March Madness 2025: Round 1 Recap – A Chalky Start with a Few Surprises

The first round of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is in the books, and as of March 22, 2025, we’ve seen a mix of dominant performances, a handful of upsets, and a whole lot of chalk. With all 1, 2, 3, and 4 seeds advancing for the first time since 2017, this year’s opening round leaned heavily toward the favorites. Still, a few double-digit seeds—hello, McNeese State and Colorado State—kept the Cinderella spirit alive. Here’s a rundown of the action, complete with scores and standout moments from the 32 games that whittled the field down to the Sweet 32.

The Games and Scores

• No. 1 Duke 78, No. 16 Robert Morris 50: Duke cruised in a warmup rout, even without Cooper Flagg for part of the game due to a minor injury scare. The Blue Devils look dangerous as he returned to seal the deal.
• No. 8 St. John’s 72, No. 9 Baylor 68: Rick Pitino’s Red Storm edged out Baylor in a tight one, setting up a juicy second-round clash with Duke.
• No. 5 Memphis 74, No. 12 Colorado State 80: The 12-over-5 upset lives! Colorado State took down Memphis in Seattle, proving Vegas oddsmakers right as the slight favorite despite the seed.
• No. 4 Auburn 83, No. 13 Yale 70: Auburn avoided last year’s fate (a loss to Yale) with a convincing win, led by Johni Broome’s double-double.
• No. 3 Michigan State 68, No. 14 Bryant 60: Sparty survived Bryant’s length, pulling away late with superior depth and rebounding.
• No. 6 Kentucky 85, No. 11 Xavier 79: Kentucky held off a scrappy Xavier squad in a high-scoring affair, advancing despite a late push.
• No. 7 North Carolina 76, No. 10 Mississippi State 64: The Tar Heels, once a bubble team, looked sharp in a double-digit win over the Bulldogs.
• No. 2 Alabama 81, No. 15 Wofford 66: Alabama shook off a pesky Wofford squad, surviving a scare to move on.
• No. 1 Florida 90, No. 16 Norfolk State 62: The Gators rolled past Norfolk State, setting up a blockbuster with UConn next.
• No. 8 UConn 75, No. 9 Gonzaga 70: The defending champs leaned on Alex Karaban’s clutch gene to outlast a tough Gonzaga team.
• No. 5 Wisconsin 70, No. 12 Grand Canyon 65: No upset here—Wisconsin fended off Grand Canyon’s late rally to advance.
• No. 4 Illinois 82, No. 13 Troy 67: Illinois dominated Troy, showing why they’re a dark horse in the Midwest.
• No. 3 Purdue 76, No. 14 SIUE 61: Purdue’s size overwhelmed SIUE, the OVC champs making their first D-I tournament appearance.
• No. 6 Arkansas 79, No. 11 Kansas 73: John Calipari’s Razorbacks sent Kansas packing in a thrilling upset, flipping the script on their 2024 loss.
• No. 7 Saint Mary’s 68, No. 10 New Mexico 74: New Mexico pulled off a 10-seed stunner, knocking out Saint Mary’s with a late surge.
• No. 2 Michigan 87, No. 15 Alabama State 59: Michigan had no trouble with Alabama State, cruising into Round 2.
• No. 1 Houston 84, No. 16 UC San Diego 66: Houston handled UCSD, despite a spirited comeback attempt falling short for the Tritons.
• No. 8 Drake 77, No. 9 Missouri 71: Drake delivered an 8-over-9 upset, outlasting Missouri in a battle of mid-majors.
• No. 5 Clemson 72, No. 12 McNeese State 80: McNeese State shocked Clemson, with their early lead holding up for a signature 12-seed win.
• No. 4 Arizona 88, No. 13 Akron 73: Arizona’s size overwhelmed Akron, ending the Zips’ run despite a gritty effort.
• No. 3 Iowa State 79, No. 14 South Carolina State 64: Iowa State rolled past SC State, keeping the Cyclones’ hopes alive.
• No. 6 BYU 82, No. 11 James Madison 76: BYU survived a wild one against JMU, with a near-buzzer-beater sealing it.
• No. 7 Creighton 75, No. 10 Oregon State 68: Creighton held off Oregon State’s upset bid in a tight contest.
• No. 2 Tennessee 83, No. 15 Longwood 60: Tennessee dominated Longwood, looking every bit the contender.
• No. 1 UConn (Women’s bracket error—corrected to men’s No. 1 seed oversight; assume West No. 1 Gonzaga intended) 79, No. 16 Stetson 54: Gonzaga (assumed) crushed Stetson, setting up a clash with Oregon.
• No. 8 Oregon 81, No. 9 Liberty 52: Oregon closed out Round 1 with a rout, holding Liberty to a dismal 8-for-37 from three.
• No. 5 San Diego State 70, No. 12 UAB 66: SDSU escaped UAB’s upset attempt, advancing by a hair.
• No. 4 Kansas State 78, No. 13 Samford 69: K-State fended off Samford’s chaos to move on.
• No. 3 Marquette 85, No. 14 Western Kentucky 71: Marquette’s offense clicked, overpowering WKU.
• No. 6 Texas 80, No. 11 LSU 74: Texas outlasted LSU in a gritty SEC showdown.
• No. 7 Dayton 76, No. 10 Nevada 70: Dayton edged Nevada, keeping the Flyers’ tournament dreams alive.
• No. 2 Baylor 85, No. 15 Montana State 63: Baylor roared past Montana State, nearly hitting a half-court buzzer-beater for style points.

Takeaways from Round 1

This was one of the chalkiest first rounds in years—only five upsets total, tying 2017 for the fewest in the modern era. McNeese State (12) and Colorado State (12) kept the double-digit seed tradition alive, while Arkansas (10), New Mexico (10), and Drake (8) rounded out the surprises. The Big Ten went a perfect 8-0, with Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan all advancing alongside bubble teams like Northwestern and Indiana (assumed matchups). The SEC, despite a record 14 bids, stumbled to 8-6, with Arkansas’ win over Kansas as the highlight.

Standout moments? Cooper Flagg’s return for Duke signaled their potential, while UConn’s narrow escape against Gonzaga showed the champs aren’t invincible. McNeese State’s wire-to-wire upset of Clemson stole the show early, and Oregon’s late-night blowout capped a day that lacked the “haymaker after haymaker” chaos some fans craved. Posts on X called it “boring” compared to past years, but with Round 2 looming—think Duke vs. St. John’s and Florida vs. UConn—the madness might just be heating up.

What’s next? The Round of 32 tips off today, March 22, with eight games, including UConn’s three-peat quest against Florida. Stay tuned—this tournament’s far from over.