One and done for BYU, AJ Dybantsa: Texas handles Cougars in star freshman's likely only NCAA Tournament game

Dybantsa couldn't lift BYU over the Longhorns, Buckyball is a winner in NCAA Tournament debut and more takeaways

AJ Dybantsa's enthralling stop in college basketball likely came to an end Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, as No. 6 seed BYU fell 79-71 to No. 11 seed Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The nation's leading scorer went out in typically prolific fashion with 35 points as the Cougars failed in their bid to rally from a 17-point second-half deficit.

Dybantsa is No. 2 in the CBS Sports NBA Draft Prospect Rankings and is expected to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft after leading college basketball in scoring. While his stop at BYU didn't bring the team success that once appeared possible, it will still go down as one of the more memorable campaigns from a one-and-done prospect in recent years.

With a double-double on his way out, Dybantsa left one final impression in a BYU uniform for his case to be the No. 1 overall pick. Following a season-ending injury to sidekick Richie Saunders, the Cougars simply lacked the supporting cast to maximize the potential which Dybantsa brought.

Texas wasn't the only double-digit seed to survive and advance. Thursday of the NCAA Tournament's first week always delivers, and that was especially true this year, as the first day of the first round brought thrilling finishes and upsets. In a couple of cases, the same game brought both as 16 teams punched their ticket to the second round.

Here are three takeaways from an action-packed day of the Big Dance.

High Point's big stunner

Most notable from the upset category was No. 12 seed High Point stunning No. 5 seed Wisconsin 83-82 in a most unlikely way. It was 3-point specialist Chase Johnston who delivered the go-ahead layup with 11 seconds remaining for his first 2-point bucket of the season. Johnston also drilled three 3-pointers over the final five minutes as the Panthers edged their way back from a 68-61 deficit.

Wisconsin has not escaped the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2017, which was coach Greg Gard's first season. The Badgers have now been bounced on the first weekend as a No. 5 seed or better five times under Gard.

VCU competes historic comeback

Elsewhere, No. 11 seed VCU roared back from 19 points down to beat No. 6 seed North Carolina 82-78 in overtime behind a career-high 34 points from Terrence Hill Jr. His 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in the extra period put the Rams ahead 80-78 and helped finish off the largest Round of 64 comeback in NCAA Tournament history.

UNC's horrendous late-game execution laid bare the shortcomings of a team operating without star freshman Caleb Wilson. North Carolina committed two turnovers in the final 30 seconds of regulation and made just 12 of 20 free throws. The Heels did not make a basket from the floor over the game's final 7:44, including the end of regulation and all of overtime. After opening up a 10-0 edge in points off turnovers during the first half, the Tar Heels added just one more point off a turnover the rest of the way.

Texas A&M dominates Saint Mary's

Texas A&M's roller-coaster season under first-year coach Buck McMillan hit a milestone on Thursday, as the No. 10 seed Aggies dominated No. 7 seed Saint Mary's 63-50. It marked the first career NCAA Tournament victory for first-year A&M coach Bucky McMillan, who came agonizingly close to stunning Kansas in the Big Dance while coaching Samford in 2024.

2026 NCAA Tournament scores

All times Eastern | NCAA Tournament schedule | LIVE bracket

(8) TCU 66, (9) Ohio State 64 Highlights	(4) Nebraska 76, (13) Troy 47 Highlights
(6) Louisville 83, (11) South Florida 79 Highlights	12) High Point 83, (5) Wisconsin 82 Highlights
(1) Duke 71, (16) Siena 65 Highlights	(5) Vanderbilt 78, (12) McNeese 68 Highlights
(3) Michigan State 92, (14) North Dakota State 67 Highlights	(4) Arkansas 97, (13) Hawaii 78 Highlights
(11) VCU 82, (6) North Carolina 78 Highlights	(1) Michigan 101, (16) Howard 80 Highlights
(11) Texas 79, (6) BYU 71 Highlights	(10) Texas A&M  63, (7) Saint Mary's 50 Highlights
(3) Illinois 105, (14) Penn 70 Highlights	(9) Saint Louis 102, (8) Georgia  77  Highlights
(3) Gonzaga 73, (14) Kennesaw State 64 Highlights	(2) Houston 78, (15) Idaho 47 Highlights

