Overview
- Friday’s games saw favorites go 16-0 for the first time since 1992, and the opening two days produced 14 wins by 20-plus points, the most ever in a Round of 64.
- No. 1 Florida shattered single‑game NCAA Tournament marks for points, field goals made, field‑goal percentage, assists and margin in a 114-55 rout of Prairie View A&M.
- Kentucky advanced in overtime after Otega Oweh delivered 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and banked in a 32‑footer to force OT, as officials did not recognize Santa Clara’s attempted timeout before the shot.
- True upsets were limited but impactful: No. 11 VCU erased a 19‑point deficit to beat North Carolina in OT for its first tourney win since 2016, and No. 12 High Point edged No. 5 Wisconsin.
- Milestones and injuries shaped the bracket, with Nebraska earning its first NCAA Tournament win by hitting 14 threes, UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. posting a 31‑point, 27‑rebound game, and Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson leaving on crutches with an ankle injury that clouds his availability.