Thursday's afternoon games feature historical NCAA Tournament powerhouses Duke, Michigan State, and Louisville, dangerous squads Wisconsin, Vanderbilt and Arkansas, and potential Cinderellas High Point, McNeese and Troy. Take the jump to remember a special NCAA Tournament first-round experience for each team playing Thursday afternoon.
Game #1: (9) TCU vs. (8) Ohio State
- Before TCU almost took down #1 seed Arizona during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the #9 Horned Frogs crushed #8 Seton Hall during the first round.
- Remember when Ohio State last made the NCAA tournament, with a first-round victory against Loyola (IL) of Chicago during the 2022 NCAA Tournament. It's not often that I root for the Buckeyes, but I certainly savored this Ohio State victory against a Ramblers' program that knocked out my Fighting Illini during the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Game #2: (13) Troy vs. (4) Nebraska
- Remember Troy's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, a first-round loss to the Xavier Musketeers during the 2003 NCAA Tournament. Note: The first round of this tournament was shown on ESPN as the Iraq War had just begun.
- Remember when Nebraska made four-straight NCAA Tournaments from 1991-1994 (nah, me neither, but here's the Cornhuskers' first-ever appearance NCAA Tournament game, a first-round clash against Xavier during the 1991 NCAA Tournament). Note: Nebraska is 0-8 in the NCAA Tournament, with its first appearance as a #3 seed a harbinger of bad things to come. In my opinion, Nebraska should have been a #3 seed in this year's tournament.
Game #3: (11) South Florida vs. (6) Louisville
- Remember when South Florida was a game away from the Sweet Sixteen after winning First Four and Round of 64 games during the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Led by former Kent State and Arkansas Head Coach Stan Heath, the #12 Bulls knocked off #5 Temple during the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament after beating California during a First Four game.
- Remember when Louisville last was a #6 seed, defeating Stanford by 20 points in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Below is a head shot of Earl Clark, a player I had forgotten about, a rangy forward who had major game.
Game #4: (12) High Point vs. (5) Wisconsin
- Remember when High Point made its first NCAA tournament appearance last year against Purdue, that time as a #13 seed.
- Remember when Wisconsin last won as a #5 seed, defeating Weber State during the first round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. While I couldn't find footage of that game, below is some video of Wisconsin's 2003 victory against Illinois, which clinched the Badgers' first outright Big Ten Title since 1947. Note #1: I am still mad about the foul call at the end of this game. Note #2: Of course, when I think of a first-round victory for Wisconsin, I go back to the Badgers miraculously run to the 2000 Final Four, beginning with a dominant defensive effort against Fresno State. Note #3: Wisconsin has lost its last three first-round games as #5 seeds, to #12 James Madison during the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, to #12 Oregon during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, and to #12 Ole Miss during the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Game #5: (16) Siena vs. (1) Duke
- Remember when Sienna beat Ohio State in double overtime during a classic 8/9 game from the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The #9 Saints were coached by former Iowa and current Penn Head Coach Fran McCaffery.
- Remember when Duke rebounded from its first-round loss to Mercer in the 2014 NCAA Tournament to win its last national championship in 2015. #1 Duke began the 2015 NCAA Tournament with a drubbing of #16 seed Robert Morris.
Game #6: (12) McNeese vs. (5) Vanderbilt
- Remember when #12 McNeese upset #5 Clemson during the first round of last year's 2025 NCAA Tournament. Could the Cowboys have similar success once again as a #12 seed this tournament?
- Remember when #5 Vanderbilt beat #12 Harvard during the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament before losing by three points to #4 Wisconsin during the second round. While there isn't much footage of this game, I best remember Vanderbilt's run to the Sweet Sixteen during the 2007 NCAA Tournament, including a first-round victory against George Washington, a thrilling second-round victory against Washington State, and a tight Sweet Sixteen loss to eventual Final Four participant Georgetown.
Game #7: (14) North Dakota State vs. (3) Michigan State
- Remember when #12 seed North Dakota State upset #5 seed Oklahoma in overtime during the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
- Remember the last time Michigan State was a #3 seed, a first-round victory against #14 Bucknell during the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Game #8: (13) Hawaii vs. (4) Arkansas
- Remember when then #13 seed Hawaii upset Jaylen Brown and his #4 seed California Bears during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
- Remember the last time Arkansas was a #4 seed, a first-round victory against Vermont during the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Razorbacks would shock Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Duke in the Elite Eight during the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
In the comments share your recollections of a favorite/memorable NCAA Tournament game with one of the schools participating in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon.
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