Top 3 Potential 2024 March Madness Upsets In First Round of NCAA Tournament
March Madness is filled with great basketball, nail biter finishes, and upsets galore! But can we see an upset in the first round? Jason Radowitz shares his top 3 potential 2024 March Madness upsets in the first round.
Jason Radowitz - March 21, 2024, 10:45 AM EDT
5 minTop 3 Potential 2024 March Madness Upsets In First Round of NCAA Tournament
Disclaimer: An upset in the NCAA Tournament isn't just when a lower seed beats a higher seed!
Heading into this year's bracket, multiple lower seeds are already favored to defeat higher seeds in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
It might be an "upset" in the bracket, but it's not entirely an upset unless the sportsbooks have a team listed as an underdog.
With that out of the way, here are a few legitimate upsets that we could see in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. For example, we will not pick New Mexico as the Lobos are favored to beat Clemson as an 11-seed over a 6-seed.
Top 3 Potential March Madness Upsets in First Round
12. McNeese State Cowboys vs. 5. Gonzaga Bulldogs (-6)
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are a six-point favorite over the McNeese State Cowboys. If you're not familiar with McNeese, here's some background.
McNeese State has the third-longest active win streak at 11. They've also put together one of the most improbable turnarounds in college basketball history thanks to Will Wade, who had previously coached at LSU.
While McNeese State had the best year in school history, Gonzaga didn't play up to standards this season. The Bulldogs went 25-7 and ultimately didn't win the West Coast Conference after losing to St. Mary's.
The Cowboys can really shoot it from downtown and don't turn the ball over often. With Gonzaga allowing teams to hit 34% from downtown, so if McNeese gets hot, Gonzaga could be in trouble.
While the Bulldogs have made two NCAA Championship appearances, Gonzaga has never won the NCAA Tournament. They've also had many years where they've fallen early in the NCAA Tournament under Mark Few. This could be another one.
13. Samford Bulldogs vs. 4. Kansas Jayhawks (-7.5)
Is anyone scared for the Kansas Jayhawks?
Kansas lost four of its last five games, including a Big 12 Tournament game to Cincinnati, 72-52. The Jayhawks aren't very healthy with Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar both dealing with injuries. It's likely Dickinson plays. However, it's less likely McCullar gets the nod against Samford.
Samford is one of the best offenses in the nation. They've shot 39.3% from downtown and have hit 55.% from inside the arc. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs' only real weakness on the defensive end is allowing 32% of offensive rebounds. However, Kansas isn't very aggressive on the offensive glass, earning 25.3% of offensive rebounds.
The Bulldogs' high-tempo offense typically leads to more turnovers. But the fast tempo also leads to easy buckets in transition that could catch Kansas off guard.
13. James Madison Dukes vs. Wisconsin Badgers (-4.5)
Earlier in the year, James Madison defeated Michigan State on the road. Now they'll face another Big Ten team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Wisconsin has trouble defending the perimeter. Opponents have nailed 37.1% from downtown against Wisconsin this season. Meanwhile, James Madison has dropped 36.4% from downtown and 54.3% from inside the arc.
It'll be hard for the Dukes to add many offensive rebounds. But they should do a good job at limiting turnovers.
On the other hand, the Dukes have allowed teams to hit just 28.6% from deep this year. It's likely Wisconsin is a little more aggressive and gets to the foul line more. However, don't be surprised if the Dukes win the turnover battle and hold their own on the glass, too.
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