The opening weekend of March Madness felt like a success even before Fred VanVleet caught an inbounds pass in the halfcourt with Wichita State trailing Kentucky by two points with three seconds left. The game was already an instant classic and this was the only way it could end, with the Shockers getting one last chance to save their perfect season before the final buzzer. VanVleet fired from three-point range and missed, Kentucky celebrated like it had won a championship, and an already exciting opening weekend of the 2014 NCAA Tournament had its signature game.

The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament rarely lets you down, and this one was no exception. Mercer's win against No. 3 Duke highlighted an opening round filled with upsets, where seven double-digit seeds won at least one game. Three of those teams are still around as the tournament enters the Sweet 16, highlighted by a Dayton squad that beat Ohio State and Syracuse after finishing sixth in the Atlantic 10.

Before we can move to regional semifinals, it's time to look back and appreciate how we got here. Here are the best images from Thursday-Sunday at the NCAA Tournament.