Overview
- No. 12 High Point toppled No. 5 Wisconsin 83-82 in Portland, with Chase Johnston converting the winning basket in the final seconds.
- VCU erased a 19-point deficit to beat North Carolina 82-78 in overtime, as Terrence Hill Jr. scored 34 and hit a step-back 3 with 15.1 seconds left.
- Top overall seed Duke narrowly advanced 71-65 against No. 16 Siena after trailing by 11 at halftime, a nerve-testing opener for the Blue Devils.
- Texas upset BYU 79-71 as 7-footer Matas Vokietaitis posted 23 points and 10 rebounds, overshadowing AJ Dybantsa’s 35-point performance.
- Nebraska secured its first NCAA Tournament victory with a 76-47 win over Troy, while media moved the spotlight as Sporting News’ Stephen Noh elevated Duke’s Cam Boozer to No. 1 in draft projections and ESPN’s Jay Bilas predicted additional Friday upsets.