The 5 worst moments of March Madness first round, starting with North Carolina

The NCAA Tournament brings jubilation for some. For others, it results in devastation.

While High Point fans are enjoying the ride after the Panthers upset No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the first round to earn the first NCAA Tournament win in program history, others like North Carolina are left searching for answers after blowing a 19-point lead to No. 11 VCU.

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REQUIRED READING: BYU envisioned success with AJ Dybantsa. It ended with early March Madness exit

Will the Tar Heels move on from Hubert Davis? If so, would North Carolina hire a coach outside the family for the first time?

The NCAA Tournament giveth and taketh.

Here’s a look at our five worst moments from the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

North Carolina collapses

The most obvious loser of the NCAA Tournament’s first round is North Carolina, which has gone one-and-done in March Madness for the second consecutive seasons.

It’s been a rough for years for the Tar Heels, one of, if not college basketball’s most iconic brand. Davis led North Carolina to an unlikely national championship runner-up finish as a first-year coach in 2021-22, and has since declined an NIT invite, made the Sweet 16 once and been knocked off in the first round twice.

To make matters worse, North Carolina was in the driver’s seat against No. 11 seed VCU on March 19. It blew a 19-point lead, the sixth largest in NCAA Tournament history and the biggest since Nevada’s comeback against Cincinnati in 2022.

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UNC was playing without star freshman Caleb Wilson, a likely top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but the excuses are starting to run out, especially for the Tar Heels’ national-championship-or-bust standards.

AJ Dybantsa’s career comes to an end

College basketball fans were robbed of freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa making a run at the 2026 NCAA Tournament after No. 6 seed BYU was upset Texas 79-71 in the first round, with his college career likely ending as a result.

Dybantsa played his best ball of the season as the Cougars limped into March Madness following the loss of Richie Saunders to a season-ending injury. The projected No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft…

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Publish date : 2026-03-21 10:05:00

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