2023 March Madness: Arizona's upset loss stuns Gronk, more viral moments
One of the biggest days on the sports calendar is here as the 2023 edition of March Madness begins in earnest.
We have wall-to-wall action with 16 games Thursday as the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Round of 64 tips off. Social media is buzzing with incredible fan moments, stunning upsets, heartwarming stories and more!
[2023 March Madness live updates and highlights]
Here are the top moments that have captured the internet's attention throughout the day!
16. Northern Kentucky vs. 1. Houston
Amazing UNK band troll
Northern Kentucky fell just short in its upset bid against Houston, but its band director had plenty of fun, striking up "My Own Worst Enemy" as the No. 1 Cougars struggled to pull away.
Scary Viking!
Northern Kentucky is keeping things close against Houston in the first half, and the Norse also check the "mid-major with incredible mascot" box.
10. Boise State vs. 7. Northwestern
The crying Northwestern kid is all grown up
Remember the young Northwestern fan who went viral during the Wildcats' close loss to Gonzaga in 2017? That young man's name is John Phillips, and he is the son of then-Northwestern athletic director and now-ACC commissioner Jim Phillips. Oh, and John is now a freshman in college.
Northwestern lights the beam!
Following their win over Boise State in Sacramento's Golden One Center, it only seemed right that the purple beam was lit — even if it was for the NBA's Kings after they beat the Nets on the road.
TINY amount of perfect brackets left
Wedgie number five!!!
Day one of 2023 March Madness has not only been an upset bonanza but also a wedgie bonanza.
Connor McCaffrey leaves it all on the court
O(h No)ral Roberts
Duke led by as many as 27 in the first half against Oral Roberts as the Golden Eagles did not even score a point until more than seven minutes of game time had elapsed.
ANOTHER 15 OVER 2 STUNNER!
Less than one percent of all official NCAA Tournament Challenge brackets are still perfect after Princeton shocked Arizona, 59-55, marking the third time in as many tournaments that a No. 15 seed has beaten a No. 2 seed. It's the longest such streak for 15 seeds in tournament history.
Arizona's loss also came nearly 30 years to the day after the Wildcats lost to Santa Clara and a small point guard named Steve Nash. Their loss Thursday made them the first team to lose twice to a No. 15 seed as a No. 2 seed — and Arizona fans were less than thrilled about it, including former Wildcat Rob Gronkowski.
Others, though, loved the upset…
… especially the Arizona State contingent in Denver.
5. San Diego State vs. 12. Charleston
The legend of Dalton Bolon
24-year-old Dalton Bolon is in his seventh season of college basketball — and back when he was playing in Division II during the 2018-19 season, he hooped in an eyepatch after an injury. Now, he's playing in March Madness for Charleston.
Heartbreak for Charlestona after upset bid falls short
Battle of the bands!
FOUR wedgies already?!?
We are barely halfway into the first day of March Madness action, and yet we already have three wedgies in three different games, including two in Arkansas-Illinois.
VPOTUS in the house!
Kansas took care of business against Howard, pulling away in the second half for a 96-68 victory. But Howard fans at Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia still got a special treat as Vice President Kamala Harris, a Howard alum, was in the building to witness the action first hand.
Harris then spoke to the team in the locker room after the game.
7. Missouri vs. 10. Utah State
Utah State continued a rough streak for the Mountain West, as its 76-65 loss to Missouri gave the conference its 10th straight NCAA Tournament defeat. Missouri, meanwhile, won its first March Madness game in nearly 13 years, earning first-year head coach Dennis Gates his flowers. Less than 7% of March Madness brackets on the site's official tournament challenge remained perfect after Maryland, Furman and Mizzou won the first three games.
One Utah State cheerleader took the loss especially hard.
FUR-MADNESS!
Despite crucial back-to-back turnovers in the closing minutes, Furman took advantage of some key missed Virginia free throws and a shocking botched pass from Cavaliers veteran Kihei Clark as JP Pegues hit a game-winning 3-pointer with two seconds left to complete the massive upset — and Twitter had plenty to say.
It's been a long time since Furman was on this stage.
And if the "Paladin" mascot was not enough, their fans also have a cheeky chant of their school's initials.
And Colin Cowherd was among the many who predicted Furman to pull off the upset.
Read more:
- John Fanta's 2023 March Madness instant analysis
- NCAA March Madness: Schedule dates, locations, how to watch
- NCAA Men's bracket: Top matchups, potential upsets and more
- 50 reasons to get excited for March Madness
- NCAA Women's bracket: Top matchups, Final Four picks, more
- NCAA West Regional preview: Can anyone threaten Kansas?
- NCAA Midwest Regional preview: Can Houston overcome adversity?
- NCAA South Regional preview: Can Arizona tame the Tide?
- NCAA East Regional preview: Purdue handed tall task
- March Madness 2023: 10 early betting thoughts
