1 takeaway from each of Thursday's NCAA games

theScore runs down the top storylines and developments from the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64 and what it all could mean moving forward.

Gohlke's heroics lead to another Kentucky exit

As everyone expected, a Division-II transfer playing for a small school in suburban Detroit put the future of powerhouse Kentucky's basketball program in question. Jack Gohlke's 32 points on 10 made threes were the backbone of No. 14 Oakland's unbelievable 80-76 victory over a three-seeded Wildcats team that many had advancing deep in their bracket. The 3-point tally was one shy of tying an NCAA Tournament record, but the pressure each bucket put on heavy-favorite Kentucky can't be undersold.

For a team largely built around freshmen, Kentucky's first-year players melted under the bright lights. The Wildcats' six freshmen in the rotation combined for just 26 points on 8-of-29 shooting in what may be the last game in many of their college careers before bouncing to the NBA. It was Kentucky's second shocking first-round exit in the previous three years and moved the program to 1-3 in the NCAA Tournament since 2019. Leave it to March Madness to create such an inexplicable result.

Duquesne's pressure delivers upset

Duquesne wasn't just content with making its first NCAA tourney since 1977, as the 11th-seeded Dukes shocked No. 6 BYU for the program's first March Madness win since 1969. Duquesne focused on slowing down the high-scoring Cougars, and the Dukes ran the nation's 20th-ranked offense off the 3-point line all game.

The pressure resulted in BYU struggling to find open looks from deep. The Cougars rank second nationally with 32 3-point attempts per contest but took only 24 and connected on just 33%. BYU's inability to find points in other ways ended up being its downfall in the first-round upset. The victory ensures Keith Dambrot - LeBron James' high school coach - will get at least one more game as Duquesne's frontman after he announced he'll retire at season's end.

Gonzaga's high-octane offense keeps rolling

Gonzaga jumped out to an 11-4 lead over McNeese State just over three minutes in and didn't look back en route to a comfortable 21-point win. The Bulldogs, who entered Thursday's clash as the nation's eighth-highest scoring team, scored 86 points or more for the 19th time this season. Mark Few's squad is undefeated when it reaches that threshold.

Graham Ike spearheaded a lethal attack, as five players posted at least 10 points. The Bulldogs had 42 points in the paint versus the Cowboys, with Ike and Anton Watson causing most of the damage. While Gonzaga isn't known for its 3-point prowess, it made 10 of 21 attempts from downtown. A trio of starters drained multiple threes, including three from Nolan Hickman.

NC State has March magic

March is mad for most, but for NC State, the month has become magic during an incredible run. Fresh off five wins in five nights to claim the ACC Tournament and qualify for the Field of 68, the Wolfpack ran away from No. 6 Texas Tech to become the third No. 11 seed to pull off an upset Thursday. Those expecting a hangover for Kevin Keatts' outfit were proved wrong early, as the Wolfpack led essentially the entire way.

Perhaps most impressive was NC State's depth in attack, as four players scored 16 points or more. The Wolfpack have now had five different leading scorers over the last six games. It was Ben Middlebrooks' turn in the opening round, as the Clemson transfer poured in 21 off the bench. The magic didn't just happen on the court, as the draw is also unfolding in the Wolfpack's favor. The ACC champs now face No. 14 Oakland in the Round of 32 after the Golden Grizzlies shocked Kentucky earlier in the night.

Officials may have saved Kansas

Kansas looked to be cruising past Samford for most of Thursday's contest, building a 21-point edge even without leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. However, Samford showed incredible fight in the second half, ripping off a huge run to get within one point in the dying seconds. It looked like the Bulldogs would get a chance at a winning basket following what seemed to be an incredible block by A.J. Staton-McCray.

However, the officials ruled it a foul and awarded two free throws to the Jayhawks. They would make both and eventually ice the game on the line to escape with the victory. Samford has every right to be frustrated as that poor call robbed the underdogs of a chance to end the Jayhawks' 17-game winning streak in the opening round.

