Men’s March Madness 2026: TCU edges Ohio State, Nebraska rolls on Day 1 of NCAA Tournament
The road to the Final Four is underway.
After months of grinding through the regular season and surviving the chaos of conference tournaments, the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64 began early Thursday afternoon with No. 8 Ohio State versus No. 9 TCU in the East Region in Greenville, S.C. The Horned Frogs won and will advance, while the tournament is over for the Buckeyes.
But that was just the start of an action-packed day. The Athletic has you covered with Thursday’s results and everything you need to know for the day’s later games.
TCU 66, Ohio State 64
Well, what appeared to be a slog at halftime turned out to be anything but, as TCU survived a valiant Ohio State comeback to win, marking the Horned Frogs’ first NCAA Tournament victory since 2023. After absolutely blitzing the Buckeyes from 3 in the first half and leading by 15 at the break, coach Jamie Dixon’s Horned Frogs went ice cold after intermission, allowing Jake Diebler’s squad to hang around juuust long enough to make things interesting.
A 15-1 run late in the second half even briefly gave OSU the lead, but TCU kept knocking down clutch baskets — none more so than Xavier Edmonds’ game-winning layup with four seconds left — to eke out a win.
Playing in his first NCAA Tournament game, Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton — one of just five high-major players to start for the same school for four seasons — had a halfcourt heave at the buzzer to win … but missed, ending one of the most underrated college careers in recent memory. Next up for TCU? Likely No. 1 overall seed Duke. — Brendan Marks, college basketball writer
TCU holds on and advances in a THRILLING opening game of the day!
They take down Ohio State 66-64. pic.twitter.com/YV8g7m1j1L
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 19, 2026
Nebraska 76, Troy 47
No. 4 Nebraska has been hearing all about the fact that it was the last Power 5 school without a men’s basketball NCAA Tournament win, and the Cornhuskers were determined to end that in Oklahoma City. Also? They were determined for it not to be the end of arguably the best team in program history.
Nebraska crushed No. 13 Troy and looked more like the team that started 20-0 and was one of the best stories in the sport this season. The Cornhuskers’ “no middle” defense was suffocating. Their ball movement was crisp. Forward Pryce Sandfort was hitting. And the home-court advantage was powerful. This will be a tough out Saturday. — Joe Rexrode, senior writer
No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 USF
1:30 p.m. ET on TNT
In a time when “ethical scoring” is under the microscope, this matchup might not be for the faint of heart. Expect fireworks, as both Louisville and USF rank in the top 20 nationally in scoring.
The South Florida Bulls live at the free-throw line — no team in the country gets there more frequently — attempting 27.1 free throws per game and knocking down 20.2 of them. It starts with American Player of the Year Izaiyah Nelson, who anchors the attack with a near double-double, averaging 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. But it doesn’t stop there. The Bulls roll out four other double-figure scorers, including leading bucket-getter Wes Enis at 16.8 points per game.
Louisville can also fill it up, but the Cardinals will be without future lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr., who remains sidelined with a back injury. It’s a major loss, but the Cardinals have navigated 12 games without him, going 7-5.
For Louisville, the formula is simple: score early and often. The Cardinals are nearly unbeatable when topping 80 points (18-1), but far more vulnerable when held under 75 (3-7). Ball movement is their backbone — they rank 25th nationally in assists per game (17.1), a key reason they led the ACC in 3-pointers per game.
Still, this feels like upset territory. If Louisville wants to survive, it starts on the glass. USF ranks seventh in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage, and second-chance points could tilt everything. Limit those, knock down open 3s, and the Cardinals just might find a way through. — Tobias Bass, staff editor
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point
1:50 p.m. ET on TBS
This could easily become the classic 5-12 upset, especially given the teams’ high-octane playing styles.
High Point enters Thursday with a 30-4 record, is riding a 14-game winning streak and averages 90 points per contest.
Yet, if Wisconsin plays the way it has played throughout the season, quietly becoming one of the country’s top offenses with quick and efficient scoring while slowing some of the country’s top offenses, High Point could be in for a rude awakening.
The Badgers defeated Michigan — one of the four No. 1 seeds in this tournament — 91-88 in Ann Arbor in a high-scoring affair in which John Blackwell, Nick Boyd and Aleksas Bieliauskas combined to score 65 points. They also defeated then-eighth-ranked Illinois 92-90 on the road and followed that with a 21-point beatdown of Michigan State at home.
The Badgers score a lot of points in the halfcourt — their method for the longest time — and average 16 assists per game. So, if they can dictate the tempo and thwart High Point’s attempts to speed them up and force turnovers with full-court pressure, the Badgers should come out on top. The Badgers turn the ball over fewer than 10 times per game, so it should be a fun one. — Zach Powell, staff editor
No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese State
3:15 p.m. ET on truTv
It’s a trend as old as March itself — offense can be slow to show up early in the NCAA Tournament. That plays directly into McNeese State’s identity. The Cowboys aren’t built on shooting, ranking 299th from 3-point range and 136th from two, but they dominate the glass and defend at an elite level.
Vanderbilt, on the other hand, brings one of the most efficient offenses in the country into this matchup. Per KenPom, the Commodores rank seventh nationally in offensive efficiency, sitting top 40 in two-point percentage, top 90 from 3, and an impressive fourth at the free-throw line.
The start early could tell the story late. Does Vandy come out making shots? Or will McNeese State’s defense overwhelm the Commodores?
