The 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament delivered a thrilling opening day with VCU and High Point pulling off first-round upsets as 11th and 12th seeds. AJ Dybantsa made history with 35 points in his NCAA tournament debut for BYU, marking the highest-scoring freshman debut ever. Thursday's action saw Michigan, Illinois, and Saint Louis each surpass 100 points in their victories.

Friday's schedule features 16 more first-round matchups across the country, with top seeds Arizona, Florida, and Purdue looking to avoid early exits. The day begins with Santa Clara facing Kentucky at 12:15 p.m. Eastern, followed by Akron against Texas Tech at 12:40 p.m. The afternoon slate includes Long Island challenging powerhouse Arizona and Wright State taking on Virginia.

Evening games bring high-stakes matchups like Queens versus Purdue and Furman against defending champion UConn. ESPN reporters are stationed nationwide to capture every major moment as March Madness continues. With upsets already shaking the bracket, Friday's games could reshape the tournament landscape before the weekend even begins.