Men's March Madness 2024: second-round tournament takeaways - ESPN

With Saturday's action, we get to reacquaint ourselves with Thursday's stars and surprises — many of whom are hoping to repeat their performances to advance to the second weekend.

No. 7 Dayton was hoping to ride the momentum from its remarkable comeback against Nevada in the first round Thursday. The Flyers came close. But No. 2 Arizona, seeking its second Sweet 16 in three years under head coach Tommy Lloyd, prevailed.

The rest of the day promises more matchups. Two bluebloods will collide when Gonzaga and Kansas meet. The No. 5 seed Bulldogs had no problem in their round of 64 win over McNeese. Conversely, the No. 4 seed Jayhawks were taken to the final minute before escaping with a win over Samford.

In the evening the pace will pick up, with simultaneous games and some very storied programs. The headliner figures to be No. 9 seed Michigan State and top seed North Carolina in Charlotte. Then again, this is March. We never know which game will surprise us.

Follow along as we break down every game of the first day of the men's round of 32 — and what the results mean for the rest of the tournament. Check your bracket here.

Does Arizona have what it takes to takes to make the Final Four? The Wildcats showed Saturday morning in Salt Lake City that they can take someone's best punch and not get knocked down. Dayton hung around and chipped away anytime Arizona extended its lead into the double digits, but the Wildcats never let the Flyers tie the game or take a lead.

What the win means for Arizona: Redemption. A year after getting bounced in the first round in an upset by then-No. 15 Princeton Tigers, the Wildcats showed that they have the talent, size, experience and depth to make a splash during the second weekend of the