26. Northwestern Wildcats (No. 9 seed, 22-11)
Thanks to a last-second tying shot in regulation and a scorching overtime, Northwestern knocked out the darlings of the 2023 tournament. Ryan Langborg scored 12 of his game-high 27 points in the extra session. Up next? A, um, difficult date against top-seeded UConn.
25. Grand Canyon Antelopes (No. 12 seed, 30-4)
Practically all season, Grand Canyon stood out as a problematic first-round foe. More importantly, the Antelopes backed up the hype and bounced fifth-seeded Saint Mary's. While offensive depth isn't a strength for GCU, the Lopes create a ton of free-throw opportunities and could slow Alabama's blistering pace in a fascinating way.
24. Michigan State Spartans (No. 9 seed, 20-14)
Oh boy, is Mr. March about to make another run? Michigan State's calm win over Mississippi State has created a showdown with North Carolina. Tom Izzo's squad must handle UNC star Armando Bacot in the post, but the Spartans' slow tempo and superb defense will present a tough matchup.
23. Colorado Buffaloes (No. 10 seed, 26-10)
As if a 102-100 victory isn't enough of a video game, Colorado's box score is fantastic. Every starter collected at least 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal in the thrilling win over Florida. Fair to say CU needs to play much better defense with No. 2 Marquette on the horizon.
22. Texas A&M Aggies (No. 9 seed, 21-14)
Nebraska put up little resistance in a lopsided loss to A&M. Entering the game, the Aggies owned the third-worst field-goal percentage of any tourney team. They proceeded to rack up 98 points with a trio of 20-point scorers, which should be mildly disturbing to a top-seeded Houston squad that can encounter some ice-cold spurts on offense.
21. Dayton Flyers (No. 7 seed, 25-7)
Not exactly how you draw it up, but survive and advance! Dayton overcame a 17-point deficit in the last eight minutes of the clash with Nevada, ultimately squeezing out a 63-60 win. Arizona's high-scoring offense likely won't be as forgiving in the second round.
