The road begins here, in Dayton, Ohio.

March Madness officially kicks off Tuesday night at the University of Dayton Arena as eight teams will vie for their spot in the tournament.

Be sure to follow along with your brackets as we will be live on location bringing you all of your March Madness updates, starting with the ‘First Four’ play-in.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

(16) Saint Francis Red Flash – 68 vs (16) Alabama State Hornets – 70

Spread: Alabama State Hornets -3.5

The Red Flash were red hot in the first half, draining 59% of their shots, with 6/12 from beyond the arc. The Hornets on the other hand, were a step off their pace at 43%.

What’s even more shocking is Alabama State didn’t have a single free throw attempt until almost 5 minutes left in the game, They were only able to go 1-4 front he charity stripe but managed to keep it close the entire game.

It came down to a hailmary full court pass with just under 4 seconds left for an easy bucket at the rim by Amarr Knox to put them up by two and close out the win 70-68. They’ll now secure the 16th seed in the South and face the 1 seed Auburn Tigers Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky.

(11) North Carolina Tar Heels – 95 vs (11) San Diego State Aztecs – 68

Spread: North Carolina Tar Heels -4.5

This one was never close. As many believed that UNC did not belong in the tournament, they extinguished that narrative Tuesday night with a commanding win over the Aztecs. They now move on to face the 6th ranked Ole Miss on Friday.

RJ Davis led all scorers with 26 points, going a perfect 6/6 from range. When asked about his message to his teammates as they embark on this year’s tournaments, his response was,

“It’s one game at a time and make sure our preparation is ready for a couple of games. To get into March, to play in March is the dream of a lifetime and not a lot of guys get a chance to actually experience it. I think half the team, this is their first March Madness and we’re gonna take full advantage of it. Super Blessed.”

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

(16) Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers – 83 vs (16) American University Eagles – 72
Spread: Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers +2.5

It was a toss-up between the two heading into Wednesday evening, but Mount St. Mary’s handled American U for the majority of the game. They’re top players, Dola Adebayo, Jedy Cordilia and Dallas Hobbs combined for 61 of Mount St. Mary’s 83 points on a scorching 25/38 shooting. 

When asked postgame about facing the number 1 seed Duke on Friday, Dola responded, ‘They got to do up their shoes, just like I do.’ The Blue Devils are massively favoured going into the matchup as the spread is listed at 31.5 points.

(11) Xavier Musketeers – 86 vs (11) Texas Longhorns – 80

Spread: Xavier Musketeers -2.5

In an absolutely electric environment to end off the ‘First Four’ it was a battle to the end that landed in Xavier’s favor. The Musketeers will now advance to the round of 64 as they take on a tough Illinois squad on Friday.

If we look back to 2023, Texas beat Xavier in the ‘Sweet Sixteen’. Two years later, roles were reversed and when asked about where this win ranks, Coach Sean Miller said:

“This may be one of the best I have ever been a part of in terms of game. I thought we were dead in the water two different times, but I’ll tell you that’s the one thing about our team, the resilience of the group is always out for us. When you thought, we weren’t going to make the tournament we keep winning. Even in this game when you think it’s not going to work out, we have a funny way of staying with it and that is thanks to this guy right here (Zack).”

As for the Texas Longhorns, their season ends immediately, despite a big showing from Tre Johnson, who is projected to be a lottery pick in this year’s draft. Some rankings have him at 6th overall and if that does happen to be the case, the Toronto Raptors could find Tre falling into their laps.