If Vanderbilt grabs control, maintaining that pressure will be key, because McNeese thrives on relentless rim pressure, ranking top 70 in both free-throw attempts and makes. The Cowboys’ formula is simple: disrupt, pressure and force mistakes, leading the nation in defensive turnover percentage.
For Vanderbilt, the path is just as clear: execute, stay efficient and trust an offense that’s delivered all season. McNeese is dangerous, but unlike your typical Cinderella, it won’t beat you from deep. The Cowboys will try to drag you into the mud and win it their way. — Tobias Bass, staff editor
No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU
6:50 p.m. ET on TNT
This game could be a pressure test for UNC if it isn’t wise — even though VCU is seeded No. 11 — as the Rams are 27-7 and one of the hottest teams in this pod, having won 16 of their last 17 contests. The Atlantic 10 champs are defined by an aggressive style that could be described as organized chaos.
The Tar Heels certainly have an edge in various areas — size, rebounding and transition scoring — but VCU’s backcourt play will test UNC for 40 minutes. The Rams are +1.4 in turnover margin and force their opponents into 11.9 per game. They also average 7.4 steals per game.
UNC will need to do the simple things well: control the glass and protect the ball. VCU will pressure ball handlers, but the bigger question is, will the Tar Heels’ talent be enough to overcome a scrappy opponent or will VCU claw its way to an upset? — Zach Powell, staff editor
No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Texas A&M
7:35 p.m. ET on truTV
What happens when an unstoppable force of chaotic, nonstop pressure and movement meets two 7-foot immovable objects — plus a 6-foot-8 one? We’re going to find out. Texas A&M’s famous “Bucky Ball,” the name of coach Bucky McMillan’s high-chaos, high-pressure style, vaulted the Aggies to an 8-1 start to SEC play this season. In that stretch, they averaged 84.5 points per game and scored 90 or more three times.
The Aggies are known for their full-court pressure, high-tempo offense and rapid 3-point shooting. This season, they’re 11th in the country in pace with 76.0 possessions per game, 14th in 3s attempted per game at just under 30, and 43rd in steals per game at 8.1. Six players average double-digit scoring for Texas A&M.
The problem is, chaos isn’t always controllable.
Bucky McMillan’s Texas A&M squad loves to play fast, ranking 11th in the country in pace with 76.0 possessions per game. (Johnnie Izquierdo / Getty Images)
After the fast start to conference play, Texas A&M went 4-7 in its last 11 games. A lack of effective defense caught up to it, as the Aggies finished the year with the fourth-worst scoring defense (79.6 points allowed per game) in the SEC.
On the flip side, Saint Mary’s deploys three gargantuans in Andrew McKeever (7-foot-2, 285 pounds), Harry Wessels (7-foot-1, 280 pounds) and Paulius Murauskas (6-foot-8, 235 pounds). They’ll control the glass and make the runaway train that is Bucky Ball navigate through oak trees.
In Mikey Lewis and Joshua Dent, the Gaels, who knocked off three-seed Gonzaga in their regular-season finale, have talented guards. Against Texas A&M, the question will be whether Saint Mary’s can wade through the full-court press. On the flip side, the Aggies will be forced to bomb away from outside.
If styles make fights, this should be a good one. — Devon Henderson, staff writer
No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis
9:45 p.m. ET on CBS
A battle between Saint Louis, which ranks as the Atlantic 10 conference’s top team in KenPom rankings, and Georgia, whose 22 wins this season match its highest total since the turn of the century, could very well come down to which team has the better gas tank. Both offenses were elite scoring units this season, with the Bulldogs’ 89.8 points per game ranking fifth and the Billikens’ 87.2 points per game ranking 10th in the nation.
The style in which these teams racked up those points could make the difference Thursday night. Georgia led the NCAA with 19.91 fast break points per game and averaged 28.8 3-pointers per game, while Saint Louis’ methodical, halfcourt offense peppered defenses with a variety of scoring options — seven different players averaged over 9 points per game for Josh Schertz’s squad.
Many fans will be familiar with Saint Louis’ leading scorer, Robbie Avila, who previously starred at Indiana State. Avila averaged 12.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game this season as the Billikens frequently run their offense through the 6-foot-10 center.
Saint Louis will need every single one of those good looks to keep pace with Georgia, especially if the Bulldogs’ shots are falling and they can create turnovers to kickstart fast breaks. Sophomore Jeremiah Wilkinson starred in his first year at Georgia, leading the team with 17 points per game, but the Bulldogs’ second-round loss to Ole Miss in the SEC tournament highlighted how much they rely on him — Wilkinson hit just 3 of 12 field goals and missed six 3-pointers as Georgia lost by four points.
Similarly, Georgia’s second-leading scorer, Blue Cain, struggled mightily against Ole Miss, but his junior-year leap has been a key reason why the Bulldogs are in the dance for a second straight year. If he can supplement Wilkinson, the Bulldogs could advance.
But if Avila is finding open teammates all night, and Saint Louis shoots as well as they did all season (40.1 percent from deep), it’ll be hard to stop the Billikens from winning their first tournament game since 2014. — Mark Puleo, staff editor
Correction: A previous version of this article contained several errors in the section about Georgia and Saint Louis. Silas Demary Jr. plays for Connecticut. He is not Georgia’s primary scorer. Jabri Abdur-Rahim, who was listed as a player for Georgia, left the school in 2024. Gibson Jimerson and Yuri Collins were listed as the starting backcourt for Saint Louis, but Jimerson graduated last year and Collins last played for the Billikens in 2023. That section has been edited to reflect the correct rosters.
