For the casual college basketball fan who may be wondering why your bracket is doing so well after two days, it’s because of the lack of seeding upsets in the first round. Two No. 12 seeds (Colorado State and McNeese) won their respective openers, and No. 11 seed Drake defeated No. 6 seed Missouri in the other big upset of the first round. Every top-four seed won its opening first-round game and advanced for the first time since 2017 and just the sixth time in NCAA Tournament history. 

That should be good news if you picked mostly chalk for your bracket or bad news if you had plenty of upsets selected.

Alabama State, Mount St. Mary’s, North Carolina and Xavier all lost. marking just the second time a First Four team didn’t advance past the first round since the tournament expanded in 2011.

 Colorado State was one of the biggest winners of the day. The Rams pulled off an upset over Memphis to advance out of the first round for the first time since 2013. They weren’t the only MWC team to pull off an upset, as No. 10 seed New Mexico walked away with a 75-66 win over No. 7 seed Marquette. The wins earned the league some redemption after Utah State’s defeat at the hands of UCLA and San Diego State’s blowout loss to North Carolina.

 Dan Hurley has done it again. The Huskies escaped with a 67-59 win over Oklahoma in one of the final games of the night. The win sets up an intriguing showdown against No. 1 seed Florida on Sunday. UConn and Florida are the last two programs to repeat as national champions, and the winner will certainly earn its trip to the Sweet 16. UConn star Alex Karaban recorded a huge block in the final moments and scored 11 of his 13 points after halftime to help seal the win. UConn has won 13 consecutive NCAA Tournament games, which ties Duke for the second-longest winning streak in tournament history.

 Two-time reigning national champion UConn overcame a highlight-filled effort from Oklahoma star freshman Jeremiah Fears and outlasted the Sooners 67-59 in a game that was tight throughout. UConn never led by more than nine, and OU briefly led by a point with around nine minutes remaining. The Huskies got seven points from Alex Karaban in the final five minutes as they rolled onward to face No. 1 seed Florida in what could be an epic Sunday showdown. That’s 13 straight NCAA Tournament victories for coach Dan Hurley’s club.

 We’ve got a good one going in Raleigh, where two-time reigning national champion UConn is trying to get past an Oklahoma team that just keeps answering the bell. Both teams have likely one-and-done freshman stars (Jeremiah Fears for Oklahoma and Liam McNeeley for UConn) and are battling for the right to take on No. 1 seed Florida in the second round on Sunday. 

 A closer-than-expected battle developing in Cleveland, Ohio, where No. 2 seed Michigan State leads by just five at halftime over No. 15 seed Bryant. Spartans have spent more time trailing than leading in this one but rallied into the half. 

Michigan State’s one of 11 teams to have suffered a first-round loss to a No. 15 seed — back when it fell to Middle Tennessee in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Not quite panic mode for Michigan State, but Bryant’s looked strong enough to potentially challenge Sparty down the stretch.

 No. 4 seed Arizona moves into the second round with a dominant win over the Akron Zips, who provided little resistance in a 93-65 final. The Wildcats never trailed and shot the lights out from 3, finishing 12 of 25 from distance.

Jaden Bradley scored a game-high 19 points and Trey Townsend had 16 while Caleb Love finished with just 10 points on nine shots. Townsend also led the way with eight rebounds.

Akron’s great season comes to an end with 21 wins in its final 23 games. Arizona meanwhile moves into Round 2 where it will face Oregon or Liberty on Sunday. 

 Rick Pitino won’t be the only one from his family coaching in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. His son, Richard Pitino, is marching on after leading No. 10 seed New Mexico to a 75-66 victory over No. 7 seed Marquette — the Lobos’ first Big Dance victory since 2012. Star guard Donovan Dent led New Mexico with 21 points and six assists. David Joplin scored 28 to lead Marquette, but the Golden Eagles went nearly four minutes without a bucket late in the second half as the Lobos used a 10-0 run to take command.

 Kentucky used a 16-0 run over the middle of the second half to pull away for good as coach Mark Pope earned his first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. The source of the run was a bit surprising, as freshman reserve Collin Chandler scored nine points during the spurt. Chandler has been in and out of the rotation this season, but the Wildcats have used him more regularly since a season-ending injury to starting shooting guard Jaxson Robinson. UK will get either No. 6 seed Illinois or No. 11 seed Xavier in the second round.

 Norfolk State coach Robert Jones said this week he was “a little angry” after seeing his Spartans were 28.5-point underdogs to the No. 1 seed Gators. 

I guess he was right to be upset.

The good news: Norfolk State covered the spread in its first-round bout against Florida. The bad news: it still lost by 26.

