By Associated Press

March Madness has truly begun! By the end of the first round, a trio of top seeds were already gone — No. 1 seed Purdue, No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 4 seed Virginia — and gone with them were millions of broken brackets.

Here’s what to know with Sweet 16 bids on the line in the NCAA Tournament, including favorites and underdogs and key games:

TOP SEED

The top four seeds in the tournament were given to Alabama, Houston, Kansas and Purdue. Each had their share of headaches to set up what is already proving to be a chaotic tournament, and the Boilermakers were the first to fall, ousted in a first round. Here is the latest news from each region:

EAST REGION: The Boilermakers earned a No. 1 seed for the fourth time, but Purdue was dumped by Fairleigh Dickinson in a near-historic upset. The region looks to be wide open for the likes of No. 2 seed Marquette, Duke, Michigan State and more.

SOUTH REGION: Alabama, led by coach Nate Oats in a challenging season, is No. 1 for the first time behind SEC Player of the Year Brandon Miller, who has armed security on hand after being the subject of threats. The Crimson Tide opened the tournament with an easy win. Potential hurdlers could include Baylor, Missouri and Creighton. Princeton or Furman, anyone?

MIDWEST REGION: Houston earned a top seed and won the opener, but All-American Marcus Sasser is hobbled by a groin injury. Potential obstacles could include No. 2 seed Texas, which advanced to face surprise Penn State.No. No. 3 seed Xavier held off Kennesaw State in its opener.

WEST REGION: Kansas is the top seed in a stacked region and the Jayhawks faced a tantalizing second-round matchup against Arkansas. Kansas is without coach Bill Self, who is recovering from a heart procedure. No. 2 seed UCLA looked like a title contender in its opener, No. 3 Gonzaga advanced and a juicy 4-5 matchup pitted UConn against Saint Mary’s in the second round.

SHINING Moment

The unforgettable plays are piling up.

Princeton used a late run to earn its first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years by knocking off No. 2 Arizona. Furman celebrated its first tournament since 1980 with a win over No. 4 Virginia on a deep 3-pointer by JP Pegues with 2.4 seconds left.

Then came 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson’s win over Purdue as the 22 1/2-point underdog smothered 7-4 center Zach Edey to advance and join UMBC in the record books.

On a player level, Texas A&M had no answer for the 3-point acumen of Penn State’s Andrew Funk, who made 8 of 10 to help send the Aggies home. Marquette’s Kam Jones had a stunning second-half scoring drive to lead the Golden Eagles to a win in the opener.

GAMES TO WATCH

Seed No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson (21-15) vs. No. 9 seed FAU (32-3), Sunday, 7:45 p.m. ET (truTV)

One of those unheralded teams is headed to the Sweet 16. The underdog Knights of FDU may be the smallest team in the tournament, but after beating All-America 7-foot-4 center Zack Edey and Purdue, they will now face the ninth-seeded Owls . Florida Atlantic is coming off an exciting win over Memphis and coach Penny Hardaway.

No. 6 seed Kentucky (22-11) vs. No. 3 seed Kansas State (24-9), Sunday, 2:40 p.m. ET, (CBS)

Feral cats abound! Oscar Tshiebwe pulled down 25 rebounds, the second most in the tournament since 1973, when Kentucky beat Providence. That’s just four fewer rebounds than Kansas State had in its 77-65 win over Montana State. K-State’s win was its first in the tournament since 2018, when it beat … Kentucky.

No. 7 seed Michigan State (20-12) vs. No. 2 seed Marquette (29-6), Sunday, 5:15 p.m. (CBS)

Quick, name two coaches you think are great. Tom Izzo and Shaka Smart have to be in the top 10, but only one will reach the Sweet 16 this tournament. The Spartans ousted Southern Cal behind 17 points from Joey Hauser, and will face a Marquette team that got 18 straight points from Kam Jones in the second half of a 78-61 win against Vermont.

GO DEEPER

Gun violence has claimed lives and disrupted college sports all season, affecting some of the top programs in college basketball, including Alabama. Coaches have been thrust into uncertain and unwelcome roles in trying to navigate the issue—as well as the fallout from the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.

On a lighter note, if you feel like you know March Madness pretty well, try this 25-question trivia quiz put together by the AP.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

The NCAA tournament is filled with great players and the AP All-America team is a good place to get to know the names. It’s also an event where guys you’ve never heard of—no offense, Drake—can take a star turn. Guard play is always going to be important (see: Baylor, title winner in 2021), and there are some NBA prospects in the mix.

Bet on this, too: Some players—perhaps more than one—will have a chance to join the mustache-obsessed Doug Edert (remember Saint Peters’ inspirational run last year?) and find a way to cash in on his celebrity.

HOW TO SEE

Every game in the men’s tournament will be broadcast — here’s a schedule — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms. CBS, which also has a handy schedule that includes announcing teams, will handle the Final Four and national title games this year.

The NCAA streams games via the March Madness Live option and CBS games are streamed on Paramount+. Fans of longtime play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz should savor every moment: It’s his last NCAA Tournament appearance.

GAME GUIDE

Who will win the national championship? The late Friday betting favorites to reach the Final Four are (in order) Alabama, Houston, UCLA, Gonzaga, Texas and Kansas, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

MARCH MADNESS CALENDAR

Selection Sunday set the bracket matchups for the First Four and first- and second-round games stretching from Florida to California. The Sweet 16 weekend will see games in New York City (East Region), Las Vegas (West), Kansas City, Missouri (Midwest), and Louisville, Kentucky (South).

Where is the Final Four? In Houston, April 1, with the championship game on April 3. Basketball lovers, take note: The NCAA women’s tournament will hold its Final Four in Dallas, a four-hour drive up the road from Houston.

Can’t get enough of March Madness? Well, there is talk of expanding the tournament despite a number of challenges. Enjoy the 68 layer version for now!

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AP March Madness coverage: and bracket: and and