March Madness 2023 is set! Let's look at the brackets for this season:
NO. 1 SEEDS:
- Alabama (Overall No. 1)
- Houston
- Kansas
- Purdue
ALIGNMENT:
- South vs. East
- Midwest vs. West
--- SOUTH REGION ---
Birmingham, Alabama (Thursday and Saturday)
#1 Alabama vs. #16 (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi/Southeast Missouri State)
#8 Maryland vs. #9 West Virginia
Orlando, FL (Thursday and Saturday)
#5 San Diego State vs. #12 Charleston
#4 Virginia vs. #13 Furman
Denver, CO (Friday and Sunday)
#6 Creighton vs. #11 North Carolina State
#3 Baylor vs. #14 California-Santa Barbara
Sacramento, CA (Thursday and Saturday)
#7 Missouri vs. #10 Utah State
#2 Arizona vs. #15 Princeton
--- EAST REGION ---
Columbus, OH (Friday and Sunday)
#1 Purdue vs. #16 (Texas Southern/Fairleigh Dickinson)
#8 Memphis vs. #9 Florida Atlantic
Orlando, FL (Thursday and Saturday)
#5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts
#4 Tennessee vs. #13 Louisiana-Lafayette
Greensboro, NC (Friday and Sunday)
#6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence
#3 Kansas State vs. #14 Montana State
Columbus, OH (Friday and Sunday)
#7 Michigan State vs. #10 USCal
#2 Marquette vs. #15 Vermont
--- MIDWEST REGION ---
Birmingham, AL (Thursday and Saturday)
#1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky
#8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn
Albany, NY (Friday and Sunday)
#5 Miami (FL) vs. #12 Drake
#4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State
Greensboro, NC (Friday and Sunday)
#6 Iowa State vs. #11 (Mississippi State/Pittsburgh)
#3 Xavier vs. #14 Kennesaw State
Des Moines, IA (Thursday and Saturday)
#7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State
#2 Texas vs. #15 Colgate
--- WEST REGION ---
Des Moines, IA (Thursday and Saturday)
#1 Kansas vs. #16 Howard
#8 Arkansas vs. #9 Illinois
Albany, NY (Friday and Sunday)
#5 St. Mary's vs. #12 Virginia Commonwealth
#4 Connecticut vs. #13 Iona
Denver, CO (Friday and Sunday)
#6 TCU vs. #11 (Arizona State/Nevada)
#3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Grand Canyon
Sacramento, CA (Thursday and Saturday)
#7 Northwestern vs. #10 Boise State
#2 UCLA vs. #15 North Carolina-Asheville
--- OTHER OBSERVATIONS ---
LAST FOUR IN: Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, Arizona State, Nevada
FIRST FOUR OUT: OK State, Rutgers, North Carolina, Clemson
Well, ladies and gentlemen, there you have it. So let me review a few notes...
* My Houston Cougars will meet the Norse of Northern Kentucky University.
*
Dolph Drago's Purdue Boilermakers won the B1G title on a wild finish against No. 10 Penn State, and Purdue is rewarded by taking on either the Texas Southern Tigers or the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. It would have been the Merrimack Warriors over Fairleigh Dickinson, but because Merrimack College hasn't been in NCAA Division 1 for at least four years, they were denied tournament access. It was the same fate that befell
*
Jordan's Kentucky Wildcats made it in, and this basketball powerhouse will meet the Friars of Providence College. Despite Kentucky's woes this season, they still got in. Kentucky is in the NCAA Tournament for the 60th ever time. That's the most all-time of any current NCAA Division 1 school.
* Kentucky and Duke get into the Tournament; North Carolina, meanwhile, does not. Goes to show that because you're a basketball powerhouse, it isn't your birthright to be in the NCAA Tournament. Got to earn it.
If the pace of the regular season is any indication, this season's March Madness is going to be as insane as any other. There is no team of destiny and not really any great teams. College basketball is a finnicky sport. Stress levels will be through the roof hoping your favorite team wins the championship or if your bracket actually holds up. Being a higher seed just means that much more pressure to win it all. That pressure becomes astronommical if your beloved school is a No. 1 seed, like my Houston Cougars or
Dolph Drago's Purdue Boilermakers. In fact, it COULD be a Houston-Purdue National Championship game if both are fortunate enough to get that far. Those not good enough for the NCAA Tournament will have to settle for the NIT, CBI, or whatever other tournaments there are.
Don't be entirely scared of what I just discussed. All I am saying is that college basketball is one of the most exciting sports to follow all year for a reason. Even people who couldn't care less about college basketball somehow get into it. I'm talking to folks who have office pools at work or something.
Enjoy March Madness 2023! I'll get the NCAA Division 1 Women's Brackets in a future post (later tonight, actually).