March Madness: 8 biggest winners from 1st round of 2024 NCAA Tournament
6. NC State Wolfpack
The Wolfpack finished the regular season with four straight losses and almost lost to Louisville in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. Yet that version of them is dead and gone, as they’ve now won six straight games, including an 80-67 win over 6-seed Texas Tech in the Round of 64. They got a career-high 21 points from Ben Middlebrooks to lead the way.
Chemistry is one major factor why a team can click randomly like NC State
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) March 22, 2024
The difference between winning and losing can be so small that moments like this can get you over the hump
Teams that root for their teammates success like this are scary
pic.twitter.com/S0cRITWAFL
What also made NC State a “winner” is how the path opened up for them in this bracket. Instead of Kentucky, who can drop 100 points on anyone, they now get 14-seed Oakland in the Round of 32. Still, the Grizzlies shouldn’t be taken lightly.
5. James Madison Dukes
JMU opened the season with a road upset win over Michigan State to get on the map and for the most part, they kept winning all season. They may not have gotten into the Big Dance without the Sun Belt autobid. But now that they’re in, they’re looking to do some damage.
"Holy mama! James Madison continues to dance!"
— JMU Men's Basketball (@JMUMBasketball) March 23, 2024
The final call from the birthday boy @DaveRiggert ⬇️#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/H9fXfFhD6e
The Dukes defeated 5-seed Wisconsin, 72-61, in a balanced effort. They led the whole way and showed that they were a true threat to beat anyone in this field. James Madison now has a massive opportunity to shock the world, taking on Duke next.