Round 1 takeaways: Oweh saves Kentucky

The brackets are set, the action has tipped off, and March Madness has officially arrived. Follow along as theScore highlights key takeaways from the Round of 64 and what the results mean moving forward.

Kentucky's newest legend

Turns out that Day 1's drama was simply the opening act for the NCAA tourney's early headliner: the regulation ending of Kentucky versus Santa Clara.

The net had barely stopped moving after Allen Graves' clutch triple before Otega Oweh stole hero status from his Santa Clara counterpart with an absurd banked 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. It was an all-time shot for an all-time program that will be remembered for years ... because Kentucky finished the job.

Had the Broncos bounced back and claimed the victory, Oweh's shot would have a short shelf life. Instead, he's a legend in the state of Kentucky. The shot was the capper on an incredible day for the standout wing, who became the first player since Larry Bird - ever heard of him? - to post a stat line of at least 35 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in an NCAA Tournament game.

Kentucky will have to be significantly better all around in a possible Sunday matchup with No. 2 Iowa State - a lockdown defensive team that will work to contain Oweh. But the Wildcats can worry about that later. Celebrations are in order Friday after a historic shot summed up best by the man of the moment:

"It's March Madness. That's the type of vibe it is."

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White the closer for Virginia

It's impossible to look at Ryan Odom and Virginia on a basketball court with a double-digit seed and not think upset. Odom was the coach of UMBC when it became the first 16-seed to beat a No. 1 by shocking the Cavaliers eight years ago. Fast-forward to Friday with Odom now coaching Virginia, and No. 14 Wright State played the role of upstart underdog - and played it well. The Raiders led by three with under 6 minutes to play. The difference this time? Virginia had Jacari White.

The senior wing erupted for seven points and an assist during a 15-3 Cavaliers run that closed the game and secured the win. White's 26 points on a ridiculous 10-of-12 shooting performance marked his season high and, more importantly, ensured Virginia keeps dancing.

Thursday's action

Saint Louis parties in the paint

It's unclear what Georgia did in the four days since learning that Saint Louis was its first-round opponent, but you can be sure it didn't involve watching film of the Billikens' offense. The Bulldogs looked absolutely lost against Saint Louis' unique attack, getting absolutely sliced open with pinpoint passing time and again. Saint Louis made 42 field goals on 27 assists and outscored Georgia by an absurd 66-28 margin in the paint. That total of 66 is the most points in the paint in an NCAA Tournament game since 2016.

Look, Georgia isn't exactly the 2004 Detroit Pistons on defense - only two major conference teams in the NCAA Tournament are worse this year. However, Saint Louis had 97 points with five minutes to play when it began pulling starters. The Billikens finished with 102 and will now advance to play an equally explosive Michigan team that also went into the triple digits Thursday.

VCU feasts on North Carolina collapse

First, let's give VCU's Terrence Hill Jr. his flowers for a masterful performance off the bench in a thrilling overtime win over North Carolina. Hill erupted for 34 points against the Tar Heels, including a game-winning step-back triple with 15 seconds left in the extra frame.

Now that we've properly highlighted Hill and the Rams, the bright lights shift to North Carolina's collapse. The sixth-seeded Tar Heels appeared to be fine without star Caleb Wilson, opening up a comfortable 19-point lead with under 14 minutes to play in regulation. Even as the clock ticked down to seven minutes and the lead shrank to 14, Hubert Davis' outfit still looked strong.

So wait, how did this game go to overtime? In the blink of an eye, everything unraveled for North Carolina. Davis might as well have been Ron Burgundy, admitting, "Boy, that escalated quickly," with how fast things fell apart. That 14-point lead shrank to just two with 3:56 remaining, and even a five-point edge with just over a minute to play wasn't enough.

North Carolina's last field goal of the contest came with 2:44 to play ... in regulation. The Tar Heels went ice-cold from that point on, with four free throws being their only points in that 7:44 span. That inability to score - and Hill's unconscious shooting - is why the Rams are moving on.

Dybantsa can't be stopped, but BYU can

It's safe to say Texas didn't spend much time on Tuesday night's five-hour cross-country flight from Dayton to Portland preparing a game plan for how to stop AJ Dybansta.

Props to Sean Miller for his honesty in the interview because it was clear early that Dybansta wasn't going to be slowed down. However, that seemed to fit Miller's vision: let Dybantsa get his buckets but ensure no one else on BYU can carry the team past the Longhorns.

Mission accomplished for Miller.

Dybantsa showed why NBA teams are falling all over themselves and tanking for his services next season. The star freshman poured in 35 points - accounting for almost half of the Cougars' total of 71. That wouldn't be enough to avoid the upset, with No. 11 Texas now making it two wins in three days after beating NC State in the First Four.

Don't forget Mirkovic in freshman lists

You don't hear David Mirkovic's name on the list of fabulous freshmen across the country. He's not even the most sought-after first-year player on Illinois, as scouts have been heavily interested in Keaton Wagler. However, after Thursday's showing, the NBA will almost certainly take notice. The forward absolutely lit up Penn for 29 points and 17 rebounds in just 28 minutes of action, leading the Illini to a 105-70 blowout. Mirkovic is just the third freshman ever to top the 25-point, 15-rebound mark in a single NCAA Tournament game and the first since 1997.

