There are losses, and then there are meltdowns, and then there is this. North Carolina blew a 19-point lead in the second half and collapsed to No. 11 seed VCU, 82-78, in overtime. It’s the sixth-worst collapse in Round of 64 history and a cursed last month for UNC has somehow descended into a finish from the depths of hell.

There is no coming back from this moment. North Carolina used its powerful transition attack to dominate for the first 30 minutes. Henri Veesaar’s 3-pointer extended the lead to 15 with less than 10 minutes left.

And then defense became utterly optional, and somehow, the plan and execution on offense were even worse.

VCU guard Terrence Hill Jr. scored 14 of his game-high 34 points in the final nine minutes of regulation to force overtime, and North Carolina’s offense also had 11 empty possessions in 13 opportunities to end regulation. 

Two missed front ends, including one by senior Seth Trimble with 29 seconds to go, were brutal. The last play of regulation was doomed from the start, and UNC fumbled it out of bounds. It didn’t score a single bucket in overtime, and yet had a chance to force double-overtime when Veesaar toed the line for a pair of free throws down 80-78.

Brick, unintentionally.

Brick, intentionally.

Ballgame.

Caleb Wilson could only bury his face in his hands. The same hands that betrayed him and kept him sidelined with a broken thumb on an innocuous dunk in practice on the eve of the regular-season finale against Duke.

It’s a fitting bow on a disastrous season for North Carolina that started with loads of promise as Wilson exceeded all expectations on his way to All-American honors, but also included Trimble breaking his arm in a wild weight-room accident and Wilson somehow breaking both his left hand and his right thumb in stunning ways. Now it has to swallow one of the worst postseason losses in North Carolina history and kickstart a load of questions surrounding Hubert Davis’ future after he couldn’t steer the Tar Heels away from disaster. A 26-42 record in Quad 1 games isn’t acceptable. Blowing a 19-point lead to VCU ain’t it, either.

Let’s dive into the winners and losers from Thursday’s electric opening slate of March Madness. No one had it worse than North Carolina, although Wisconsin fans might argue otherwise.

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Loser: Wisconsin lets go of the rope at the worst time

Wisconsin’s ridiculously fun season is over far too early and in the most stunning fashion. High Point rocked the Badgers, 83-82, with a stunning rally in the nick of time. Nick Boyd looked … mortal if only for a moment. The all-everything point guard delivered 27 points, six assists and five boards in this one, but the audacious lefty didn’t have one more bucket in his bag down the stretch. Boyd’s final stat line is glitzy, but the senior will rue the missed layups in crunch time.

All season long, Wisconsin has walked teams down in the second half. This time, the script was flipped on the Badgers as High Point erased an eight-point deficit in closing time.

Wisconsin got 49 points combined from John Blackwell and Boyd. It shot 39% from 3-point. The team with the best collection of high-end wins will not advance to the Round of 32.

The opposite side of the coin in March Madness is BRUTAL. — Isaac Trotter

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Winner: Siena’s special stuff

Yeah, Siena ended up losing to top-seeded Duke, 71-65. Sure, this injured team with no depth ran out of gas down the stretch. A couple of missed dunks and a 3-pointer that did everything but drop may stick in Gerry McNamara’s head forever.

But the feeling they brought back to this wonderful tournament is going to stick for a while. Cinderella was in our presence for all of 38 minutes. The Saints gave Duke the business deep into the second half. They led 43-32 at the break. They led 61-56 with 7:34 to go. McNamara’s boys were right there, frustrating eventual National Player of the Year, Cameron Boozer, along the way. — Trotter

Winner: High Point strikes late to stun Wisconsin

26-year-old, sixth-year senior Chase Johnston notched his One Shining Moment to help High Point rally from an eight-point deficit with four-and-change to go and stun Wisconsin, 83-82. Johnston drilled three triples from the parking lot and deposited the game-winning layup — the 3-point specialist’s first two-point bucket of the season — to send High Point into the second round. 

Big, bad Darius Acuff and Arkansas awaits. — Isaac Trotter

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Winner: Nebraska gets its first-ever tournament victory

Nebraska was the only program within the high-major structure (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten and SEC) without an NCAA Tournament victory entering the day. That is no longer the case. At long last, the No. 4 seed Cornhuskers have won a game in the Big Dance after dispatching No. 13 seed Troy 76-47. No team has ever notched its first-ever NCAA Tournament win by a wider margin.

