First Four Games: Upsets & Surprises

0:00On March 16th, many think the NCAA tournament kicks off Thursday, but it actually starts Tuesday with the first four games in Dayton, Ohio. On March 17th at 6.40pm, Eastern, No. 16, UMBC faces No. 16 Howard on True TV. Later that night at 9.15, No. 11 Texas takes on No. 11 NC State. Wednesday features No. 16, Prairie View A&M against No. 16 Lehigh at the same time, followed by No. 11 Miami of Ohio versus No. 11 SEMU. These opening games have produced real surprises since they began in 2011. 13 teams that won a first four match of have advanced at least one more round, including deep runs like BCU to the final four that year in UCLA. Doing the same in 2021. Fans love the underdog stories from Dayton, where lower seeds get a shot at the big dance. Last year, March, just the second time, No. 1st four winner moved past the opening round, but history shows these teams often exceed expectations and...

1:03Spark bigger upsets later. Among the No. 11 seeds, SEMU stands out with strong guard play from BJ Edwards, who's back from injury and sharp three-point shooting that led their conference. NC State brings a hot offense despite some late stumbles. While Texas and Miami of Ohio both enter after tough finishes, but carry upset potential. Keep an eye on these matchups, as they could set the tone for the whole tournament and launch another memorable run from the first four.