NCAA Tournament live updates: High Point upsets Wisconsin, No. 1 seed Duke trails Siena at halftime, and Nebraska gets first-ever tournament win

The Blue Devils are shooting only 39% from the field against Siena, including a putrid 13% from three-point land. Duke is lucky to be down only 11 considering the Saints are shooting 55% from the field and 45% from deep.

The Boozer brothers (Cameron and Cayden) have been great, scoring 21 points on 7-12 shooting. The rest of the team has 11 points on 4-16 from the field.

The Cardinals led this game by more than 20 points at one point, and the Bulls clawed their way back thanks to to a suffocating full-court press.

Louisville ended up turning the ball over 22 times, but its 3-point shooting proved to be the difference. The Cardinals shot 52% from deep (13-25), to hold off the Bulls for a 83-79 win.

Louisville will now play the winner of No. 3 seed Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State.

The Badgers’ last-second inbounds pass was intercepted and the Panthers will move on! We have our first 12-5 upset of the tournament!

Rob Martin was sensational for High Point, scoring 23 points.

Nick Boyd and John Blackwell combined to score 49 in a losing effort for Wisconsin.

Badgers trail 83-82.

The Saints have the first lead for the 16-seed at halftime since 2019. Siena has been lights out offensively, and a late switch to zone has helped keep Duke’s offense at bay.

The Badgers’ go-ahead attempt was rejected! High Point has the ball and an 83-82 lead with 1.6 seconds left!

High Point gets out on a fast break and takes an 83-82 lead with 11 seconds to go! Wisconsin has the ball after the timeout.

The Cowboys lead No. 5 seed Vanderbilt 26-20, with under eight minutes to play in the first half. They have four players who have scored at least five points.

It's back and forth for High Point and Wisconsin, featuring some great shot-making down the stretch. The Panthers trail the Badgers by just one point, and the next 55 seconds (or longer!) will decide if we have our first big upset of March.

The Bulls have the Cardinals in a vise grip with this full-court press. South Florida only trails Louisville 78-72, but has possession with 1:37 remaining.

Action has tightened slightly as we approach halftime.

Francis Folefac and Gavin Doty have combined for 21 points for the Saints so far, while the Boozer brothers have 17 for the Blue Devils.

The No. 12 seed from the Big South Conference has made things very tense for Wisconsin. Just as the Badgers were pulling away, a quick High Point spurt has brought it to a two-point game.

Wisconsin leads 72-70 with three minutes to go.

The Saints have a 33-24 lead with under seven minutes to go. Siena is shooting 57% from the field, including 56% from deep.

Whatever happens the rest of the way, credit to the Bulls for keeping this game close with their full-court press. They're the more physical team at this point, going for steals and loose balls. South Florida now has 14 (!) steals and has forced Louisville to turn the ball over 20 times.

Nevertheless, Louisville is winning 77-70 with under four minutes remaining.

The Cowboys have hit two 3-pointers as they've taken an early 12-5 lead over No. 5 seed Vanderbilt. McNeese State upset Clemson in last year's tourney.

Siena leads 26-16. The Saints can’t miss while the Duke offense is ice cold right now.

Crucial sequence there for Wisconsin, which used a few timely 3-pointers to build a modest eight-point lead. It's 69-61 Badgers with under eight minutes to go.

Wisconsin guard John Blackwell has cooled off a bit, but he still leads all scorers with 22 points.

USF has started pressing the Cardinals full-court, which is helping to keep the Bulls in this game. With under eight minutes to play, USF only trails Louisville 72-61. Izaiyah Nelson has 20 points and seven rebounds.

The Saints have opened up a 22-16 lead after back-to-back 3-pointers.

Siena is shooting 4-5 from deep compared to 2-10 for Duke, and that has played a major factor early. There’s 11:29 left in the first half.

This game isn't over just yet. South Florida just went on a 9-2 run to pull within 14 points. Louisville leads 70-56 with under nine minutes to play.

Buckle up: We've got one of our first major upset watches of the tournament. No. 12 seed High Point is tied with No. 5 seed Wisconsin 58-58 with under 12 minutes to go.

The Cardinals lead 66-44 and are shooting 50% from 3-point range (12-24). Isaac McKneely has 20 points and has made six 3-pointers himself.

The Saints have a 12-10 lead against No. 1 Duke with 14:44 left in the first half. Nice start for Siena.

The mid-major High Point Panthers are trying to play spoiler — and so far look the part. They're outrebounding the Badgers 27-20 and only trail by four with 15:46 to go.

Louisville's Isaac McKneely is feeling it now. He's shot 5-of-6 from 3-point range and has 17 points, as the Cardinals continue to build their lead.

