Let’s Dance

03/16/2023 Let’s Dance

By: Jeff Yoder

Schedules, Players & Games to Watch as 2023 NCAA Tournament Tips Off Today

Today is the day! While Tuesday’s First Four games brought a pair of nail-biters, Wednesday’s First Four action featured back-to-back blowouts. Fairleigh Dickinson blasted Texas Southern to earn their spot in the next round, and Arizona State made quick work of Nevada with a 63-percent shooting night. We also got our first action in the women’s NCAA Tournament, but now it’s time for The Big Dance.

 

First Four Highlights (Men’s)

#16 Fairleigh Dickinson def #16 Texas Southern (84-61)

#11 Arizona State def. #11 Nevada (98-73)

 

First Four Highlights (Women’s)

#11 Mississippi State def. #11 Illinois (70-56)

#16 Sacred Heart def. #16 Southern U. (57-47)

 

The Big Dance

 

Top 5 Opening-Round Games to Watch

Virtually every 8-9 game could go on this list, as well as most matchups between seeds 5-12, but we’ll stick with five games we’re thrilled to see starting with the first game of the day. #8 Maryland vs. #9 West Virginia could be a bloodbath of physicality. Expect bruises in the East Coast showdown. #5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts has plenty of intrigue with the Blue Devils rising to the top of the ACC Tournament and ORU is always a March spoiler. At the end of Day 1, it’s #7 Texas A&M and #10 Penn State in a matchup of two passionate, under-seeded teams who finished runner-up in their conference championships. On Day 2, the showdown between #4 UConn and #13 Iona gives Rick Pitino a shot at the Big East in New York. And to top it off, my favorite game of the first round belongs to #8 Memphis vs. #9 Florida Atlantic. The Owls are 31-3 and making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 (second ever).

 

Top 5 Players to Watch

March Madness is where guards shine, but three of our top-five players to watch in this year’s tournament are big men. Zach Edey (Purdue) is the 7-foot-4 automatic double-double who makes everyone in college basketball look small. Brandon Miller (Alabama) is likely the most athletic forward in the tourney, and Jalen Wilson (Kansas) is a back-to-back first-team All-American. There are two guards who stand out and have the capacity to pop off for deep tourney runs — Marcus Sasser (Houston) and Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State). There are plenty of names who could grace this list, but these are my top five. Notable Mention: Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), Drew Timme (Gonzaga), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA).

 

Teams With the Best Odds

Houston (+550), Alabama (+750), Kansas (+1200), Purdue (+1200), UCLA (+1200), Gonzaga (+1500), Arizona (+1500), Texas (+1500), Marquette (+1800), UConn (+2000)

 

Men’s NCAA Tournament Schedule

 

Round of 64 Schedule (Today)

#8 Maryland vs. #9 West Virginia (12:15 pm)

#4 Virginia vs. #13 Furman (12:40 pm)

#7 Missouri vs. #10 Utah State (1:40 pm)

#1 Kansas vs. #16 Howard (2:00 pm)

#1 Alabama vs. #16 Texas A&M-CC (2:45 pm)

#5 San Diego State vs. #12 Charleston (3:10 pm)

#2 Arizona vs. #15 Princeton (4:10 pm)

#8 Arkansas vs. #9 Illinois (4:30 pm)

#8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn (6:50 pm)

#5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts (7:10 pm)

#2 Texas vs. #15 Colgate (7:25 pm)

#7 Northwestern vs. #10 Boise State (7:35 pm)

#1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky (9:20 pm)

#4 Tennessee vs. #13 Louisiana (9:40 pm)

#7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State (9:55 pm)

#2 UCLA vs. #15 UNC Asheville (10:05 pm)

*All Times ET

 

Round of 64 Schedule (Tomorrow)

#7 Michigan State vs. #10 USC (12:15 pm)

#3 Xavier vs. #14 Kennesaw State (12:40 pm)

#3 Baylor vs. #14 UC Santa Barbara (1:30 pm)

#5 Saint Mary’s vs. #12 VCU (2:00 pm)

#2 Marquette vs. #15 Vermont (2:45 pm)

#6 Iowa State vs. #11 Pittsburgh (3:10 pm)

#6 Creighton vs. #11 NC State (4:00 pm)

#4 UConn vs. #13 Iona (4:30 pm)

#1 Purdue vs. #16 Fairleigh Dickinson (6:50 pm)

#6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence (7:10 pm)

#5 Miami vs. #12 Drake (7:25 pm)

#3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Grand Canyon (7:35 pm)

#8 Memphis vs. #9 Florida Atlantic (9:20 pm)

#3 Kansas State vs. #14 Montana State (9:40 pm)

#4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State (9:55 pm)

#6 TCU vs. #11 Arizona State (10:05 pm)

*All Times ET

 

Round of 32: Saturday & Sunday

 

After two weeks of March to set the stage, the lights and music are on. The NCAA Tournament needs no further introduction. The doors are open. Let’s dance.

 

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: Ranking Every NCAA Tournament 1st-Round Game From 1-32

Yahoo! Sports: The NCAA Tournament’s Top-5 Players to Watch

The Ringer: The 2023 March Madness Cinderella Guide

 

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images