Teams on Upset Alert in Day 3 of 2022 NCAA Men's Tournament
The opening day of the 2022 NCAA men's tournament featured four double-digit seeds advancing to the second round, including No. 15 Saint Peter's, which destroyed brackets with an upset of No. 2 Kentucky.
That unlikely outcome was joined by No. 12 seeds Richmond and New Mexico State, which knocked off major conference opponents, while No. 11 Michigan survived against a higher-seeded mid-major in No. 6 Colorado State.
That set up an exciting Saturday with those potential Cinderellas looking to punch their tickets to the Sweet 16.
Ahead we've highlighted four higher-seeded teams that are on upset alert, with a breakdown of what the higher seed needs to do to win and what the upset-minded team needs to do to stay alive.
Which programs will survive the upset watch?
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Providence Friars (Midwest Region, No. 4 Seed)
1 of 4
Opponent: No. 12 Richmond
Moneyline: Providence (-145)
The Providence Friars were a popular pick to be upset in the first round against South Dakota State, which led the nation in three-point shooting percentage (44.9), averaged 86.7 points per game and entered the tournament riding a 21-game winning streak.
The Friars held off the Jackrabbits 66-57, clamping down on the defensive end to slow the long-distance barrage (7-of-23), but they will face another tough mid-major test from No. 12-seeded Richmond.
The Spiders qualified for March Madness with a surprise run through the Atlantic 10 tournament as the No. 6 seed and rode that momentum to a 67-63 upset win over red-hot Iowa, which had won the Big Ten tournament Sunday.
Slowing down guard Jacob Gilyard will be the key for Providence. The graduate student averaged 19.8 points per game during the conference tournament, including a 32-point explosion against VCU in the quarterfinals, and scored a game-high 24 points Thursday.
Murray State Racers (East Region, No. 7 Seed)
2 of 4
Opponent: No. 15 Saint Peter's
Moneyline: Murray State (-425)
With an in-state clash with No. 2 seed Kentucky looming in the second round, Murray State did not look like it would need to worry about being on upset watch.
Instead, the Racers head into their Saturday matchup heavily favored against No. 15 seed Saint Peter's, which pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history with an 85-79 overtime victory against the heavily favored Wildcats.
The Peacocks looked unfazed squaring off against a team loaded with NBA talent and playing under the bright lights of March Madness. They shot 50.9 percent from the floor and 52.9 percent from beyond the arc and got big games from Daryl Banks III (27 points) and Doug Edert (20 points).
Murray State also played overtime, surviving 92-87 against a good San Francisco team. Five players scored in double figures, and the Racers extended their winning streak to 21.
If Saint Peter's has the same poise it did against Kentucky, it's capable of running with anyone.
Arkansas Razorbacks (West Region, No. 4 Seed)
3 of 4
Opponent: No. 12 New Mexico State
Moneyline: Arkansas (-280)
With wins over Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee and LSU during the regular season, Arkansas proved capable of beating anyone while enduring a grueling SEC slate. However, it had also lost two of three before the NCAA tournament, including an 18-point loss to Texas A&M in the SEC tournament.
Similar to Providence, the Razorbacks were a popular pick to be upset in the first round, playing No. 13 seed Vermont. That was a close game from start to finish with no team leading by more than nine points and Arkansas pulling out a 75-71 victory.
How will it respond against a team that upset No. 5 seed UConn in the first round?
New Mexico State advanced behind a huge game from Teddy Allen, who scored 37 points on 10-of-24 shooting and a perfect 13-of-13 at the free-throw line. No one else scored in double figures, and Allen has been the team's go-to scorer all year, so slowing him down will be the key to victory.
Arkansas has not always been locked in on the defensive end, allowing at least 80 points six different times, and it can't afford to lose focus against Allen and the Aggies.
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Baylor Bears (East Region, No. 1 Seed)
4 of 4
Opponent: No. 8 North Carolina
Moneyline: Baylor (-235)
This has nothing to do with Baylor and everything to do with a dangerous, under-seeded North Carolina team that is playing its best basketball.
The Bears beat overmatched Norfolk State 85-49. But they lost their Big 12 tournament opener to Oklahoma, and they're still playing without LJ Cryer (13.5 PPG, 46.8 3PT%), who is sidelined with a foot injury.
Meanwhile, the Tar Heels went 12-3 over their final 15 games to go from the wrong side of the bubble to comfortably in the tournament field as a No. 8 seed.
It's not often you see a 32-point win in a game between Nos. 8 and 9 seeds, but that was the UNC's margin of victory in a steamrolling of Marquette on Thursday.
This is finally looking like the team that began the year at No. 19 in the Associated Press poll. And similar to the matchup between No. 8 Loyola University Chicago and No. 1 Illinois last year, which the Illini lost 71-58, this is a tough opening-weekend draw for a team on the top seed line.
All stats courtesy of Sports Reference.
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