Michigan's needed offensive eruption

If Michigan's offense maintains the level of play it showed Thursday, the Wolverines will be cutting down the nets in early April as the NCAA Tournament champions. Dusty May's team absolutely torched an overmatched Howard defense, shooting a torrid 67.3% from the field. That's the highest shooting percentage by any team in a March Madness game since Villanova's 2016 semifinal performance, according to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.

The offense will be what the positive Michigan fan talks about after Thursday's game. The cynic will be asking, "How the hell did the top-seeded Wolverines allow 46 points to Howard in the first half?" The nation's 268th-ranked offense somehow turned into the peak era Golden State Warriors overnight, connecting on 10 of 16 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. Some of that is just hot shooting, but Michigan will need to lock down the 3-point line before the Round of 32. Should Saint Louis beat Georgia in the late game Thursday, the Billikens, who boast the nation's second-best 3-point shooting attack, will be the Wolverines' opponent.

Chase Johnston, March Madness' latest hero

Even Jack Gohlke thinks Chase Johnston is a bad man. In the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Gohlke scored 32 points on 10 triples for Oakland to knock off Kentucky. What made him unique was the fact that over 97% of his made shots on the season were threes. High Point's Johnston is cut from the same cloth, except he took it a step further: All of his 64 made field goals this season were 3-pointers. Despite that resume, Johnston hit the most famous 2-pointer in High Point basketball history Thursday.

That's Johnston streaking to make the game-winning layup in the Panthers' 12-over-5 upset of Wisconsin, which was also his first 2-point basket of the year. Johnston was his usual self from deep in the win, connecting on 4-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc. However, his 1-foot shot will be the one that's remembered.

While Johnston's performance popped, High Point's comeback was far from a one-man show. Rob Martin, Terry Anderson, and Cam'Ron Fletcher all posted double-doubles, marking the first time three players from a double-digit seed accomplished that feat in one game since 1988, according to college basketball statistician Jared Berson.

Duke, WYD?

Duke is used to making NCAA Tournament history, but not the kind it made Thursday. This year's top overall seed became the first No. 1 to ever trail a No. 16 by double digits at the half of an opening-round game. You read that right, Siena torched Duke in the opening 20 minutes, running up an 11-point edge at the break. Upset watch was officially on.

The Blue Devils nabbing the overall top spot is a bit misleading because this version of Duke isn't the one we saw most of the season. With starters Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba sidelined, the ACC champs struggled mightily to find points throughout. Outside of the Boozer brothers, Cameron and Cayden, and Isaiah Evans, the rest of the Blue Devils scored only 14 of 71 total points. That may not have sunk them versus Siena, but they're cooked if that happens against a better team.

The Saints clearly tired down the stretch, scoring just 22 points in the second half. Some of that can be credited to Duke's increased aggression on defense, but Gerry McNamara - yes, that Gerry McNamara - played his starters exclusively until just 10.8 seconds remained. Siena would've been the first NCAA Tournament team to only play its starters in a game since 1979 if fouls hadn't forced a substitution.

In the end, Duke avoided joining Virginia and Purdue in the club of 1-seeds to lose to No. 16s. However, if you had the Blue Devils winning the title in your bracket, you might just be busted.

Nebraska FINALLY gets a win

The statistic sounds more unbelievable each time you read it, but entering the tourney, Nebraska had never won an NCAA Tournament game in the program's entire history. The fourth-seeded Cornhuskers were the only major conference team still winless all time in March Madness. That's "were" because Nebraska handled its business very quickly Thursday, running away from No. 13 Troy thanks to an outrageous shooting performance by Pryce Sandfort. The Cornhuskers' leading scorer torched the nets with a 7-of-12 performance from beyond the arc.

Blowing out the Trojans shows what Nebraska is capable of when its triples are falling. Fred Hoiberg's team is 12th nationally with 40.9% of its points coming from deep. The Huskers hoist it early and often, regardless of whether the shots are dropping. The shots did drop Thursday, and Troy had no chance. If Nebraska can keep that up, the team will be heading home with more than a single all-time NCAA Tournament win.

Madness hits immediately

It took exactly one game for the madness to arrive in this year's NCAA Tournament. The first contest in the Round of 64 was a banger, with Ohio State roaring back from a 15-point halftime deficit to tie it late. That set up a possible game-winner situation for the Horned Frogs, and the 9-seed ran perhaps the most Jamie Dixon late-game set in the history of late-game sets.

Dixon's long been one of the more underappreciated coaches in the country. He's made the NCAA Tournament in 16 of his last 23 years during stops at Pitt and TCU, and his teams are consistently praised for their incredible toughness and excellence around the hoop. The winning bucket epitomized both qualities and sent TCU to the next round with a chance at the first Sweet 16 berth in program history.

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