NCAA Tournament

Times college sports writer J. Brady McCollough makes his picks and predictions for every game in the 2023 NCAA men's basketball tournament.

No. Pick: The Wildcats have had to chew on their first-round loss to Saint Peter’s for a whole year. But the Blue Devils seem to have it rolling now. The Mountaineers will prove that the committee’s read was right. Pick: The winner gets a home-court advantage in the Final Four. Drake sharp-shooter Tucker DeVries will send the Bulldogs to the Sweet 16. The Cyclones have an extra level of toughness. Pick: In one of the last games of the first round, the Golden Flashes will pull one of the biggest upsets of the weekend. Pick: The Hurricanes will be tested if they don’t have big man Norchad Omier because of an ankle injury. Pick: The Bulldogs may not have a No. Pick: The Bruins absolutely need a healthy Adem Bona to have a chance of slowing down Drew Timme inside. Pick: KenPom’s efficiency metrics view UNC-Asheville as the luckiest team in the country this year.

Get real-time undefined coverage and scores as the undefined take on the undefined at 6:40pm EDT on March 15, 2023. The Athletic brings you the latest stats ...

Each of FDU's starters have scored at least seven points and combined for 41 of the team's 46 points through the first 20 minutes. NCAA rules require new D-I teams to go through a four-year transition period where they cannot participate in the NCAA Tournament. The Knights connected on a 11-of-27 3-pointers and handled business at the free-throw line, going 27-of-31. •10h ago •9h ago Fairleigh Dickinson started the game on a 10-2 run and never looked back. ASU won 98-73 in dominant fashion. 16 Texas A&M Corpus Christi and No. •8h ago On Tuesday, No. 1 Purdue and the Sun Devils are set to take on No. The Knights will play No.

16-seeds Fairleigh Dickinson and Texas Southern begin Wednesday's First Four slate, followed by an 11-seed matchup between Nevada and Arizona State. Here's how ...

Instead of having to hit the national champion, it allows you to bet on how far a team will go in a tournament. Do you think a team is underrated, but doesn't ...

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, left, talks with Dereck Lively II (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Virginia for the ...

No. 2 and No. 2 seed Marquette and No. Numbers are the best available in Las Vegas on the chosen sides. The Boilermakers are the least-picked No. It might not have played out that way so far but the region they find themselves in offers a golden second chance. Both No. Place No. 5 seed Duke, No. 6 seed Kentucky or No. The pessimism regarding the East stems from the top where some believed Purdue wasn’t worthy of nabbing the final No. Going into the season, Kentucky would have been the favorite — no lower than 2-to-1 — to get out of this bracket of teams.

Here is how to watch all of March Madness, including links to live streams, TV info, scores and schedules.

University of Texas at San Antonio, University of the Incarnate Word Arizona State University State Farm Stadium

Duke Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski. Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports. Which Men's NCAA Tournament Sites Have the Best Opening Weekend Matchups.

Freshman stats for top college basketball recruits from 2022 class in 2023 NCAA Tournament Nick Smith Jr., Brandon Miller, Cason Wallace.

10 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will play No. 6 seed for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1982 and will play ex-Cat Bryce Hopkins and No. 4 seed for the NCAA Tournament and will begin play with a first-round matchup against No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament and will begin play against No. Indiana opens the NCAA Tournament with a Friday game against No. Traore has added muscle and worked on becoming more of a sturdy defensive presence for a Jekyll-and-Hyde Auburn team that qualified for the Big Dance as a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament and begin against 15-seed North Carolina-Asheville at 10:05 p.m. 1 seed Houston Cougars, and he’s also one of only a few top recruits from the 2022 class to be on a 1 seed for this year’s NCAA Tournament. Miller averaged 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds for a Crimson Tide team that won the SEC regular season and SEC Tournament championships. Arkansas is an 8-seed for the Big Dance and will open the tournament against 9-seed Illinois at 4:30 p.m. Bailey, Bona and the Bruins are a No. ▪ (9) Amari Bailey had games of 26 points and 19 points for UCLA last week during the Bruins’ run to the championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament.

Sammy P gives us his best bets for the first round of the NCAA tournament. Read which teams he's betting big on in the opening round of March Madness.

The NCAA men's tournament will crown a champion in Houston. A rundown of the schedule for all 67 games on the road to deciding who cuts down the nets.

Northwestern (21-11) vs. Virginia Commonwealth (27-7), 2 p.m. (24-9), 7:35 p.m. Drake (27-7), 7:25 p.m. West Regional winner vs. South Regional winner vs. or 8:30 p.m. Saint Mary's (Cal.) (26-7) vs. Miami (Fla.) (25-7) vs. Kansas (27-7) vs. Houston is the desired destination of all 68 teams selected in this year's men's NCAA basketball tournament. Texas (26-8) vs.