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[Mar 20, 2026 at 12:38 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: (3) Gonzaga 73, (14) Kennesaw State 64

The final game of the night featured No. 3 seed Gonzaga surviving an upset scare from No. 14 seed Kennesaw State. The Owls made things interesting late, but the Zags were able to hold on to advance to the second round. Gonzaga will face No. 11 seed Texas in the second round on Saturday. Gonzaga was eliminated in the second round last season, which snapped its streak of consecutive Sweet 16 appearances at nine.

After Day 1 of the first round, 16 teams are moving on and the other 16 are going home. Here are the matchups for Saturday.

• (9) Saint Louis vs. (1) Michigan
• (6) Louisville vs. (3) Michigan State
• (9) TCU vs. (1) Duke
• (10) Texas A&M vs. (2) Houston
• (11) Texas vs. (3) Gonzaga
• (11) VCU vs. (3) Illinois
• (5) Vanderbilt vs. (4) Nebraska
• (12) High Point vs. (4) Arkansas

[Mar 19, 2026 at 11:18 pm ET · David Cobb]

—Gonzaga trailed Kennesaw State 14-7 early in the first half, but the Zags closed the half on a 10-0 run and are up 33-27 on Kennesaw State at halftime.
—Illinois is getting a huge game from David Mirkovic (19 points and 13 rebounds so far) and leads Penn 61-45 midway through the second half. Keaton Wagler is getting hot, too, and is up to 18 points.
— Saint Louis was on fire in the first half and leads Georgia 49-32 at halftime.
— Houston is having no problem vs. Idaho, leading 48-24 at halftime. 

[Mar 19, 2026 at 9:51 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: (11) Texas 79, (6) BYU 71

Texas is moving on to the second round after holding on for an 79-71 win over No. 6 seed BYU. The Longhorns led by as many as 17 points midway through the second half and were able to hold on to advance. Texas was coming off a win over NC State in the First Four earlier this week.

The player of the game for Texas was big man Matas Vokietaitis. He finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds. The Longhorns will face the winner of No. 3 seed Gonzaga and No. 14 seed Kennesaw State on Saturday.

The loss by BYU means this is likely the end of the line for star forward AJ Dybantsa at the college level. Dybantsa, who is a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, finished with a double-double (35 points and 10 rebounds) in what is likely his final college game.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 9:46 pm ET · David Cobb]

Final: (10) Texas A&M 63, (7) Saint Mary's 50

Saint Mary's picked up a bout with sickness at the wrong time, as the No. 7 seed Gaels fell 63-50 to No. 10 seed Texas A&M while leading scorer Paulius Murauskas came off the bench due to illness. The Gaels wilted against A&M's up-tempo style while committing an uncharacteristic 18 turnovers. Rashaun Agee led the way for Texas A&M with 22 points on 7 of 11 shooting. This marks nine NCAA Tournament appearances in a row in which Saint Mary's has failed to advance beyond the first weekend. First-year Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillan has his first win in the Big Dance after leading Samford agonizingly close to a win over Kansas two years ago.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 9:24 pm ET · David Cobb]

Final: (11) VCU 82, (6) North Carolina 78 (OT)

VCU pulled off the largest comeback in Round of 64 history by roaring back from 19 down in the second half to knock off North Carolina in overtime. Shoddy situational execution will haunt the Tar Heels, who had ample opportunity to close this game out in regulation. An 8-of-15 mark from the free-throw line across the second half and overtime for UNC also looms large in the outcome. Terrence Hill Jr. played the role of hero for the Rams as he finished with a career-high 34 points on 13-of-23 shooting.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 9:04 pm ET · David Cobb]

OT: North Carolina 75, VCU 75

North Carolina just collapsed down the stretch in embarrassing fashion after leading VCU 56-37 five minutes into the second half. The Tar Heels failed to get the basketball in bounds with 28.6 seconds remaining while nursing a two-point lead. Inexplicably, UNC did not use its last timeout in that critical moment, leading to a 5-second call. VCU's Terrence Hill Jr. tied the game with an open drive to the cup on the subsequent possession. Even then, North Carolina had the ball with the game tied at 75 and eight seconds remaining. Once again, the Tar Heels coughed it up. Now, VCU will have a chance in overtime to pull off the largest comeback in NCAA Tournament Round of 64 history.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 8:27 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

HALF: (11) Texas 46, (5) BYU 37

No. 11 seed Texas leads No. 6 seed BYU 46-37 at halftime. The Longhorns haven't been able to stop BYU star AJ Dybantsa (18 points), but it hasn't mattered ... yet. The Cougars have zero bench points and are just 1 of 9 from the 3-point line. Dybantsa could break the NCAA Tournament freshman scoring record that is held by De'Aaron Fox (39 points). Texas coach Sean Miller joked during his TV interview that you "can't" stop Dybantsa.

The problem is, no one other than Robert Wright III and Kennard Davis Jr. is stepping up. Those three players have all 37 of BYU's points.

Texas big man Matas Vokietaitis has 15 points.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 8:19 pm ET · David Cobb]

Half: Michigan 50, Howard 46

Howard made Michigan work in the first half as the Bison poured in an uncharacteristic barrage of nine 3-pointers. Kenneth Blakeney's club entered averaging just 6.8 made triples per game, but Howard drilled 10 in the first half. Cam Gillus led the charge, going 4 for 4 from beyond the arc. The Wolverines are getting great looks at will and shooting 65.4%, and it's a good thing. Otherwise, they would be firmly on upset watch.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 8:12 pm ET · David Cobb]

14:57 2H: North Carolina 56, VCU 37

North Carolina's Henri Veesaar is dominating on the interior against a scrappy VCU that simply doesn't have an answer for his size. The Arizona transfer has 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists already. The Tar Heels as a team are hot to start the second half with 17 points over the first 5:02 after leading by 11 at the break. Seth Trimble is up to 12 points with the help of three steals as UNC owns a 10-0 edge in points off turnovers.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 7:18 pm ET · David Cobb]

8:34 1H: North Carolina 24, VCU 18

North Carolina is off to a strong start against No. 11 seed VCU. The Rams are a trendy upset pick against the No. 6 seed Tar Heels, who are playing without star freshman Caleb Wilson. Early on, the Heels have been led by freshman Derek Dixon, who is 2 for 2 from beyond the arc. A couple of VCU turnovers have led to transition buckets for UNC, which has already gone nine deep even amid Wilson's absence. Jarin Stevenson is on the bench with a couple of early fouls for UNC.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 6:43 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: (3) Michigan State 92, (14) North Dakota State 67

Michigan State cruised to a 92-67 win over NDSU behind 20 points and 10 rebounds from Carson Cooper. Four different MSU players finished with at least 10 points, including Coen Carr, who scored 17 points on an efficient 7 of 9 from the floor. The win marked career victory No. 60 for MSU coach Tom Izzo in the NCAA Tournament, which ties him with Arkansas coach John Calipari, who reached that total about 10 minutes before.

With MSU's game over, the first four matchups for the second round on Saturday are officially set. Here is how I would rank them:

• 1. (4) Nebraska vs. (5) Vanderbilt
• 2. (3) Michigan State vs. (6) Louisville
• 3. (1) Duke vs. (9) TCU
• 4. (12) High Point vs. (4) Arkansas

[Mar 19, 2026 at 6:29 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: (4) Arkansas 97, (13) Hawaii 78

No. 4 seed Arkansas is moving on to the second round after securing an easy win over Hawaii. It was a very balanced scoring effort for the Razorbacks, as Darius Acuff, Jr., Meleek Thomas, Trevon Brazile and Malique Ewin all scored over 16 points. With the win, Arkansas coach John Calipari picked up NCAA Tournament win No. 60, which puts him one spot behind Jim Boeheim for the fourth-most ever.

