2012 NCAA Tournament: Updates from the First Round of March Madness

March Madness always brings us joy, excitement, pain (sometimes) and the basketball we only see once a year.

The 2012 tourney hasn't disappointed so far, and while no buzzer-beaters have occurred, we've seen some great games, and some upsets. Twelfth-seeded VCU, last year's tournament darlings, upset Wichita State, and UNC-Asheville almost stunned Syracuse.

Players that grasped the nation's attention all year have and will shine during this tournament. Guys like Peyton Siva, Jae Crowder, Rodney McGruder and more stars shined while leading their team to the third round of the tournament.

Twelve games are in the books, and we've seen excitement in all of them. Louisville and New Mexico, Murray State and Marquette, Syracuse and Kansas State, and Wisconsin and Vanderbilt will play Saturday, trying to advance to the Sweet 16.

Earlier, Kansas State squared off against Southern Miss in a game between an eighth- and a ninth-seeded team. The result was in doubt, but thanks to McGruder's tourney-high 30 points, the 'Cats prevailed over the Golden Eagles.

Their third-round opponent, Syracuse, had a tough time as well. The Orange received some favorable calls, which helped them hold off UNC-Asheville, 72-65. James Southerland, a reserve forward, scored 15 to lead the Orange to victory. However, without Fab Melo, Syracuse looks very weak.

Great news for K-State.

In the first game of the second round, Donte Poole and Isaiah Canaan led Murray State by Colorado State in a game where defense dominated. The Racers trailed at the half, but controlled the tempo during the second half and prevailed by 17.

Their next opponent, Marquette, also controlled the tempo, keeping the game up to speed during an 88-68 win over BYU. The Cougars couldn't pull off another amazing comeback, and Jae Crowder's 25 points and 16 rebounds guided Marquette to victory.

BYU's old MWC enemy, New Mexico, fared much better than the Cougars, beating twelfth-seeded Long Beach State, 75-68. UCLA transfer Drew Gordon scored 18 and grabbed 13 boards, and some big buckets by Kendall Williams and Gordon helped UNM emerge victorious.

New Mexico will play Louisville, the Big East champion, in the second round. Louisville had trouble with Davidson, but Peyton Siva's 17 points proved too much for the Wildcats.

SEC champion Vanderbilt dominated the first 30 minutes and held on for a nine-point win over Ivy League champion Harvard, whose comeback attempt fell short. Janoris Jenkins dominated with 27 points for Vandy.

Vandy, who many think will make the Final Four, will have to get by Wisconsin, which beat Montana by 24. Jordan Taylor scored 17, but the Badgers' win was a team effort. If they play their best, this team could be dangerous in March, especially in a region that can be won by any team still remaining.

Kentucky, the top overall seed, took on Western Kentucky and easily handled the Hilltoppers. Terrence Jones scored 22 and Player of the Year candidate Anthony Davis added 16, helping UK advance to the second round.

Kentucky's opponent is still pending, and so is VCU's. The Commodores, who made the Final Four last year, won another game in the tourney, this time over Wichita State. Bradford Burgess made a three that gave the Commodores a one-point lead, and Darius Theus' floater put the game away.

Baylor struggled with South Dakota State, but thanks to superior rebounding and good free throw shooting, the Bears were able to hold off the Jackrabbits and advance to the third round. Baylor out-rebounded SDSU 31-17, and had four players in double-figures.

Gonzaga also had four players in double-figures, but they dominated, unlike Baylor. Gonzaga shot over 50 percent from beyond the arc and from the field, unlike West Virginia, who failed to top 33 percent in either category. Gonzaga won by 23, and will likely play Ohio State in the third round.

Right now, as the victors of early games wait to find out their opponents, Indiana leads New Mexico, Iowa State is on top of Connecticut and Ohio State is beating Loyola (MD).

Stay tuned to all the action as March Madness continues!