This was the first time since 2011 that two teams with a combined zero NCAA Tournament wins have met. But after a hot start from the Trojans, their upset bid fizzled in a barrage of Nebraska 3-pointers and second-chance points. Pryce Sandfort led the charge with 23 points and seven makes from beyond the arc for Nebraska, which will advance to face No. 5 seed Vanderbilt in the second round. Seventh-year coach Fred Hoiberg won just seven games in each of his first two seasons, but his slow build began to take hold over the past three seasons. Now, it has led to a historic breakthrough for one of the sport’s long-suffering programs. – Cobb

Loser: South Florida goes cold in upset bid

No. 11 seed South Florida staged an admirable late rally to turn a Louisville blowout into a tight game, but the Bulls couldn’t overcome a woeful shooting performance as their upset bid fell short in an 83-79 loss to the No. 6 seed Cardinals. South Florida’s 5 of 33 effort from beyond the arc (15.2%) marked its second-worst of the season by percentage. The five makes also tied for the second-fewest of the season from a USF team that became a trendy upset pick following the revelation that the Cardinals would be without star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. 

Even without Brown, who has been dealing with a nagging back injury, Louisville’s offense hummed as it opened up a 23-point lead in the second half. Isaac McKneely led the way with 23 points on 7 of 10 shooting from 3-point range as the Cardinals drilled 13 of 25 triples while advancing to face No. 3 seed Michigan State on Saturday. – David Cobb

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Winner: TCU gets a crack at Duke

No. 9 seed TCU beat high-end opponents like Florida, Wisconsin and Texas Tech away from home this season and also toppled Iowa State at home. The Horned Frogs are proven giant slayers, and they’ll get a crack at Duke on Saturday after surviving to beat Ohio State 66-64 in the opening game of the first round.

TCU held on for dear life after leading by as much as 15 late in the first half. Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton missed a would-be game-winner from half court as time expired to send the Horned Frogs dancing into the second round for the third time in the past five years. Given how shaky Duke looked against Siena — and who TCU has already beaten this season — the Horned Frogs look more than capable of making a Sweet 16 push. — Cobb

Loser: Duke gets a reality check 

Duke forward Maliq Brown said the quiet part out loud after his team’s 71-65 win over No. 16 seed Siena. Brown admitted the Blue Devils expected a “cakewalk.” The game proved anything but. Duke trailed by as many as 13 before using a strong second half to avoid what would have been one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history.

The narrow escape should serve as a wake-up call heading into a matchup with No. 9 seed TCU on Saturday. If the Blue Devils deliver a similar performance, an early exit could be looming. — Salerno 

Winner: Mid-major schedulers

High Point did not play a single high-major team until today against Wisconsin. That’s no coincidence. The Panthers are one of the best-resourced mid-major teams in the country, and this deep, talented roster is proof of that.

There’s a reason no high-major willingly signed up to play High Point or Miami (Ohio), Saint Louis, Belmont, Bradley or Northern Iowa. Akron had to go to Purdue to get a game. Add UNC-Wilmington, the CAA regular-season champs, to the list of teams that couldn’t get a spot on a schedule.

Perhaps the emergence of Wins Above Bubble can help change the script. Stanford earned +0.52 WAB for beating Saint Louis on a neutral floor in the Acrisure Invitational. It ended up as the third-best win of the season for the Cardinal.

The idea that there isn’t any upside to playing good mid-major teams rings hollow. In fact, it looks more and more like fear. — Trotter

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Winner: Cayden Boozer shows his moxie

Duke was dead to rights and Cayden Boozer just refused to let the Blue Devils go down. The freshman guard delivered 19 points, five assists and zero turnovers. It’s the second-straight game where Cayden, not Cameron, has been Duke’s best player. 

The poise and toughness is obvious, but the basketball IQ was on full display. Siena’s half-court defense was swarming a Duke team that is short-handed and doesn’t have enough shooting right now. What did Cayden Boozer do? Pedal to the floor in transition whenever an opportunity presented itself.

Duke doesn’t win this game without the lesser-hyped Boozer brother. — Trotter

Winner: Arkansas’ hyped freshmen make history

Hawaii‘s no-help defense looked like a bad idea on paper against these vroom-vroom Arkansas guards, and sure enough, Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas passed the initial NCAA Tournament test with flying colors.

Acuff totaled 24 points and seven assists. Thomas was right on his heels with 21 points and five assists. It’s the first freshman duo in men’s NCAA Tournament history to notch at least 20 points and five assists in the same game.