The Razorbacks will face No. 12 seed High Point in the second round.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 6:18 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

Anyone can be a hero in March -- even a seventh-year senior 3-point specialist on his fourth school. Chase Johnston just became a household name by helping No. 12 seed High Point stun No. 5 seed Wisconsin, 83-83, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Even before reaching folk hero status, Johnston was already pretty noticeable on the court. Not many basketball players choose No. 99 as their jersey number. It was actually a pretty fitting choice on Thursday, because while Johnston isn't "The Great One," he was great in the second half.

The first sign that a special March Madness performance was brewing came when Johnston pulled up from the logo with High Point down by eight and under five minutes remaining.

Who is High Point's Chase Johnston? Panthers' 3-point specialist becomes folk hero in upset of Wisconsin

Austin Nivison

[Mar 19, 2026 at 5:31 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: (5) Vanderbilt 78, (12) McNeese 68

Vanderbilt picked up its first NCAA Tournament win since 2012 with a 78-68 win over McNeese. Vanderbilt star guard Tyler Tanner led the way with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Tanner is the first Vanderbilt player with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in an NCAA Tournament game.

With the win, Vanderbilt will have a matchup against No. 4 seed Nebraska on Saturday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. That should be one of the best second-round matchups of the entire tournament. If the first game of the doubleheader was any indication of this weekend, it will likely be a "road game" for Vanderbilt.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 5:24 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Duke forward Maliq Brown said the quiet part out loud when he got interviewed at halftime by CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson during his team's matchup against No. 16 seed Siena in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. 

After trailing by 11 points to No. 16 seed Siena at the intermission, Brown admitted his team thought it would be a "cakewalk." Through the first 35 minutes of the game, it wasn't anything but that for the No. 1 overall seed in its 71-65 win over Siena.

"We aren't playing our basketball," Brown said at halftime. "We thought it was going to be a cakewalk going into this game."

2026 March Madness: No. 1 Duke rallies past Siena to escape NCAA Tournament first-round upset

Cameron Salerno

[Mar 19, 2026 at 5:05 pm ET · David Cobb]

Final: Duke 71, Siena 65

No. 16 seed Siena led Duke 43-32 at halftime as the No. 1 overall seed Blue Devils struggled defensively, struggled on the glass and looked altogether disinterested in playing the MAAC champions. Though it took a while, Duke woke up in the second half and began to dominate the rebounding battle. Even still, Siena had chances late. Gavin Doty had a 3-point look with 28 seconds left that would have brought the Saints within 67-66. Ultimately, they came up just short of becoming the third No. 16 seed to ever defeat a No. 1 seed. Duke will play TCU in the second round after a performance that raised some red flags.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 5:01 pm ET · Isaac Trotter]

The dazzling freshman guard has destroyed Hawaii for 13 points in the first 13 minutes of regulation, and Arkansas is streaking out to a 36-26 lead over No. 13 Hawaii.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 4:45 pm ET · David Cobb]

Duke has trimmed an 11-point halftime deficit to 61-60 with under six minutes to play. Siena has used just five players and is struggling on the glass after out-working Duke on the boards in the first half. The Blue Devils own a 12-0 advantage in second-chance points after the break. Siena is just 6 of 24 shooting in the first half after going 17 of 31 in the first half. Can the Saints dig deep for one final push?

