March Madness chaos
Day 1 delivered bracket busting upsets—No. 6 North Carolina was knocked out by VCU, Wisconsin fell to No. 12 High Point, and Texas eliminated BYU (ending AJ Dybantsa’s likely single‑game run) while Duke, the No. 1 overall seed, barely advanced ( ). Texas, Texas A&M and High Point were among the surprise winners; the opening round is already reshaping pools and narratives (ncaa.com).
VCU erased a 19‑point second‑half deficit to beat North Carolina 82‑78 in overtime, with Terrence Hill Jr. scoring 34 points and drilling a step‑back 3 with 15 seconds left. (espn.com)) High Point stunned Wisconsin 83‑82 when Chase Johnston—who had not recorded a two‑point field goal all season—finished a fast‑break layup with 11.7 seconds remaining to seal the upset. (espn.com)) BYU’s AJ Dybantsa scored 35 points in the loss to Texas, the second‑most by a BYU player in an NCAA Tournament game, but the Cougars still fell 79‑71. (byucougars.com)) Texas got 23 points and 16 rebounds from Matas Vokietaitis and a late defensive stop to overcome Dybantsa’s night and advance to the Round of 32 with the 79‑71 win. (espn.com)) Top overall seed Duke survived a 71‑65 scare against 16‑seed Siena, with Cameron Boozer posting 22 points and 13 rebounds while Siena’s Gavin Doty scored 21. (goduke.com)) Bracket consequences: No. 11 VCU draws No. 3 Illinois in the second round Saturday in Greenville. (espn.com)) High Point will face No. 4 Arkansas Saturday at 9:45 p.m., and Texas is set to meet Gonzaga in the Round of 32 after Gonzaga beat Kennesaw State 73‑64. (ncaa.com)) No. 10 Texas A&M upset No. 7 Saint Mary’s 63‑50 behind Rashaun Agee’s 22 points and nine rebounds, and the Aggies will play the winner of Houston–Idaho in the next round. (espn.com))
