High Point defeated Wisconsin 83-82 for the first major upset of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, led by three-point specialist Chase Johnston. Hours later, VCU overcame a 19-point deficit to beat North Carolina in an 11-over-6 matchup. Duke survived a close call against Siena after a second-half rally.
The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament began with notable upsets on Thursday. High Point secured an 83-82 victory over Wisconsin, marking the first significant surprise of the postseason. Chase Johnston, a three-point specialist for High Point, played a key role in the win, according to the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter. This outcome highlighted early Cinderella potential in the event, as no such story emerged last year but appeared alive now. Later, VCU staged a comeback from 19 points down to eliminate North Carolina, the day's biggest loser in an 11-seed over 6-seed result. The Tar Heels suffered an epic collapse in the defeat. Meanwhile, top overall seed Duke required a strong second-half effort to hold off Siena and avoid joining the upset victims. The first round featured these shocks amid broader tournament action, with 16 more games scheduled for Friday carrying potential for additional surprises. Women's tournament first-round play also started that day, but men's results set the tone with these outcomes. No further details on final scores for VCU-North Carolina or Duke-Siena were provided in the newsletter.
