WICHITA, Kan. — It's hardly hyperbole to say Houston-Gonzaga is a matchup that could just as easily be played in the Final Four as the second round of the NCAA Tournament, which is exactly where the college basketball titans will meet Saturday night.

The big tournament is not just about basketball in Wichita this year —it’s also about Jell-O shots. Inspired by the famous College World Series Jell-O Shot Challenge in Omaha, a pair of local restaurant owners have turned the NCAA Tournament into a spirited battle for bragging rights.

The first round of the NCAA Tournament drew fans to downtown Wichita on Thursday. Here are some photos taken by Eagle photojournalists Jaime Green and Travis Heying. Gonzaga and Georgia met in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Jaime Green The Wichita Eagle

Southern Illinois University students woke up early to head to Wichita for the NCAA game against Houston. The game starts at 1 p.m.

The best the bracket has so far is a pair of No. 12 seeds over 5s. That’s become almost expected — occurring at 35% clip, according to the NCAA — and one of them wasn’t even an upset. Colorado State was favored by 2 1/2 points over short-handed Memphis, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, and the Rams won 78-70.

Drake basketball beat Missouri in the NCAA Tournament first round, marking the first time in over 50 years the Bulldogs advanced past the first round.