Special showing from a special duo. — Trotter

Loser: Saint Mary’s goes out with a whimper 

Saint Mary’s‘ bout with sickness came at the wrong time, as the No. 7 seed Gaels fell 63-50 to No. 10 seed Texas A&M while leading scorer Paulius Murauskas came off the bench due to illness. The Gaels wilted against A&M’s up-tempo style while committing an uncharacteristic 18 turnovers. Rashaun Agee led the way for Texas A&M with 22 points on 7 of 11 shooting. This marks nine NCAA Tournament appearances in a row in which Saint Mary’s has failed to advance beyond the first weekend. First-year Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillan has his first win in the Big Dance after leading Samford agonizingly close to a win over Kansas two years ago. — Cobb

Loser: Dybantsa shines, but can’t get help in BYU’s loss

Despite recording 35 points and 10 rebounds, BYU star AJ Dybantsa’s career is likely over after his team suffered an 79-71 loss to No. 11 seed Texas.

The Cougars had been without star guard Richie Saunders for the past month due to a season-ending ACL tear, and the loss underscored how far their ceiling dropped without him. Dybantsa and Robert Wright III combined to score 49 of BYU’s 71 points. Simply put, BYU did not have enough firepower beyond Dybantsa.

After reaching the Sweet 16 in Year 1 under Kevin Young, BYU’s season ended before the close of the first day of the first round. – Salerno

FIFA has announced new rules requiring all teams in its women’s tournaments to have a female head coach or assistant coach. The decision was made at a council meeting on Thursday and is being described as a major step for women in football.

The rules will apply to all youth and senior tournaments, national team competitions, and club competitions. They will take effect at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland this September. The regulations will also be used at the second women’s Champions Cup, the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, and the first women’s Club World Cup in 2028.

FIFA said the initiative is part of its wider plan “to ensure that the rapid growth of the women’s game is matched by an increased representation of women in technical and leadership roles.”

Despite the growth of women’s football, coaching roles are still mostly held by men. At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, only 12 of the 32 head coaches were women.

“There are simply not enough women in coaching today,” said Jill Ellis, FIFA’s chief football officer and former head coach of the United States women’s national team. “We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways, expanding opportunities, and increasing the visibility of women on our sidelines. The new FIFA regulations, combined with development programmes, are an important investment in both the current and future generation of female coaches.”

Under the new rules, teams must have at least two female staff on the bench, which can include the mandatory coach. Teams will also be required to have at least one woman on their medical staff.

Aston Villa captain John McGinn described Emiliano Martinez as a “mad man” after the goalkeeper helped Aston Villa into the Europa League quarter-finals.

The Argentina keeper, whose long-term future at Villa remains in doubt, played a big part in McGinn’s second-half opener against Lille, which came 15 seconds after he had made an important save, by sending Jadon Sancho clear with a pinpoint kick.

Leon Bailey’s late second goal completed a 2-0 win on the night, 3-0 on aggregate, to set up a quarter-final meeting with Bologna.

But Martinez was the centre of attention after the goal and he provocatively gestured to the Lille fans, who were not shy in showing their dislike for the Argentinian.

He is less than popular in France following his exploits in the 2022 World Cup final and angered Lille’s supporters further during their 2024 Conference League meeting, which Villa won on penalties, thanks in part to some trademark gamesmanship.

McGinn said of the shot-stopper: “He’s a mad man. I know he’s a family man, but he is a big kid inside, a lively character and a top goalkeeper, but even at 2-0 he made a great save.”

The Scot added on TNT Sports: “It was brilliant from Emi, but it highlights Jadon’s performance, his best in a Villa shirt.

“He was man of the match tonight by a mile. The manager was giving me grief before the game to make sure I get in the box and he gave it to me.”

Progress keeps Villa’s dreams of a trophy alive and, after falling short in the Conference League and Champions League in the last two seasons, Europa League specialist Unai Emery must be eyeing a fifth title in Istanbul in May.

Their journey under the Spaniard has been full of highlights and three successive European quarter-finals are proof of that.

Emery is also the fastest Villa manager to 100 wins and his achievement was recognised before kick-off with home fans holding up a Tifo display.

This match was nowhere near the top of the list of memorable displays under Emery, although the hosts did dominate.

Emery said: “I am happy with how we performed over two matches, how we tried to play seriously, being organised, respecting the opponent.

“(We played) not so brilliant, but being consistent and defending well. When we had our moments to be ruthless we needed it. We needed those two matches to show this competitive way.

“We are focusing all the season through the Premier League, that is the priority. The Europa League is a competition that is very difficult to win, but we have to enjoy the process, enjoying the way, competing, using different players and trying to compete, it can help us find a structure in our squad.”

