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After weeks of anticipation, the most exciting two days in American sports have drawn to a close.
The first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is a beautiful symphony of chaos, with 32 games crammed into a 36-hour window. Those highlight reels of buzzer-beaters, massive upsets and emotionally charged moments that air throughout March and into early April? A solid chunk of them take place in those first two full days of action, when millions of people across the country are skirting personal and professional obligations to soak in all the madness that March has to offer.
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As it does almost every year, the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament delivered. There were surprising results in thrilling games, with High Point knocking off Wisconsin in the time-honored 12-over-5 upset. There were furious comebacks, with VCU rebounding from a 19-point deficit to beat North Carolina. There were buzzer-beaters, with Kentucky’s Otega Oweh burying a prayer of a shot to get the Wildcats to overtime against Santa Clara. And whether it was High Point’s Flynn Clayman or VCU’s Phil Martelli Jr., there were post-game interviews that immediately went viral.
REQUIRED READING: March Madness scores: See the big shots, moments, highlights in today’s first round
What stood out the most from an eventful couple of days? What teams, players and coaches were the most impressive in the win-or-go-home crucible of March?
Here are the 12 most impressive performances from the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament:
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March Madness first round biggest winners
Saint Louis
In 2024, a 28-6 Indiana State team that had captivated much of the country with its best season since Larry Bird was on campus ended up being one of the first four teams left out of the NCAA tournament. Two years later, at a different blue-and-white school in the midwest, the coach and star player from that team showed us all what we missed with the Sycamores’ exclusion.
No team turned in a more impressive first-round performance than Saint Louis, which continued its breakthrough 2025-26 season under coach Josh Schertz and stellar big man…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/12-best-performances-march-madness-100523745.html
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Publish date : 2026-03-21 10:05:00
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