Men's March Madness live tracker: Updates from Friday's first round
Intelligence report synthesized for precision. Verified source updates below.
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Men's March Madness live tracker: Updates from Friday's first round
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Men's March Madness live tracker: Updates from Friday's first roundAkron Zips2hESPNMen's March Madness Friday takeaways: How Kentucky, Virginia, Arizona wonAkron Zips51mESPNOweh's heroics save Kentucky vs. Santa ClaraKentucky Wildcats4hBen BabyIowa St.'s Jefferson sprains ankle; X-rays negativeIowa State Cyclones4hBen BabyMiami (OH)'s run ends in blowout loss to VolsTennessee Volunteers35mDuke 'hopeful' Ngongba can return in 2nd roundDuke Blue Devils4hDavid HaleUtah State uses second-half rally to top VillanovaUtah State Aggies33mBall State names SMU assistant Capko head coachBall State Cardinals4hAmid scandal, CSUB eyes USC's Lee, sources sayCal State Bakersfield Roadrunners8hJeff BorzelloSources: W. Michigan to hire UTRGV's FennellWestern Michigan Broncos8hJeff BorzelloJay Bilas predicts every game of the 2026 NCAA tournamentDuke Blue Devils4dJay BilasChase Johnston's first 2-pointer, no subs for Siena and more men's NCAA first-round superlativesNorth Carolina Tar Heels31mKalan HooksYour guide to March Madness Day 1: Recaps, every winner's chance to advance, moreDuke Blue Devils19hESPNWelcome to 'The Reef': LIU's 'fins up' chant has turned a near-empty gym into March magicLong Island University Sharks11hJ.J. PostMen's tournament: How to bet the Duke, Michigan St. games and more SaturdayMichigan State Spartans5hMark ZinnoNBA debut to March Madness: Sandfort surprises brother in Nebraska winNebraska Cornhuskers22hBrooke PryorRemembering March Madness Cinderella runs: High Point, VCU top 2026 underdogs to watchGeorge Mason Patriots12hAnthony GharibRanking the top 50 men's college basketball players who could define March MadnessDuke Blue Devils3dJeff Borzello and Myron MedcalfMen's coaching carousel tracker: All the intel entering the NCAA tournamentBoston College Eagles1dJeff BorzelloBoozer, Dybantsa, Peterson, Wagler: Coaches break down freshmen built for MarchDuke Blue Devils2dJason JordanJoe Lunardi's ultimate guide to men's March Madness 2026Duke Blue Devils3dJoe LunardiJay Bilas predicts every game of the 2026 NCAA tournamentDuke Blue Devils4dJay BilasESPNMultiple AuthorsMar 20, 2026, 05:00 PM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe first day of the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament set a high bar.
The 11-seeded VCU Rams and 12-seeded High Point Panthers delivered the first upsets of March Madness. AJ Dybantsa scored the most points (35) by a freshman in an NCAA tournament debut in BYU's loss to Texas. And more points rained in with Michigan, Illinois and Saint Louis each eclipsing the 100-point mark Thursday.
The action doesn't slow down Friday with games underway and more still to tip (all times Eastern):
(9) Iowa vs. (8) Clemson: 6:50 p.m.(12) Northern Iowa vs. (5) St. John's: 7:10 p.m.(10) UCF vs. (7) UCLA: 7:25 p.m.(15) Queens vs. (2) Purdue: 7:35 p.m.(16) Prairie View A&M vs. (1) Florida: 9:25 p.m.(13) California Baptist vs. (4) Kansas: 9:45 p.m.(15) Furman vs. (2) UConn: 10 p.m.(10) Missouri vs. (7) Miami: 10:10 p.m.ESPN's reporters are on-site across the country, tracking the biggest highlights in real time.