Couisnard cooks former team

Oregon guard Jermaine Couisnard had a day to remember against South Carolina, scorching his former school for a career-high 40 points to go along with six assists and four boards. It's the highest single-game output in an NCAA Tournament contest since Carsen Edwards dropped 42 points for Purdue against Virginia in the Elite Eight five years ago, per ESPN's John Gasaway.

Couisnard also became the first player since Stephen Curry in 2008 to have a 40-point game in the Big Dance for a double-digit seed. The super senior was unstoppable against the Gamecocks, getting into the paint with ease, creating for others, and pulling up from long range. His standout performance sets up an opportunity for another Duck to get revenge. Oregon's second-round clash is against Creighton, where Dana Altman previously coached for 16 years.

Defensive Iowa State wins with offense

Iowa State may have the nation's second-best defensive efficiency, but the No. 2 Cyclones vaulted past No. 15 South Dakota State at the other end of the floor. Led by 19 points from freshman Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State shot 58% from the field and 48% from long range, keeping the Jackrabbits an arm's distance away despite 10 made threes by them.

The Cyclones' shooting was likely a blip on the radar against an inferior team athletically. However, Iowa State will be a real challenge to beat if it combines efficient scoring with its aggressive, swarming defense, especially since the team produced a combined 97 points in the two NCAA Tournament losses it picked up before winning Thursday.

Izzo shines again in March

Michigan State wasted no time in proving it belonged in the tournament despite a less-than-stellar overall resume. The Spartans put on a classic March performance under Tom Izzo in Thursday's opener, with defense leading the way to victory. Michigan State held Mississippi State to just 51 points in the win - by far the Bulldogs' worst output of the season. It's Izzo's sixth straight Round of 64 victory in the NCAA Tournament and his 17th win over a better-seeded team - the most ever.

The Spartans looked nothing like the squad that lost five of its last seven games to end the season, racing to a seven-point advantage at halftime. The second half was more of the same, with Tyson Walker's 19 points leading Michigan State into the Round of 32. The Big Ten outfit faces a tough task in No. 1 North Carolina on Saturday.

Creighton's balanced offense shines

An efficient Creighton attack helped the Bluejays overcome a feisty Akron squad. Greg McDermott's team finished just below its season average for scoring, dropping 77 points on 57% shooting. The result improved Creighton's record to 14-2 this season when shooting at least 50% from the field. And the Bluejays won by 17 despite making just one more field goal than the Zips. They also had a plus-12 advantage from deep, tallied 11 more points from the charity stripe, and outscored Akron 13-2 on the fast break.

All five Creighton starters scored in double digits in the first-round victory, led by Ryan Kalkbrenner's 23 points. The 7-foot center showed a little bit of everything. He finished over defenders with hook shots, went up and under, and even stepped out beyond the arc to drain a triple. The Bluejays got a little sloppy toward the end with a handful of turnovers, but the team's offensive performance has to please McDermott overall.

Arizona shows dominance after early scare

Coming off a shocking Round of 64 loss as a No. 2 seed last year, Arizona fans were likely at least somewhat concerned when the Wildcats trailed by five points with under five minutes remaining in the first half to 15-seeded Long Beach State. But worry quickly turned to elation as a 16-0 run helped Arizona roll to an easy 85-65 win. The starting backcourt trio of Kylan Boswell, Caleb Love, and Pelle Larsson contributed 53 points for the Wildcats.

It wasn't perfect for Arizona. The team's bench contributed just eight points, going a combined 2-of-12 from the field. And Long Beach State beat the typically excellent rebounding squad 50-47 on the glass. The effort may not have been enough to overcome a better opponent, but coach Tommy Lloyd and Co. will take it. After all, the win pushes Lloyd's career record in the NCAA Tournament to just 3-3.

Dayton pulls out crazy comeback

The end of No. 10 Nevada and No. 7 Dayton seemed relatively straightforward, as the lower-seeded Wolf Pack held a 56-39 lead with under eight minutes to play. But then the Flyers started to hit their threes, and Nevada began to cough up turnovers, with a clutch last-minute bucket from Nate Santos punctuating a massive 24-4 run to end the game. The result handed Dayton the most unlikely win in the NCAA Tournament so far.