The bracket is set. The First Four is underway. And on Friday, the first round of the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament officially tips off.

With 16 games on Friday and another 16 on Saturday, it can be hard to figure out where to put your attention. Here are eight best first-round games you don’t want to miss.

8. No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 James Madison 

Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ESPNU

This match-up is notable mainly for narrative reasons. Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks played for James Madison and then coached there from 1998 to 2016, first as a men’s assistant, but most notably as the head coach of the women’s team starting in 2003. Brooks led the Dukes to four CAA regular-season championships, five conference tournament championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances and is in the James Madison Athletics Hall of Fame.

This is the Dukes’ best season since Brooks left for Virginia Tech in 2016, but Kentucky is a tough draw for sure. Pay attention to the battle in the post — JMU ranks in the top 15 nationally in both rebounds and rebounding margin, thanks in big part to Ashanti Barnes. But the Wildcats have 6-foot-5 center Clara Strack, who averages 17.1 points and 10 rebounds a game.

7. No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Princeton 

Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

You never know quite what to expect from this Oklahoma State team. Case in point: In late February, the Cowgirls fell 72-40 to West Virginia and then beat Iowa State 88-77. The Cowgirls impressively finished fourth in the competitive Big 12 and are searching for their first NCAA Tournament win in the Jacie Hoyt era.

Princeton went 26-3 this season and won the Ivy League championship to make its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Tigers haven’t won a game in the Big Dance since upsetting NC State in 2023, but this year’s squad is ranked No. 23 in the nation and looks primed to get a win for the mid-majors.

Women’s March Madness bracket predictions 2026: NCAA Tournament expert picks

Lindsay Gibbs

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6. No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield 

Saturday, 2 p.m., ESPN

I’ll be honest: this game could easily be a blowout. Notre Dame finished the season strong and has one of the most electric players in the country, Hannah Hidalgo. But I’m including it because the Irish have also been inconsistent during this rebuilding year and Fairfield coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis has turned the Stags into a MAAC powerhouse in her four seasons at the helm.

The Stags are on an 11-game winning streak heading into their third straight NCAA Tournament, and a No. 11 seed is their highest since 1988. Plus, Fairfield leads the nation in 3-pointers made with 11.4 per game. It’s doubtful the Stags will be able to stop Hidalgo, but if they get hot from beyond the arc, they just might be able to keep up with her.

5. No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 11 Nebraska 

Friday, 2 p.m., ESPN

Speaking of being due, in 2025, No. 11 seeds went 0-4 in the first round for the first time since 2017. I wouldn’t expect that to happen again this year. One No. 11 seed to watch out for is Nebraska, which won its First Four game 75-56 against Richmond on Wednesday night. The Huskers shook off their nerves early and came out after halftime on fire, going on a 17-0 run and winning the third quarter 27-6. Britt Prince was particularly impressive, with 22 points, five assists and three boards.

None of the Huskers played more than 30 minutes on Wednesday, so they should be plenty fresh when facing Baylor on Friday. The Bears lost four of their last seven games, and even though all of those losses came to NCAA Tournament teams, it’s concerning how much they have struggled offensively down the stretch, scoring just 53 points in their two most recent games.

On paper, the sensational Taliah Scott should be able to lead the Bears to the second round. But Nebraska has already proved that it came to Durham to give its all. 

4. No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga 

Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ESPN2

This is a pretty lopsided game seed-wise, but that’s because Gonzaga has one of the main X-factors that helps teams get upsets in March: 3-point shooting. Gonzaga has the second-best 3-point percentage in the nation behind UConn, led by Allie Turner, who shoots 46.7% from outside. 

Ole Miss can beat the best teams in the game — it upset No. 2 seed Vanderbilt twice this season and only lost to No. 1 seed Texas by three points. But the Rebels are inconsistent — they lost to three teams that didn’t make the NCAA Tournament in Kansas State, Florida and Texas A&M.

Women’s March Madness: Top 26 players to watch in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, from Maggie Doogan to Sarah Strong

Isabel Gonzalez

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Last year, No. 12 seeds went 0-4 for the second straight season after going 2-2 in 2022 and 2023, so one might say the No. 12s are due for a win. If nothing else, it’s worth it to tune in and watch Ole Miss’s Cotie McMahon compete on the biggest stage.

