Justin Jackson broke out of a shooting slump with 21 points to help top-seeded North Carolina roll past Texas Southern 103-64 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament’s South Region.

Of every stop on a team’s path to an NCAA Championship, no round holds more pitfall potential than the Round of 32. It is the stage at which a contender has not yet made it far enough into the tournament to deem a season acceptable, but must face a team that has already proven itself capable of winning big games.

It’s going to happen. Maybe not Friday, when Kansas and North Carolina take their turn at trying to avoid history. But if not then, well, some year soon. A No. 1 seed is going to lose to a No. 16, and with the direction college basketball is going of late, it may not even be considered that big of an upset.

Tyler Dorsey scored 24 points to lead four players in double figures, and No. 3 seed Oregon beat 14th-seeded Iona 93-77 on Friday in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Region.

Elijah Stewart hit a late 3-pointer for No. 11 seed USC as the Trojans upset sixth-seeded SMU 66-65 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Mangok Mathiang scored 18 points, Deng Adel and Quentin Snider each had 16 and the second-seeded Cardinals pulled away from Jacksonville State 78-63 in the first round of the Midwest Regional.

Al Freeman came off the bench to score 21 points, and the third-seeded Bears defeated No. 14 seed New Mexico State 91-73 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA’s East Regional.

Jaylen Barford hit the go-ahead layup with 57.8 seconds left to help Arkansas hold off Seton Hall 77-71 on Friday in the first round of the South Region.

Derrick Walton Jr. scored 26 points and had 11 assists as the Wolverines made a school record 16 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game, getting past Oklahoma State 92-91 in the first round of the Midwest Regional.