
Thursday’s win is the 21st in a row for Wofford, which is competing in the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in the last 10 years.
Top Performers
Magee led Wofford with 24 points, backed up by 18 from Nathan Hoover. Though he was smothered in the first half, Seton Hall sharpshooter Myles Powell—the only Pirate in double digits—finished the night with a game-high 27 points.
X-Factor
On the defensive end, Wofford did an outstanding job guarding Powell. Averaging 22.9 points prior to Thursday, he went 0-of-5 from long range in the first half and was held to just four points. His strong second half drew the Pirates level at 62-62 with 6:45 remaining before Wofford pulled away for the win.
Next Round
In the Midwest Region’s second round, Wofford will be in for a tough matchup against No. 2 Kentucky on Saturday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
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Carsen EdwardsElise Amendola/Associated Press
Finishing out the first day of March Madness action, another higher-seeded team prevailed as Purdue laid out a convincing win over Old Dominion during first-round South Regional action in Hartford, Connecticut.
Top Performers
Carsen Edwards dominated for the Boilermakers with 26 points. Old Dominion’s two top starters were Ahmad Caver (19) and B.J.Stith (14).
X-Factor
Though Old Dominion was perfect from the foul line, the Monarchs were limited to just six free throws. At the other end of the court, Purdue went 12-of-18.
Next Round
In second-round South Region action on Saturday, Purdue will face No. 6 Villanova
—Updated by Carol Schram
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Tyus BattleJeff Swinger/Associated Press
As one might expect in a No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup, not much differentiated the two sides in a see-saw affair that ultimately saw Baylor prevail—and defy the expectations of our experts—in the West Regional bracket in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Though they took a meager one-point lead into the locker room at halftime, the Bears rode their 53.8 percent shooting to a second-round berth in the NCAA tournament.
Top Performers
Senior Makai Mason led the way with 22 points for Baylor, while Elijah Hughes put up 25 for Syracuse.
X-Factor
Tyus Battle returned to the Syracuse lineup after he missed both ACC tournament games with a back injury. He scored 16 points, but they weren’t enough to help his squad advance.
Next Round
In the West Region’s second round, Baylor will face No. 1 Gonzaga on Saturday.
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