Walter Clayton Jr. scored a game-high 23 for Florida and Alijah Martin had 17 — including this mega-hammer. Florida adds to the momentum it garnered last week in a run to the SEC Tournament title with the wire-to-wire win. The Gators look like one of the tournament’s most balanced teams. 

 No. 4 seed Arizona grabbed control early and has led wire-to-wire en route to a 10-point halftime lead in Seattle. The Wildcats turned the ball over 12 times but have been dominant on the glass, edging the Zips 30-13.

Trey Townsend leading the way so far with 11 for Arizona, and Tavari Johnson has a game-high 13 points for the Zips. Caleb Love has just five points on five shots, but he’s been active on the boards with five rebounds. 

 Troy and Kentucky were tied at 19-19 with under eight minutes left in the first half before the Wildcats got on a run going. Andrew Carr led the way with 11 points on 4 of 4 shooting, while Otega Oweh contributed 10. Carr and Trent Noah each hit 3-pointers after the Wildcats started 1 of 8 from deep. UK starting point guard Lamont Butler is playing as he continues dealing with a shoulder injury, but he was 0 for 3 in 13 minutes with no assists.

 So far, Florida looks like the same team that rolled through the SEC Tournament. My goodness, this is a beatdown.

The Gators lead by 21 at halftime over Norfolk State and are scoring a scorching 1.514 points per possession. Walter Clayton Jr. has 16 points and four 3s and Alijah Martin has 11 points on 4 of 8 shooting.

Norfolk State is just 1-of-8 from 3-point range with nine turnovers.

 Maryland is moving onto the second round of the NCAA Tournament after a decisive 81-49 win over Grand Canyon. Terps forward Julian Reese scored 18 points, and Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16 in the win. Maryland will face No. 12 seed Colorado State on Sunday. The winner of that game advances to the Sweet 16 in San Francisco next week.

 Ole Miss led by as many as 22 points in the second half before North Carolina mounted a furious comeback to cut the deficit to two with less than two minutes remaining. Rebels’ star Sean Pedulla drilled a 3-pointer with 52.8 seconds remaining to extend the lead to five, and his team held on to a 71-64 win over the Tar Heels. Pedulla finished with a team-high 20 points.

Ole Miss will face No. 3 seed Iowa State on Sunday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. Ole Miss coach Chris Beard improved to 6-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

 Saint Mary’s rallied from a 12-point deficit in the second half to take down Vanderbilt 59-56 in a game that came down to the final possession. The Commodores got two game-tying looks, but Jason Edwards missed a step-back 3-pointer. Then, after an offensive rebound, Devin McGlockton’s 3-point attempt also clanged off the back rim. The outcome sets up an interesting clash of styles in the second round as the No. 7 seed Gaels will tangle with No. 2 seed Alabama. The Crimson Tide rank No. 1 adjusted tempo, per KenPom, while Saint Mary’s ranks No. 359.

 Duke superstar Cooper Flagg returned after a two-game absence and helped his team advance to the second round with a 93-49 win over No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary’s. Flagg — who injured his leg in the ACC Tournament — scored 14 points in 22 minutes, while Tyrese Proctor finished with 19. The Blue Devils will face No. 9 seed Baylor on Sunday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. The matchup between Flagg and Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe could be the first NCAA Tournament meeting between future top-five picks since 2021, when USC’s Evan Mobley faced Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs.

 North Carolina has been unable to translate the momentum from its First Four thrashing of San Diego State, as the Tar Heels shot just 34.6% from the floor and racked up a 44-26 deficit to Ole Miss — the program’s largest halftime hole since 1967. The Rebels got 13 points on 5 of 5 shooting from Dre Davis and shot 51.9% as a team. Jaemyn Brakefield added 10 for Ole Miss. The Tar Heels are just 3 of 11 from deep and 5 of 10 at the free-throw line. A UNC loss would leave Duke as the only ACC team left standing in the second round.

 Kyan Evans set a new career-high with 23 points to lead Colorado past Memphis and into the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. The sophomore guard drilled 6 of 9 attempts from 3-point range as the Rams rallied from a seven-point deficit early in the second half. Evans was shooting 48.4% from beyond the arc over his last 13 games and kept the hot streak going in a legendary way. He also added four assists and picked up a couple of steals as Colorado State won the turnover battle 16-10.

 Prediction: Duke won’t be making history as the third No. 1 seed to fall to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It is in total command of this one vs. No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary’s, leading 54-28 at the break in a dominant performance. 

Tyrese Proctor is leading the way for Duke with 13 points and Khaman Maluach already has nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting.

Cooper Flagg, who was questionable up until yesterday because an ankle injury, has nine points, two boards, two blocks and two assists. 

 This has to be a scary sight for the rest of the NCAA Tournament field.

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, who missed most of the ACC Tournament with an ankle injury, is back on the floor today for the top-seeded Blue Devils. And he looks … like Cooper Flagg.

