March Madness: Best games from the first and second round

The first round of March Madness this year had a surprisingly calm start, lacking the usual chaos.

Of the 32 first-round games, 20 were won by double digits.

The one through four ranked teams in each region went a perfect 16-0, marking the first time since 2017 that all of them won.

Despite the SEC having a record-breaking number of teams make the tournament, the Big Ten was the biggest winner in round one, going a perfect 8-0. Meanwhile, the SEC, which had 14 teams in the tournament, saw six of them fall, leaving the Big Ten and SEC each with eight teams remaining entering the second round.

Kansas, which started the tournament as the No. 7 seed, had a shockingly quick exit, falling to Arkansas in the first round. It was the first time since 1981—and only the third time ever—that Kansas had failed to make it past the first round.

Other interesting games from the first round included Drake’s surprising win over Missouri.. Texas Tech set an NCAA record by attempting 46 three-pointers. Clemson nearly mounted a huge comeback against McNeese State, scoring 54 points in the second half, but fell short, becoming the first big heartbreaker of the first round.

Every year, fans root for a Cinderella story, and after the first round, those teams seemed to be McNeese, Drake, and Colorado State but all three met their exit in the second round.

For other SEC teams, however, it wasn’t as kind. Vanderbilt, leading by 12 points in the second half, fell 59-56 to Saint Mary’s. It was another painful exit for the Commodores, who have experienced several heartbreaking losses in the tournament’s past.

Biggest Games of the First Two Rounds:

Maryland Buzzer Beater

Freshman Derik Queen scored the game-winner at the buzzer for No. 4 Maryland to advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the 15th time in program history after making the bucket against No. 12 Colorado State, leading to a final score of 72-71, in the second round.

The Terps trailed by as many as 12 points at the start of the first quarter. The 12-point comeback marked the second-largest deficit they’ve overcome.

Arkansas Kicks out St. John’s

Freshman

Who Looked the Best?

Ole Miss

The Rebels have confidently handled both No.11 UNC and No.3 Iowa State through the first two rounds, submitting a strong start in preparation for a deep run. The team will now face its toughest matchup, going against No. 2 Michigan State.

They looked so solid from Sean Pedulla dropping 20 in both games, and out-rebounding both opponents. Michigan State has also outrebounded both of its opponents, thus creating what is to be a physical matchup.

Michigan

After curating the definition of a 180-degree season from 2023-2024 to 2024-2025, the Michigan Wolverines went on to win the Big Ten Championship, securing them a lock into the NCAA tournament. They were awarded the No. 5 seed and defeated both No. 12 UC San Diego and No. 4 Texas A&M.

Now, they will face No.1 Auburn in a very similar situation as Ole Miss. The team is looking very hot, though, thanks to a deep bench. The team doesn’t have one direct star, but instead a wide range of talent who can put up points when needed.

Bronwyn Liber is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email brl5354@psu.edu.