McNeese shocks Clemson with major NCAA upset

In the early rounds of the NCAA tournament held on March 20, 2025, McNeese State, a 12-seed team, produced a stunning upset by defeating the 5-seed team, Clemson. The game showcased McNeese's effective strategy as they secured an 18-point lead at halftime, limiting Clemson to a mere 13 points in the first half, which marked Clemson's worst first-half performance of the season. This win was historic for McNeese State and demonstrated their potential to continue advancing in the tournament. As the tournament progressed, the favorites generally performed well, with many top seeds advancing smoothly. Auburn, the #1 seed in the South region, managed to withstand an initial scare from Alabama State before winning decisively. Other strong teams such as Texas A&M and Michigan also did not face significant challenges in their matches. However, it was the surprising victory by McNeese that caught the attention of fans and analysts alike, indicating an underdog story was unfolding. In addition to the McNeese upset, the tournament's first day witnessed a few more upsets with three double-digit seeds winning, including teams like Drake and Arkansas. Drake, an 11-seed with a strong season record of 30-3, managed to beat Missouri in a closely contested game. Similarly, Arkansas overcame 7-seed Kansas in their matchup, demonstrating that upsets were occurring, albeit at a slower pace than in previous tournaments. Following these early games, analysts expressed a mix of anticipation and skepticism about future matchups. While many top seeds have shown their dominance, the potential for excitement and unpredictability remained as the tournament continued. Observers suggested that more upsets could be on the horizon as teams prepared to face more formidable opponents in the coming rounds, eager to see if the madness of March would escalate further.