It doesn't feel like March Madness until we get a true upset and something that will actually bust March Madness brackets throughout the country. Soon-to-be NC State head coach but current McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade helped deliver that on Thursday in the First Round as he and his team took it right to the coach's alma mater, the Clemson Tigers.
Clemson had one of the most abysmal first-half performances imaginable against McNeese as they hit just one 3-point attempt and managed a measly 13 points (not a typo) in the first 20 minutes of play against the Southland Conference champions. That put the Tigers down 18 points (31-13) going into the locker room for the break.
While Brad Brownell's team put forth a spirited comeback effort in the second half, though, it ultimately fell short against McNeese, giving us a big-time upset in the Midwest Region and truly the first upset we've seen in the early stages of the NCAA Tournament. So with the Cowboys pulliing off the stunner and getting fit already for their slipper, we need to take a look at the updated March Madness bracket.
Updated March Madness bracket after McNeese upsets Clemson in Midwest 12-5 matchup
McNeese nearly blew the upset against Clemson
While McNeese deserves their flowers for earning the upset win and securing the Cowboys program's first NCAA Tournament victory in history, they came dangerously close to blowing what was an 18-point lead at halftime.
Clemson didn't come out of the locker room with a fire lit under them but the flames started burning not long after as they started to chip away more and more at the deficit. All of a sudden late, the Tigers got hot from 3-point range and were able to continue cutting into the lead. The final two minutes were even sweatier as McNeese struggled from the foul line. At one point in the final minute, Clemson drilled a triple that cut the lead to just three points. The Cowboys hit a free throw on the ensuing possession, though, and the Tigers couldn't complete the comeback.
Having said that, Wade will want to have a talk with his McNeese squad about their Second Round matchup with Purdue coming on Saturday and finishing the game strongly if they get right.
Creighton dominated Louisville
While I'm calling McNeese-over-Clemson the first true upset of March Madness, we did technically get a lower seed winning a game to start the day with the Creighton Bluejays thoroughly dominating the Louisville Cardinals in the 8-9 matchup that started the First Round action on Thursday.
To put it plainly, it would've been hard for any team to keep up with the Bluejays with the way they were pouring it in offensively. Creighton shot 57.1% from the field and 11-of-24 from long range in the eventual 89-75 win. Perhaps more impressively, they notched a double-digit win over an under-seeded Louisville team with star big Ryan Kalkbrenner putting up just 14 points and six boards.
Creighton will now move on to face Auburn in the Round of 32.
What else to know from the First Round in the early window
Speaking of Auburn, the top overall seed in March Madness dominated Alabama State eventually in an 83-63 victory, but things got a little hairy just before halftime when the Hornets had it cut to a one-point game. But Bruce Pearl's team prevailed. It was a similar script for the East Region No. 3 seed, Wisconsin, who let Montana hang around for much of the game but ultimate pulled away for the win. Purdue was also in a relatable boat there, holding off High Point
The most dominant effort came from the Houston Cougars, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, as Kelvin Sampson's team left no doubt against SIU Edwardsville. SIUE was held to just 40 points in the game and, after Houston jumped out to a 28-point halftime lead, they only added to it from there despite slowing it down tremendously to secure the 78-40 win and advance to face the winner of Gonzaga-Georgia.