Bouncing and bopping his way to production early as Duke opens up a commanding lead over No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary’s.

 Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic scored 12 points in just over three minutes in the first half as part of a 14-0 run that keyed the No. 3 seed Cyclones to an 82-55 win over No. 14 seed Lipscomb. Momcilovic hit five straight shots during the stretch as ISU turned a 16-15 deficit into a 29-16 advantage. The 6-8 junior finished with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting as Iowa State shot a blistering 58.3% from the floor. 

 Memphis center Dain Dainja was a beast on both ends in the first half as Memphis took a 36-31 edge on Colorado State. The former Baylor and Illinois big scored 15 points on 7 of 9 shooting to go with five rebounds and three blocks. He’s been playing great ball recently for the Tigers, and he’s even more important today as Memphis navigates life without veteran guard and leader Tyrese Hunter.

 After briefly surrendering the lead late in the second half, No. 2 seed Alabama survives and advances by putting away No. 15 seed Robert Morris with four buckets on its last four attempts. 

Alabama got 22 points from star Mark Sears and Mouhamed Dioubate added 16 as the team battled through injuries to Grant Nelson and Jarin Stevenson. Clifford Omoruyi also added 17 points in the win.

Alabama is coming off its first Final Four trip in school history and has a chance to do it again this year with one of the nation’s most balanced offensive attacks. They advance into Round 2 on Sunday where they will face either (7) Saint Mary’s or (10) Vanderbilt.

 After briefly snagging the lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the second half, No. 15 seed Robert Morris has been playing catch-up the last few minutes as No. 2 seed Alabama adds some cushion late. 

The Tide lead by eight with 3:24 remaining and have held the Colonials without a field goal for the last 3:45 of game action. Meanwhile, Alabama’s made four of its last five shots from the field, inching to within two points of its largest lead of the game. 

 Baylor built an 11-point lead with eight minutes remaining and held on late against Mississippi State in a dramatic finish to open the day. VJ Edgecombe hit a pair of free throws with 9.3 seconds remaining to put the Bears ahead 75-72. Mississippi State’s Claudell Harris Jr. got a game-tying look from near the top of the key in the final seconds, but it went awry. Edgecombe had 16 and Robert Wright III had 19 to pace the Bears, who withstood a 26-point barrage from Mississippi State star Josh Hubbard. Baylor has won at least one game in its past seven NCAA Tournament appearances but will likely face No. 1 seed Duke in the second round on Sunday.

 With No. 2 seed Alabama getting all it can handle from No. 15 seed Robert Morris, Crimson Tide big man Grant Nelson — who hasn’t played all day due to a knee injury — just checked in for the first time with under nine minutes to play in the second half.

Alabama is properly spooked enough to pull out all the stops to try and avoid an upset. Colonials are within two points with 7:44 as we head to the U8 media timeout. Alabama closed as 22.5-point favorites in this one but just has not been able to put this one out of reach. Good finish upcoming.

 This dunk attempt from Baylor star freshman VJ Edgecombe might have brought the house down in Raleigh.

Edgecombe lifted off from well outside the restricted area for an attempted one-handed yam but it clanked off the back of the iron. The attempt was so violent the ball ricocheted all the way to the other side of the floor.  

 No. 2 seed Alabama is officially on upset alert in Round 1. The Crimson Tide lead by just four points at halftime in Cleveland, Ohio, over No. 15 seed Robert Morris entering halftime after closing as 22.5-point favorites. 

Alabama shot just 4 of 10 from 3-point range and lost the turnover battle 5 to 1.

“They out-toughed us,” Alabama big man Mouahamed Dioubate told CBS at halftime.

Alabama is without second-leading scorer Grant Nelson, who is available but has thus far not played, and injuries continue to mount as Jarin Stevenson — Nelson’s replacement in the lineup — suffered an apparent wrist injury in the first half. 

Star guards Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway haven’t done much in the way of helping as scorers, either. Philon has a game-high six assists but missed his lone shot attempt, and Holloway, the third-leading scorer this season, has just three points on two shot attempts.

The saving grace for Alabama has so far been Clifford Omoruyi who has 15 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting.

 As expected, Duke superstar Cooper Flagg is officially in the starting lineup today against No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary’s. Flagg missed the Blue Devils’ last two games in the ACC Tournament after sustaining an ankle injury against Georgia Tech. Flagg will start next to Tyrese Proctor, Kon Knueppel, Sion James and Khaman Maluach for the No. 1 seed in the East region.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Flagg said Thursday during Duke’s news conference. “We have an incredible training staff, we’ve been working through the steps of getting back to 100 percent.”

Cooper Flagg injury: Duke star freshman cleared to return in 2025 NCAA Tournament opener on Friday