No. 1 Duke, led by Cameron Boozer, has just tipped off its 1 vs. 16 matchup with Siena. The Blue Devils are out to an early 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals' Ryan Conwell just hit a 3-pointer, his first of the game, to extend their lead. He has 13 points now, to go with 11 from Isaac McKneely.

Louisville is winning 51-35 with about 15 minutes remaining in the game. The Cardinals are looking for their first NCAA Tournament win since 2017.

It only took eight tries, 130 years and a transfer from a rival.

Nebraska men's basketball finally clinched its first-ever NCAA Tournament win, thanks to a stellar 23-point performance from Iowa-transfer Pryce Sandfort.

The Cornhuskers played stellar defense and held the upset-minded Troy Trojans to just 47 points, one of their lowest scoring outputs of the year. After a shaky first 10 minutes, Nebraska found its footing, continuously building on its lead until the scoreboard read 76-47 at the final whistle.

The Huskers move on to the next round, where they will face either the McNeese State Cowboys or the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday.

Wisconsin's John Blackwell has poured in 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including three 3-pointers. But the Panthers aren't going away. They're winning the rebounding battle (23-19) and have grabbed eight offensive rebounds to steal extra possessions.

At the half, No. 5 Wisconsin only leads 41-39.

The Cardinals' Isaac McKneely leads all scorers with 11 points, and is shooting 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

South Florida is shooting a putrid 1-of-17 from 3-point range as a team, but is hanging around mostly by playing defense. The Bulls have forced 10 turnovers, which has led to some easy buckets.

TCU advances to the round of 32 after Bruce Thornton’s half-court heave didn’t fall as time expired.

What a finish!

The Horned Frogs will now play the winner of Duke and Siena in the next round.

Ohio State trails 66-64 and has the ball.

Another three to tie the game! It’s 64-64 with with 26.3 seconds to go! TCU has the ball after the timeout.

TCU leads 64-61.

An and-1 from David Punch has the Horned Frogs back in front!

Brock Harding got elbowed in the face ... but it was ruled a basketball play, and instead Bruce Thornton went to the free-throw line to give Ohio State a 59-58 lead with two minutes to go.

Badgers guard John Blackwell has 15 points early on and has shot 2-for-2 from 3-point range. Wisconsin is winning 34-26 with under seven minutes remaining in the first half.

The Cornhuskers are closing in on their first NCAA tournament win in program history. Their lead is out to 19 points with 11:41 to go.

Nebraska's scoring explosion has Troy's season on the ropes.

The Horned Frogs are back in front in what’s been a back-and-forth second half. It’s 58-57 TCU with 3:45 left.

Izaiyah Nelson just threw down a big dunk for the Bulls. Maybe that'll be the jolt that South Florida needs. Nelson is the team's engine, averaging 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

With four minutes left in the first half, Louisville still leads 30-20.

After an and-1 by David Punch, Amare Bynum followed up with a thunderous dunk. It’s 57-55 Ohio State with under 5 minutes to go!

Chase Johnston just nailed a 24-foot 3-pointer for High Point to give the Panthers life. About eight minutes into this one, Wisconsin leads 19-14.

The Trojans have made up a little ground since coming out of halftime but are still down double digits early in the second half. The Cornhuskers lead 44-30 with 15:58 remaining.

With under eight minutes left in the first half, the Cardinals lead South Florida 24-11, mostly because one team is hitting shots and the other is not. South Florida has missed 13 of its last 14 field goals and has only made one 3-pointer on the game.

What a second half for the Buckeyes.

They have their first lead since early in the first period, taking a 51-50 advantage with 7:05 left in regulation.

Ohio State is finally playing with confidence. Can TCU respond?

If you've never heard of High Point, you're about to. The Panthers went 30-4 this season and led the country in scoring margin, nearly 20 points a game. Watch for senior forward Terry Anderson, who averages 16 points and 6 rebounds per game.

The Cardinals are starting to find their shot, as four different players have hit 3-pointers now. They're 4-10 from 3-point range.

About 10 minutes left in the first half, Louisville leads 17-9.

The Horned Frogs just hit a stepback three to push their lead back to six. Great action in the second half so far, and we’re set up for an exciting finish.

TCU only leads Ohio State by three points now. We have a 43-40 game with about 12 minutes to go!

About five minutes into this game, Louisville is shooting 27% from the field and 20% from 3-point range. But the score is tied 7-7, because the Cardinals are crashing the glass. They have nine rebounds already, including five on the offensive glass.

Ohio State finally got its third three of the game to drop, cutting the TCU lead to 43-33. John Mobley Jr. is leading the Buckeyes with 10 points.

There’s plenty of time for the Buckeyes to make a run, with 14:10 left in the half.

