NCAA Tournament: Upsets, Comebacks, and New Stars

0:00On March 20, the first day of the 2026 NCAA Tournament delivered non-stop excitement with tight finishes, stunning comebacks, and a few. Programs grabbing their first ever wins, even without any top seats falling. 8-9 matchups like TCU edging, Ohio State on the last second bucket, kept fans on edge while VCU rally from 19 down to shock North Carolina. In overtime, Duke, the top overall seed, barely escaped to number 16 Ciena team, trailing big at halftime before pulling out a 6-point win. Meanwhile, mid-major teams made history as high-point upset fifth-seated Wisconsin on a game-winning fast break, and Nebraska-dominated Troy for there. First tournament victory, Texas handled BYU despite the Cougars' star-scoring 35, thanks to a double-double from their 7-foot center. St. Louis Crews passed Georgia in a blowout, finally celebrating after missing last year's field. Fans buzzed over the drama, with bracket busters like VCU's late three-pointer haunting North Carolina supporters and putting coach Hubert Davidson, the hot seat.

1:07Duke admitted to underestimating Ciena, amid injuries, raising questions about their title hopes. Ohio State star ended his career without a tournament win, but his legacy lives on. New stars emerged, too, like VCU's Terrence Hill Jr., with 34 points and Texas's Moda's Vokie Titus owning the paint. These results set up intriguing second-round clashes, including high-point against Arkansas and Nebraska, facing Vanderbilt. As the madness rolls on, expect more twists from these battle-tested survivors heading into the weekend.