[Mar 19, 2026 at 4:22 pm ET · David Cobb]

Start 2H: Vanderbilt 38, McNeese 35

Don't sleep on McNeese. Amid the High Point frenzy and Siena's upset bid, another double-digit seed is putting a scare into a high-major program. McNeese pressured Vanderbilt into an uncharacteristic eight turnovers in the first half and is down just 38-35 to the Commodores as the second half begins. The Cowboys led 19-8 early before Vandy stabilized.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 4:00 pm ET · Isaac Trotter]

South Florida very nearly erased a 23-point deficit with a furious second-half rally, but No. 6 seed Louisville will advance to the Round of 32 with an 83-79 victory. It's Louisville's first trip to the second round since Rick Pitino's last season in 2017. Isaac McKneely was excellent, pouring in 23 points and seven treys.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 3:53 pm ET · David Cobb]

Half: Siena 43, Duke 32

Only twice in NCAA Tournament history has a No. 16 seed defeated a No. 1 seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Could it happen a third time? Siena has Duke on the ropes at halftime after shooting a blistering 55% from the floor in the first half. 

The Blue Devils are just 2 of 15 from deep. Most surprisingly, Siena owns a 5-4 edge in offensive rebounds, leading to a 7-4 advantage in second-chance points. A whopping 27.3% of CBS Sports Brackets had Duke as the champion (most of any team). Brackets could be busted early.

99.34% of CBS Sports brackets picked Duke to beat the Saints.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 3:52 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: (12) High Point 83, (5) Wisconsin 82

We have our first big upset of the NCAA Tournament. No. 12 seed High Point stunned No. 5 seed Wisconsin with an 83-82 win to advance to the second round. It was Chase Johnston, the 3-point specialist on the team, who scored the breakaway layup that proved to be the game-winner. That was Johnston's first 2-pointer of the season!

High Point trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half. High Point knocked down 15 3-pointers in the win. Wisconsin star Nick Boyd finished with 27 points, while John Blackwell added 22 in the loss.

High Point was previously 0-57 against Power Four teams. High Point will face the winner of No. 4 seed Arkansas or No. 13 seed Hawaii on Saturday in the second round. What a win!

84.24% of CBS Sports brackets picked Wisconsin to beat High Point.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 3:31 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

Nebraska men's basketball finally got its first NCAA Tournament win and the adult beverages are flowing in the Cornhusker State. Earlier this season, Anheuser-Busch set up Bud Light fridges at bars across Omaha and Lincoln with a simple catch: they'd stay locked unless Nebraska won a game in the Big Dance.

The Huskers entered 0-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, the only power conference program without a win.

Once Nebraska rolled Troy 76-47 on Thursday, the fridges unlocked. Enjoy 'em Husker fans. 

[Mar 19, 2026 at 3:22 pm ET · David Cobb]

Did I have Duke on upset alert in the second round? Yes, and it wouldn't have mattered whether the opponent was going to be TCU or Ohio State (TCU won). But did anyone believe the Blue Devils would be pushed by Siena in the first round? Very few. Yet, here we are with Blue Devils trailing 22-16 at the u12 media timeout. Siena is 4 of 5 from 3-point range and has yet to commit a turnover. Duke is 2 of 10 from deep. Buckle up.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 3:17 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

MID 2H: (5) Wisconsin 58, (12) High Point 58

If you read my story on potential sleepers this week, you would know I pointed out High Point as a team to watch. The best shot of fans seeing a major seeding upset in this opening window will come down to the Panthers. High Point is a team that doesn't turn the ball over. So far, the Panthers are winning the turnover battle and have knocked down two more 3-pointers than Wisconsin.

It would be a fun way to start the day. The winner plays No. 4 seed Arkansas or No. 13 seed Hawaii on Saturday in the second round.

[Mar 19, 2026 at 3:12 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

MID 2H: (6) Louisville 68, (11) South Florida 47

No. 11 seed South Florida was seen as a potential Cinderella coming into the tournament, but Louisville is making sure that doesn't happen. It's been all Cardinals through the first 30 minutes of play.

Despite Louisville playing without star guard Mikel Brown Jr., a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, it has been able to hold off any run by USF. Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely have 36 of Louisville's 68 points. Louisville could be on its way to facing No. 3 seed Michigan State or No. 14 seed North Dakota State on Saturday.