The Cornhuskers ended the half on a massive 17-5 run, giving them a 41-25 lead. The Trojans' three-point shooting has dried up while Nebraska's leader Pryce Sandfort has taken over. He has 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

Troy's 10 turnovers only helped Nebraska widen the lead. The boys from the Sun Belt have a massive challenge ahead to pull this game closer after intermission.

After the Buckeyes scored the first four points of the half, TCU has got its lead back to 13, holding a 41-28 advantage with 15:56 to go.

Ohio State desperately needs a three to drop — the Buckeyes are shooting only 2-13 from deep.

Mikel Brown Jr., Louiville's star freshman point guard, is missing the game due to injury. He averages 18.2 points and 4.7 assists per game, and is expected to be a top pick in the coming NBA draft.

Can the Cardinals survive today without him?

The Buckeyes have ground to make up, but they’ve scored the first two baskets of the second half to cut the Horned Frogs’ lead to 11.

Nebraska has opened a double-digit lead late in the first half. Pryce Sandfort has 17 points, and Troy has only scored eight points across the past eight minutes of gameplay. The Trojans' upset chances are slipping quickly.

Nebraska leads Troy, 32-21.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by junior sharpshooter Pryce Sandfort have propelled the Cornhuskers to a 23-17 lead. He leads all scorers with nine points, already more than halfway to his 17.8 points-per-game average.

What a first half by TCU, which leads Ohio State 39-24 after a dominant first half.

The Horned Frogs were incredibly aggressive on defense, limiting the Buckeyes to 36% shooting and six turnovers.

TCU was led offensively by Xavier Edmonds and Micah Robinson, who combined for 23 points on 9-13 from the field.

A four-minute scoring drought for the upset-minded Trojans has them clinging on to a 13-12 lead with 11:33 remaining in the first half. Most of Troy’s points have come from deep so far, while most of Nebraska’s have come from close range.

The Trojans from Troy, Alabama, are off to a hot start shooting, making three of four attempts from 3-point land. Nebraska meanwhile is 0-4 from long-range. Trojans lead 9-6.

After the Buckeyes cut the lead to 1, the Horned Frogs are back out in front by six, leading 23-17 with about six minutes to go.

Xavier Edmonds leads all scorers with eight points.

We’ve tipped off in Oklahoma City between 4-seed Nebraska and 13-seed Troy.

The Cornhuskers, who have been playing organized basketball since 1896, are looking for their first-ever NCAA tournament win, while the Trojans of the Sun Belt Conference look to pull off the first upset in this year’s bracket.

Ohio State has cut TCU’s lead to 14-13. Every Buckeyes starter has at least two points, and no one has more than Bruce Thornton’s five.

A little over five minutes in and the Horned Frogs have a 10-5 advantage over the Buckeyes.

The first game of a jam-packed weekend is underway, as No. 9 TCU and No. 8 Ohio State just tipped off, signaling the start of March Madness as we know and love it.

*We know about the First Four and are choosing not to discuss it at this time.

If you have been procrastinating or struggling to make your picks, here is your solution.

Read on to check out our experts’ picks for national champion, the Final Four, big upsets and everything in between.

The Lancers employ a unique defense and boast one of the top scorers in the country in Dominique Daniels. But this pick is more rooted in my doubts about Kansas. They are talented and capable, to be sure, with wins over both Arizona and Houston. But they can be baffling too, with blowout losses to Cincinnati and Arizona State, and no one knows which version of their star Darryn Peterson will show up. Since winning the national title in 2022, the Jayhawks have yet to make it out of the first weekend. There are enough question marks here to get me dreaming of a classic March Madness upset.

Who are the most “tourney made” players in the NCAA Tournament? Pierre Andresen and Christian Odjakjian highlight who they believe will have the biggest impact for their programs.

The men’s NCAA Tournament was rather chalky a year ago — and not just because all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four for just the second time in history. March was missing much its madness from the jump, with just 13 outright underdog wins over the course of the entire tournament, which tied for the fewest in the big dance since it expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Here are the non-No. 1 seeds with the best odds to cut down the nets in Indianapolis:

No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 4 Arkansas in the Sweet 16

The tournament’s top overall seed, Duke, has to contend with a stacked region in the East, which means that the very slight favorite to cut down the nets in most betting markets is actually Arizona. They are certainly worthy of that distinction. The Wildcats are 32-2 overall and enter the tournament on a nine-game winning streak that includes four wins against top-10 teams. They are the best team from the best conference and feature an unusually balanced attack; all five starters average double digits in scoring.

But what a test they could get in the Sweet 16 from Arkansas and its star guard Darius Acuff Jr., who is perhaps the most explosive and exciting star in the tournament. He averages 22 points a game but scored more than that in all four SEC tournament games, leading the Razorbacks to their first conference crown in 26 years. The winner of this game — if it comes to pass — might just keep rolling all the way to the title.