Nevada held superstar DaRon Holmes to just eight shots in the contest. However, double-digit performances from complementary starters Koby Brea and Enoch Cheeks helped the Flyers stay around. Dayton will need to feature Holmes much more prominently Saturday if it wants to hang around with No. 2 Arizona, the big man's hometown school.

Bacot has vintage performance

Armando Bacot's strong play in the ACC Tournament carried over into the Big Dance, as the big man poured in 20 points and 15 boards in North Carolina's 90-62 opening-round win over Wagner. It was Bacot's 18th double-double of the season and 86th overall. He's now just one double-double away from tying Tim Duncan for the all-time ACC record. Bacot also registered 15 rebounds for the sixth straight NCAA Tournament game, the longest streak since Artis Gilmore accomplished the same feat in 1971, according to OptaSTATS.

Bacot's offensive output against the Seahawks lifted him past Phil Ford for second on the school's all-time scoring list. Wagner's undersized frontcourt had no answer for the fifth-year senior. Bacot consistently powered through defenders in the post and outworked his counterparts on the offensive glass, helping the Tar Heels rack up 48 points in the paint and 17 second-chance points.

Illinois trio saves slow start

It wasn't pretty at times for No. 3 Illinois against 14-seeded Morehead State, but the Fighting Illini know who to thank for pulling out a relatively easy 85-69 victory Thursday. Star guard Terrence Shannon Jr. led the way with 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting. And backcourt mate Marcus Domask tallied the 10th triple-double in NCAA Tournament history with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.

But reserve big man Dain Dainja may have put on the premier performance of the contest, recording 21 points and eight rebounds on a perfect 9-of-9 from the floor in just 23 minutes. Dainja posted a game-high-tying plus-27 in his time on the court, overwhelming Morehead State inside. The Big Ten tournament champions have proven time and time again that when its offense is clicking, it's nearly impossible to stop. But allowing 11 threes and 12 offensive rebounds to their inferior opponent are examples of why many think the Fighting Illini defense is what might do them in.

Drake collapses again on biggest stage

A year after allowing a 16-1 run to close the game and blow an eight-point lead against Miami in the Round of 64, Drake fell flat late again. After leading by as many as eight, the No. 10 Bulldogs allowed 7-seed Washington State to go on a 20-7 run over the final seven minutes to come up short in their quest for redemption.

Nearly everything that could have gone wrong for Drake down the stretch came to fruition. Two starters fouled out, the team shot below 50% from the free-throw line, and star wing Tucker DeVries had just five second-half points. Some credit must be given to Washington State, though. A rugged squad led by imposing forward Isaac Jones stayed firm throughout a cerebral comeback. The Cougars' reward: a date with Iowa State's daunting defense.

Texas flexes muscles on defense

A few nights after Virginia was ridiculed for tallying just 14 first-half points, Colorado State had an equally poor showing in its first-round loss to Texas. The Longhorns limited the Rams to only 11 points on 11% shooting in the first 20 minutes, including a 1-of-9 mark from deep. Colorado State went scoreless for an 8:26 span and was held pointless for the final 6:50 of the first half.

The Rams finished with a season-low 44 points on 29% shooting. Texas didn't allow Colorado State to establish any rhythm, forcing 19 turnovers and scoring 17 points off those miscues. Six different Longhorns players registered at least one steal, including three from Brock Cunningham and two from Tyrese Hunter.

Tennessee has no sweat vs. Saint Peter's

Tennessee fans may not feel complete relief as the program's best chance at a deep March Madness run in the Rick Barnes era reaches the Round of 32. However, the manner in which the Volunteers dismantled former Cinderella story Saint Peter's is a step in the right direction.

The No. 2 Volunteers never gave the No. 15 Peacocks a chance, running out to a 26-point halftime lead. The dismantling came despite Tennessee losing the turnover battle 15-6. As it has been all season, the team was led by All-American Dalton Knecht who scored a game-high 23 points with four made threes. Next up for Tennessee is Rick Barnes' old school, Texas.