March Madness Day 2: Anticipation Builds as 32 Teams Take the Court

March Madness Day 2: Anticipation Builds as 32 Teams Take the Court

March Madness is in full swing, and after an exhilarating Day 1 of the NCAA tournament, fans are eagerly awaiting the action-packed Day 2. With 32 teams set to hit the court on Friday, basketball enthusiasts are in for a treat with over 12 hours of non-stop hoops. The excitement is palpable as we gear up for the NCAA tournament debut of Duke’s superstar Cooper Flagg, who is making his return from an ankle injury that sidelined him during two games in the ACC tournament. All eyes will be on him to see if he can lead Duke to victory.

Meanwhile, the North Carolina Tar Heels are riding high after their big First Four win. The question on everyone’s mind is whether they can maintain that momentum and pull off an upset against Ole Miss. It’s a classic David vs. Goliath scenario, and fans are eager to see if North Carolina can rise to the occasion.

Whether you’re glued to your TV watching all 16 first-round games or constantly refreshing the score pages, this guide will keep you updated with all the major highlights and results. Plus, you’ll get reactions and on-site reporting from ESPN writers stationed across the country, bringing you the latest insights and analysis.

Today’s Schedule

• No. 16 Norfolk State vs. No. 1 Florida, 6:50 p.m. (TNT)
• No. 14 Troy vs. No. 3 Kentucky, 7:10 p.m. (CBS)
• No. 10 New Mexico vs. No. 7 Marquette, 7:25 p.m. (TBS)
• No. 13 Akron vs. No. 4 Arizona, 7:35 p.m. (truTV)
• No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 8 UConn, 9:25 p.m. (TNT)
• No. 11 Xavier vs. No. 6 Illinois, 9:45 p.m. (CBS)
• No. 15 Bryant vs. No. 2 Michigan State, 10 p.m. (TBS)
• No. 12 Liberty vs. No. 5 Oregon, 10:10 p.m. (truTV)

Day 1 Results

Most recent games listed first.

Saint Mary’s vs. Vanderbilt

Final: Saint Mary’s beat Vanderbilt 59-56

How Saint Mary’s won: Vanderbilt had two chances to send the game to overtime. Instead, 3-point attempts by Jason Edwards and Devin McGlockton careened no good off the rim, propelling St. Mary’s to the Round of 32 for the third time in four years. The Gaels rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit by owning the paint, outrebounding the Commodores 24-13 in the second half. Luke Barrett and Mitchell Saxen both posted double-doubles for the Gaels. Saxen grabbed the final offensive rebound for St. Mary’s and drew a foul to get back to the line, making the second free throw to put the Gaels up three. Vandy had two open looks to tie it up. Instead, the Commodores have now lost eight of their last nine NCAA tournament games. — Jake Trotter

Duke vs. Mount St. Mary’s

Final: Duke beat Mount St. Mary’s 93-49

How Duke won: There was little doubt about Duke advancing from tip. The Blue Devils thumped Mount St. Mary’s by 44 points, with four players in double figures and head coach Jon Scheyer emptying his bench for the final five minutes of action. It wasn’t exactly a crisp performance for the No. 1-seeded Duke, but Mount St. Mary’s made it easy, shooting just 8-of-33 from the field and 2-of-13 from 3 in the second half. The Mountaineers went more than eight minutes without scoring at one point. The Blue Devils now face Baylor with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. — David Hale

Colorado State vs. Memphis

Final: Colorado State beat Memphis 78-70

How Colorado State won: Another 5-seed bit the dust in the first round with Kyan Evans helping Colorado State make it happen against Penny Hardaway’s Memphis. The Tigers controlled the first half en route to a 36-31 lead, with Dain Dainja leading the way while PJ Haggerty — the nation’s third-leading scorer — struggled to find the bottom of the net. But Evans caught fire in the second half to the tune of a season-high 23 points and a pair of 3-pointers that helped the Rams stretch their lead to 10 points in the final minutes. Haggerty did finish with 18 points on 7-of-23 shooting, but six of those points came in the final minute, by which point CSU had all but punched its ticket to the second round. — Brady Henderson

Iowa State vs. Lipscomb

Final: Iowa State beat Lipscomb 82-55

How Iowa State won: Milwaukee continues to be a favorite spot for Iowa State and coach T.J. Otzelberger, who grew up in the city and led the Cyclones to the Sweet 16 here in 2022. ISU displayed its standard stifling defense, holding Lipscomb to a season-low 55 points and just 28.6% shooting from 3-point range, where the Bisons typically do most of their damage. The Cyclones kept the ball away from top Bisons scorer Jacob Ognacevic until the game was out of reach, and they led by more than 20 points for the final 13:32. The difference between Friday and three years ago was an ISU offense that showed its potency, mainly behind Milwaukee-area native Milan Momcilovic, who had his first 20-point game since November. ISU also regained point guard Tamin Lipsey, who had 10 points and four assists in his return from a groin injury. — Adam Rittenberg

Alabama vs. Robert Morris

Final: Alabama beat Robert Morris 90-81

How Alabama won: Robert Morris forward and Cleveland native Amarion Dickerson delivered a memorable performance in his hometown, but the Colonials ran out of steam down the stretch. Dickerson scored a game-high 25 points and briefly gave the Colonials their first lead with a driving-and-1 basket with 7:44 to play, prompting the packed Rocket Arena crowd to erupt with “Amarion” and “Robert Morris” chants. Alabama ultimately salted the game away by drawing fouls and getting to the line. The Crimson Tide also got a late boost from forward Grant Nelson, who sat out the first 31 minutes and 13 seconds after injuring his left knee in last week’s SEC tournament. Nelson, Alabama’s leading rebounder (7.6 per game), scored five points and grabbed three rebounds in his limited minutes. When he returned to the bench, the Crimson Tide had the game in hand 82-71. — Jake Trotter

Baylor vs. Mississippi State

Final: Baylor beat Mississippi State 75-72

How Baylor won: What was a comfortable 11-point lead for Baylor with a little more than eight minutes on the clock turned into a nail-biter in the final minute, but VJ Edgecombe drained two critical free throws while Mississippi State’s Claudell Harris Jr. airmailed a deep 3 out of bounds with less than 1 second left on the clock. It’s Scott Drew’s fifth straight year opening the NCAA tournament with a first-round win, though the Bears haven’t advanced to the second weekend since winning it all in 2021. — David Hale