The first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament delivered all the drama, chaos, and heartbreak that March Madness promises.
Blue bloods stumbled, mid-major coaches became household names overnight, and a program ended a decades-long drought — all in 48 hours.
Here’s a breakdown of who helped their reputation and who damaged it during the opening round.
Biggest Winners: Who’s Stock Went Up?
Gerry McNamara, Head Coach, Siena
Nobody had a better two days than Gerry McNamara.
The former Syracuse legend, in just his second year at Siena, nearly pulled off the most stunning upset in tournament history. His No. 16-seeded Saints led No. 1 overall seed Duke for 28 minutes, built a lead as large as 13, and held the Blue Devils without a field goal for eight straight minutes in the first half.
McNamara ran a masterful zone that took Duke entirely out of their rhythm, deliberately targeting Cameron Boozer at the rim with Duke’s starting center Patrick Ngongba sidelined. He rode just five players for all 40 minutes.
Siena lost 71-65, but the performance didn’t go unnoticed. McNamara is now reportedly the frontrunner for the head coaching vacancy at his alma mater, Syracuse.
Before his arrival, Siena went 4-28. He turned them into tournament contenders in two years.
It’s been reported that the Syracuse job is McNamara’s if he wants it, but he’s been vocal about being focused on what’s he’s building at Siena.
At this point, if Syracuse doesn’t move fast, someone else will.
Flynn Clayman, Head Coach, High Point
In his first season at High Point, Clayman guided his No. 12 seed Panthers to an 83-82 upset over No. 5 seed Wisconsin, the tournament’s first upset, despite leading for only six percent of the game.
The win was a hard-fought grind, but it was the postgame press conference that made him a household name.
“Looks pretty obvious to me that high-majors need to play mid-majors during the season,” he said. “They said we ain’t played nobody — we played somebody now. Nobody would play us, just like nobody would play Miami (Ohio). But they gotta play us in this tournament.”
One win, one quote, and Clayman put the rest of the field on notice.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
No. 4 seed Nebraska beat No. 13 Troy 76-47, earning the program its first-ever NCAA tournament victory in nine attempts.
Nebraska had been the only power conference program never to have won a tournament game.
That distinction is now history.
Pryce Sandfort led the way with seven three-pointers and 23 points. With a top-10 defense and multiple contributors stepping up, the Cornhuskers could be making their first Sweet 16.
Fred Hoiberg has built something real in Lincoln.
Biggest Losers: Who’s Stock Went Down?
Hubert Davis, Head Coach, North Carolina
The Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead against No. 11 seed VCU, marking the second consecutive year UNC failed to advance past the first round.
The collapse was historically damning. UNC is now 48-2 all-time when leading by double digits at halftime in the NCAA Tournament, and both losses came under Davis.
The postgame press conference only deepened the frustration, with Davis appearing evasive when pressed about back-to-back first-round exits.
Dan Wolken of Yahoo Sports was blunt: “North Carolina can either keep Hubert Davis another year as head coach, or it can get serious about its basketball program, but it cannot do both.”
The calls for his firing are loud and growing louder.
Cameron Boozer, Duke
On paper, 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 13-of-14 from the free-throw line looks fine.
But the way Boozer got there against Siena raised serious red flags.
He turned the ball over five times, accounting for more than half of Duke’s eight total turnovers, and how those turnovers came matters.
Draft analyst Jeremias Engelmann, who created ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus, has long flagged Boozer’s footwork and traveling tendencies as a persistent concern, and the Siena game put it on full display. Multiple possessions featured gather-step violations that go uncalled in college but draw a whistle more often at the NBA level.
Kevin O’Connor added: “Cam Boozer’s lack of vertical explosiveness is definitely the #1 thing NBA scouts question. Showed up a lot today against Siena.”
Without Ngongba, Siena shot 8-of-9 at the rim in the first half. Boozer is still a projected top-3 pick with time left to prove himself, but he didn’t help his case against a 16-seed, and the tape doesn’t lie.
Kevin Willard, Head Coach, Villanova
Willard went 24-9 in year one, the most wins by a first-year coach in program history, ending a three-year tournament drought and returning the Wildcats to March for the first time since 2022.
What followed was one of the most statistically bizarre losses in tournament history. Villanova drained 14 three-pointers. Utah State made two. The Wildcats still lost, becoming just the second team in NCAA Tournament history to lose a game making 14 or more threes while holding their opponent to two or fewer. Utah State outscored them 42-26 in the paint and shot 28-of-36 from the line to send Villanova home early.
The frustration was visible long before the buzzer. After Utah State scored eight straight on baseline inbounds plays, Willard told a TNT sideline reporter mid-game he was firing his entire staff. He later called it a joke.
Nobody was laughing.