3. No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Syracuse 

Saturday, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2

These teams have had very different journeys this season. Iowa State opened the season ranked No. 14 and spent the first 10 weeks ranked in the AP top 25 before going on a five-game losing streak while grappling with an injury to forward Addy Brown. Syracuse, meanwhile, bounced back from a 12-18 season last year to return to the Big Dance thanks in large part to ACC Freshman of the Year Uche Izoje, a 21-year-old center from Nigeria.

Izoje will have her hands full on Saturday with Audi Crooks, the junior center who is second in the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game. Crooks scored 40 points in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman, and with another big game could join Caitlin Clark and Candace Wiggins as the only players with multiple 40-point games in the NCAA Tournament.

2. No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 USC 

Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2

This has been an expected down year for USC with superstar JuJu Watkins sidelined with an ACL tear, but the Trojans are still a tournament team thanks to freshman phenom Jazzy Davidson, who is leading the team in points (17.6), rebounds (5.7), assists (4.2), steals (2.0) and blocks (2.0) per game.

Clemson, meanwhile, is one of the best stories in college basketball this year. With a top 10 recruiting class joining the program this summer, coach Shawn Poppie has the Tigers back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019 and the second time since 2002. Clemson notched impressive wins over four of the other eight ACC teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament, including conference champions Duke.

While the future is bright for both programs, both want to prove that they belong now. 

1. No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee

Friday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

When the Wolfpack and Lady Vols faced off in the very first game of the season at the Ro Greensboro Invitational, both teams were ranked in the top 10 and had dreams of conference championships and deep NCAA Tournament runs. Now, one of them will be going home winless in March.

NC State won that November game 80-77, but that would be its only win over a ranked team all season. Despite standout seasons from Zoe Brooks and Khamil Pierre, both All-ACC first team selections, this young Wolfpack squad spent the season marred by a lack of chemistry and leadership. 

Tennessee (16-13) is the only team to appear in every NCAA Tournament, but it enters this edition on a seven-game losing streak, the longest by the Lady Vols in the NCAA Tournament era. With just 16 wins, they tie the fewest wins by any at-large team in the past 40 years, excluding the shortened 2020-21 season. And as bad as all of that sounds, Tennessee’s last month has felt even worse, leaving many wondering about the future of coach Kim Caldwell.

I know, I know, I’m doing a really good job selling this one! But still, this one tops the must-watch list because that Nov. 4 game was a thriller, and I expect this one to be, too. Brooks vs. Tennessee’s press is worth the price of admission alone, and because of Tennessee’s recent troubles and storied legacy in the spot, the stakes feel incredibly high. And Tennessee still has tons of talent — Talaysia Cooper and Janiah Barker can go toe-to-toe with the best in the nation.

Mick Price, the Cranbourne-based handler, reveals he’ll sense more strain tracking Hot Digity Boom in Adelaide than with his Group 1 charges in Sydney or Melbourne.

Ownership in Hot Digity Boom is shared by Price’s partner Shona and daughters Kelly and Stephanie, as the filly prepares for the Charlie Hoile Handicap (1400m) at Morphettville Parks this Saturday.

Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr’s yard encounters a full slate, with Guest House entered in the Golden Slipper, Reserve Bank in The Galaxy in Sydney, and Charm Stone in Caulfield’s Group 1 William Reid Stakes.

The stable sends three to Adelaide: Hot Digity Boom, alongside first-starter The Speed Machine in the Sportsbet Fast Form Handicap (1000m), and Bring Forth in the Sportsbet Race Replays Handicap (2294m).

Last appearance saw Hot Digity Boom fifth behind Astral Flame in Flemington’s Benchmark 84 fillies and mares race on February 28; the 1400m return suits after her Cranbourne win at the distance.

“Hot Digity Boom, we’ll be doing our best for the girls, and family harmony,” Price said.

“She’s consistent but doesn’t win too often, so hopefully she can win again on Saturday.”

Bring Forth, another horse in which Price invests, is primed for the extra ground third-up this preparation.

He ran second most recently over 1800m at Sandown.

“Bring Forth is now third-up and is looking for the trip,” Price said.

“His two runs back have been good, and it was a good solid effort last time.

The rail is out nine metres, and it is on the Parks track, but I reckon we’ll ride Bring Forth with a bit of a smother.”

Kicking off in Adelaide is The Speed Machine, a two-year-old out of Blue Diamond Stakes second-place finisher Hanseatic.

“The Speed Machine has had two trials for two wins.

He’s a sharp little horse and I think he will be competitive in the first.”

Check racing betting markets on the best sites for the Charlie Hoile Handicap.