The first round of March Madness 2023 has been an exciting and unpredictable start to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. As always, several upsets caught the attention of fans around the world. 

One of the biggest upsets of the first round was the 13th-seeded Furman Paladins defeating the 4th-seeded Virginia Cavaliers. The Paladins were able to pull off the upset thanks to a balanced offensive attack and strong defense.The Paladins were led by senior forward, Jalen Slawson, with 19 points. Despite only leading for 3:28 of the game, Furman outscored Virginia 25-8 in the second half, finishing with JP Pegues buzzer-beater three to secure the win.

Undoubtedly the biggest upset that turned heads was the 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson Knights  taking down the number 1 seeded Purdue Boilers. Farleigh Dickinson’s defense was the key to their upset, as they held Purdue to just 37% shooting from the field and forced them into 16 turnovers. The Knights were led by junior forward, Sean Moore, who scored 19 points. 

After the major upset over Purdue, zero perfect brackets remained. 

Overall, the first round of March Madness 2023 was full of excitement and upsets. The underdogs showed that anything could happen in the tournament and that no team is safe. As the game progresses, fans can expect more surprises and upset, as the remaining teams battle for the championship title.

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