The turmoil at the top of college basketball this season has defied prediction — which means we should be in for a wild tournament.

In the first game No. 16 St. Francis (PA) will square off with No. 16 Alabama State, with a trip to Kentucky to take on the top overall seed Auburn on the line. In the second game, No. 11 North Carolina — a surprising inclusion in the tournament — takes on No.

The 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament has officially begun with the First Four. (11) North Carolina used a barrage of 3-pointers to rout (11) San Diego State after (16) Alabama State beat (16) Saint Francis 70-68 on Amarr Knox's layup with one second left.

NCAA Tournament kicked off in earnest Tuesday in epic fashion as Alabama State stunned Saint Francis in the first game of the First Four with a last-second shot to take down the Panthers, 70-68. The Hornets ran an inbounds play with 3.

Alabama State kicked off the 2025 edition of March Madness with a thrilling 70-68 win over Saint Francis (PA) in the First Four of the men’s basketball tournament Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio.