Get Ready for March Madness: NCAA Tournament Bracket Revealed & Early Tips to Watch
March Madness is officially upon us, and the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket has been revealed.[0] The Alabama Crimson Tide are the No. 1 overall seed, with Kansas, Houston and Purdue joining the Crimson Tide as No. 1 seeds in their respective regions.[1] No. 1 seeds have won the national championship in 24 of the 37 years since the NCAA Tournament bracket expanded to 64 teams.[1]
The tournament will tip off Tuesday with the First Four from Dayton, Ohio, and the first round begins Thursday.[2] To find out how the 32 automatic bids to March Madness were achieved, visit ESPN's “tickets punched” page.[2]
The tournament is full of intriguing matchups and teams with the potential to make a deep run. The Houston Cougars (+500) and Kansas Jayhawks (+900) are the favorites to win it all, while the Purdue Boilermakers (+1000) and UConn Huskies (+900) are two other teams to keep an eye on. The Utah State Aggies (+1000) and Drake Bulldogs (+1000) are two other teams on the rise.
One of the most intriguing matchups of the First Four is No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson vs. No. 16 Texas Southern. The winner will face No. 1 Houston in the first round.[3] Meanwhile, No. 12 Oral Roberts (+4.5) vs. No. 5 Duke (-6.5) is another matchup to watch, as Max Abmas leads the Golden Eagles in pursuit of an upset.[4]
The women's NCAA tournament also starts this week, and you can get your NCAA Women's Tournament ESPN March Madness printable bracket here.[5]
In the men's tournament, No. 4 Florida vs. UCF (7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN2) and No. 1 Clemson vs. Morehead State (7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN+) are two games to watch.[6] No. 1 Oklahoma State vs. Youngstown State (7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN+) and No. 2 Sam Houston vs. Santa Clara (9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN+) are other matchups to pay attention to.[6]
The NCAA tournament provides a chance for college basketball players to become household names around the country and legends at their schools.[7]
0. “How to stream every game of March Madness 2023” Engadget, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.engadget.com/march-madness-streaming-guide-163042028.html
1. “NCAA bracket predictions: College basketball model enters surprising March Madness 2023 tournament picks” CBS Sports, 15 Mar. 2023, https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-bracket-predictions-college-basketball-model-enters-surprising-march-madness-2023-tournament-picks/
2. “March Madness 2023: What to know about every team” ESPN, 12 Mar. 2023, https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/35806362/every-team-men-ncaa-tournament-bracket-explained-2023
3. “NCAA College Basketball Tournament Schedule: Time, TV Channel, Locations” Roll Bama Roll, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2023/3/14/23639308/ncaa-college-basketball-tournament-schedule-time-tv-channel-locations-announcers
4. “March Madness 2023: NCAA tournament printable brackets, dates, times and more” Yahoo Sports, 14 Mar. 2023, https://sports.yahoo.com/march-madness-2023-ncaa-basketball-tournament-printable-brackets-dates-times-and-more-112340630.html
5. “2023 Women's March Madness college basketball printable brackets” ESPN, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/35853727/2023-ncaa-women-tournament-march-madness-printable-brackets-college-basketball
6. “NIT selection show: Which teams made National Invitational Tournament?” USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/03/12/nit-selection-show-2023/11461263002
7. “March Madness’ top-50 players, ranked for 2023 men’s NCAA tournament” SB Nation, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2023/3/14/23629013/march-madness-best-players-ranked-ncaa-tournament-2023-men
