Anybody’s March 🏀
03/06/2023
By: Jeff Yoder
#1 Houston Survives on Buzzer-Beater in Weekend of Upsets, But March Begins With One Clear-Cut Favorite… Anybody
Can you hear it? The sound of brackets ripping is already starting to echo throughout the nation. Selection Sunday is still six days away — separated by conference tournaments between now and then — but the weekend in the rearview proved this truly is anybody’s March. Five mid-majors have already punched their tickets to the Big Dance (see below), but those early automatic bids aren’t exactly title favorites. Six of the top 12 teams in the country lost in a 12-hour window this weekend, and four of the other six survived upset scares in games decided by two possessions or less. Years past have usually given us a Gonzaga, Kentucky, Duke, or some semblance of a blue blood with a target on their back. This year’s bracket will have no such thing.
An overwhelming favorite? Think again. The No. 1 overall seed is still wide open with six days left. You might have zeroed in on Kansas late in the season, but they lost by double digits this weekend. Maybe Houston? The Cougars are probably heading for that top spot, but they needed a buzzer-beater to survive Memphis. Alabama? They fell this weekend, and their off-the-court issues could be a detriment. What about Purdue? They barely escaped Illinois and Wisconsin this week after blowing leads, and they haven’t looked good in February. UCLA continues to be intriguing, but not the favorite. Marquette squeaked past St. John’s by a bucket, and Baylor also went down in an upset fashion.
The point is this: March Madness has no juggernaut sitting at the top left corner of the bracket. That “team to beat” doesn’t exist. If it does, they’ve been beaten already… plenty of times. The 2023 NCAA Tournament won’t afford anyone confidence in a pick that says: “Yeah, they’re winning it all.” That’s the beauty of the madness, but this year might be madder than ever.
Odds to Win March Madness (as of March 6)
Houston (+600)
Alabama (+750)
Kansas (+850)
UCLA (+850)
Purdue (+1200)
Arizona (+1200)
Others:Â Baylor (+1500), UConn (+2000), Gonzaga (+2000), Texas (+2500), Marquette (+2500), Tennessee (+3500)
NCAA Men’s Basketball Scoreboard (Top-12)
#1 Houston def. Memphis (67-65)
*Buzzer-Beater by Jamal Shead
#24 Texas A&M def. #2 Alabama (67-61)
#9 Texas def. #3 Kansas (75-59)
#4 UCLA def. #8 Arizona (82-73)
#5 Purdue def. Illinois (76-71)
#6 Marquette def. St. John’s (96-94)
Iowa State def. #7 Baylor (73-58)
West Virginia def. #11 Kansas State (89-81)
Auburn def. #12 Tennessee (79-70)
Other Highlights
#15 Indiana def. Michigan (75-73, OT)
*Michigan’s Bubble Pops
#16 Miami def. #25 Pittsburgh (78-76)
*Miami Wins ACC Regular-Season Title
Duke def. North Carolina (62-57)
*UNC Suffers Huge Blow to Bubble Destiny
NCAA Tournament Automatic Bids
Remember: 32 teams receive automatic bids by winning their conference tournament. The remaining 36 teams come from at-large bids selected by the committee. It’s dancing season, and these five teams already have their shoes:
Drake (Missouri Valley)
Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast)
Kennesaw State (ASUN)
Southeast Missouri State (Ohio Valley)
UNC Asheville (Big South)
Conference Tournament Schedule
West Coast Conference: Tonight & Tomorrow (Semifinal & Final)
ACC: Begins Tuesday
Big 12: Begins Wednesday
Big East: Begins Wednesday
Big Ten: Begins Wednesday
Pac-12: Begins Wednesday
SEC: Begins Wednesday
The power conference tournaments are about to shake things up even more this week. The brackets will be revealed Sunday night. The way it looks right now? It’s anybody’s March.
Additional Storylines
NCAA:Â Houston & Penn State Buzzer-Beaters Cap Off Wild Regular Season Before Conference Tournaments
B/R: Sleeper Picks for Every Major 2023 Men’s Conference Tournament
ESPN: Men’s Champ Week: Tournament Brackets, Schedules, Auto Bids & More
Photo: Justin Ford / Getty Images