Darryn Peterson, by nature, isn’t a terribly public person. That’s not a bad thing — Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and others have had Hall of Fame NBA careers while taking extra steps to maintain their privacy.

However, that limited communication can become an issue when the waters get rough — and they were rough for Peterson this season at Kansas. He’s missed 11 games — some to a sprained ankle, others because of a couple of illnesses — and then there were the early exits that drew a lot of attention. Multiple times, Peterson checked himself out of games because of cramping concerns, including against BYU and the other potential No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa — Peterson was dominant in the first half but left early in the third quarter. He has yo-yoed in and out of the lineup all season.

Pierre Andresen and Christian Odjakjian believe that Michigan is the most vulnerable No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and share why the absence of L.J. Cason heavily impacts its chances.

T'd Up analyzes the most interesting first-round matchups of the NCAA Tournament, discussing why Texas A&M vs. Saint Mary’s is the ultimate clash of styles and a deep dive into Ohio State vs. TCU.

One of the most maddening parts of March Madness is predicting where the upsets will happen.

Everyone knows they’re coming. Fans examine their brackets looking for double-digit seeds to become the next Cinderella team. But with just a 1-in-9 quintillion chance of filling out a perfect bracket, it’s practically impossible to nail every pick.

Double-digit seeds are the biggest culprits of busting brackets. Which ones are most likely to pull off first-round upsets?

As Georgetown’s superstar center, Patrick Ewing won one NCAA championship game, in 1984, and lost two other finals — on Michael Jordan’s game-winning shot in 1982 and in an all-time upset to Villanova in 1985. Four decades later, Ewing is still so closely associated with March Madness that AT&T put him in an ad that will run throughout the tournament.

“Losing by one point to North Carolina, that was rough,” Ewing told NBC News. And the Villanova loss, “that’s still hard to even talk about.”

Ewing’s lone win came over Houston and star Hakeem Olajuwon. That season, Georgetown dealt with the death of Ewing’s mother, coach John Thompson’s mother and the mothers of two of Ewing’s teammates. “We had so [much] adversity that it was so great to achieve it, even with all those things going on,” he said.

Patrick Ewing and coach John Thompson hug after winning the national title. Anonymous / AP

A decade later, Olajuwon got revenge when he and the Houston Rockets beat Ewing and the New York Knicks for the NBA championship. After the game, did Olajuwon tell Ewing they were even now?

“Yes, he did,” Ewing said, laughing.

Filling out March Madness brackets can be overwhelming. There are so many games to pick and so much terminology floating around. These terms are supposed to help people pick the games, but if you don’t know what they mean, they can come across as confusing.

If you’ve encountered this issue, you have come to the right place.

Trysta Krick and Drew Dinsick break down their top bets for the first day of NCAA Tournament play, picking Nebraska and Houston to cover in their matchups versus Troy and Idaho, respectively.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer says starting big man Patrick Ngongba II is “very unlikely” to play today's first-round game against Siena because of soreness in his right foot.

The 6-foot-11, 250-pound sophomore has missed four straight games for the Blue Devils (32-2), first as a game-time decision for the regular-season finale against rival North Carolina and then last week’s three-game run to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title.

Scheyer previously expressed optimism that Ngongba would be ready for the start of the NCAA Tournament after the foot issues crept up during a late-season win at N.C. State.

NBA Showtime makes its official Final Four predictions ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

In the men’s bracket, chaos typically reigns supreme in the first weekend. Here are three double-digit-seeded teams that could pull off an upset or two this week:

No. 11 seed Virginia Commonwealth: The Rams are one of the hottest teams in the country, having won 16 of their last 17 games en route to winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament. They’re prolific from 3-point range, and they’re coached by Phil Martelli Jr., the son of St. Joe’s coaching legend Phil Martelli. On Thursday, VCU plays No. 6 seed North Carolina, which is without injured star Caleb Wilson.

Last year’s “Cinderella” was No. 10 seed Arkansas. Two years ago, it was No. 11 seed N.C. State. If a new era is dawning, this may be the type of March magic we now have to settle for — teams that finished in the bottom half of power conferences getting on a roll when it really counts. Who could be this year’s version? It might be Texas A&M, the No. 10 seed in the South.

The Aggies play “Bucky Ball,” the relentless, up-tempo style that can flummox foes. It’s become the trademark of their first-year coach Bucky McMillan, who nearly led Samford to an upset of Kansas in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Pierre Andresen and Christian Odjakjian reveal their biggest upsets in the NCAA Tournament, urging viewers to keep an eye on Hawaii against Arkansas and High Point’s matchup against Wisconsin.