No. 4 seed Virginia (25-7) plays No. 13 seed Furman (27-7) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 16 in Orlando, Fla.

• The winner of the Virginia/Furman NCAA first round game plays No. • UVA is ranked No. 5 seed San Diego State or No. Miami and 0-1 vs. 13 seed Furman (27-7) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 16 in Orlando, Fla. Baylor and 1-0 vs. NC State and 0-1 vs. 2 in 2018-19. Duke, 1-0 vs. • UVA went 1-1 vs. 4 seed Virginia (25-7) plays No. 2 ranking on Dec.

See how you compare to some of college basketball's most notable fans as we track celebrity brackets for the 2023 NCAA tournament.

1 Purdue, No. Final Four: No. 1 Kansas, No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 10 USC, No. 1 Houston, No. 1 seeds and two No. 5 Duke, No. 2 Texas, No. 1 Alabama, No. 3 Baylor, No. 2 UCLA, No.

Matt Norlander's annual data-driven deep dive on the NCAA tourney can help you sort through how to tweak those picks.

[VCU](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/VCU/vcu-rams/) (2011) and UCLA (2021) went to the Final Four. Last year it was [Notre Dame](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/ND/notre-dame-fighting-irish/). 2 [Missouri](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/MIZZOU/missouri-tigers/) in 2012; No. 1 [Virginia](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/UVA/virginia-cavaliers/) in 2018. 15 [Norfolk State](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/NORFLK/norfolk-state-spartans/) (+21.5) over No. [Santa Clara](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/SNCLRA/santa-clara-broncos/) (+20) over No. 2 [Arizona](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/ARIZ/arizona-wildcats/) in 1993; No. [North Texas](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/NTEXAS/north-texas-mean-green/)' No. [Illinois](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/ILL/illinois-fighting-illini/) (77-71); 1989 East [Tennessee State](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/TNST/tennessee-state-tigers/) vs. [Georgetown](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/GTOWN/georgetown-hoyas/) (50-49); and 1985 [Fairleigh Dickinson](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/FDU/fairleigh-dickinson-knights/) vs. [Michigan State](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/MICHST/michigan-state-spartans/) (75-71 in OT); 1989 [McNeese State](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/MCNSE/mcneese-state-cowboys/) vs. [Florida](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/FLA/florida-gators/) (2007), [Kentucky](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/UK/kentucky-wildcats/) (2012) and [Louisville](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/LVILLE/louisville-cardinals/) (2013).

Purdue and Kansas face particularly tough challenges in their respective regions. Which of those two No. 1 teams will lose first?

HOUSTON — The Pitt Panthers and Texas A&M Corpus Christi became the first two teams to win an NCAA Tournament game this season on Tuesday night, giving them each the opportunity now to take on Iowa State and Alabama, respectively.

It's not the most likely to win a game or go far in the tournament, but more of a power ranking of the four (or six) teams against each other on every seed line ...

7, No. 10 and No. Gonzaga, on the other hand, has been arguably the best team in the country over the past six weeks and has not lost in regulation since Jan. The team also elevated its level of play defensively in the second half of the season, ranking No. Playing your best basketball of the season heading into the tournament is always a good thing, but when you are doing that and your roster is loaded with five-star talent, it sets up for the potential of something special. Top team — Charleston, South Region: A blistering pace, a ton of 3-point attempts and 31 wins on the season have made Charleston an easy pick among an admittedly strong collection of 12-seeds. Top team — Kent State, Midwest Region: I'm in line with the committee on this decision; the Golden Flashes were excellent in MAC play (15-3) and performed admirably in their most challenging nonconference games. 7 in the country) and cleaned up on the defensive glass in conference play. Top team — Howard, West Region: Kenny Blakeney did a great job with this team, going undefeated at home in conference play and narrowly edging out NC Central for the regular-season championship before following it up with a conference tournament title to secure the MEAC's auto-bid. 3 (Gonzaga), the best No. 4 (UConn) and the second-best No. It's not the most likely to win a game or go far in the tournament, but more of a power ranking of the four (or six) teams against each other on every seed line.

But all those teams represent schools with histories. Here are fun facts about all 68 schools in this year's field, both the tiny and the mighty. Alabama. The ...

And the mascot is a collie named Reveille who's also the highest-ranking member of the school's Corps of Cadets. Today, 80% of the school's enrollment is Black and 8% is Catholic. The paper was founded in 1911, making it one of the oldest college newspapers still in circulation. The plane was part of Purdue Airlines, an affiliate of the aviation program in the mid-20th century. In his six years coaching the Bobcats, he compiled a 28-20-1 record in football and a 144-31 record in basketball. is the most accomplished of the trio, winning national mascot of the year in 2012. A row of trees known as the "Century Oaks" is in the heart of the campus; they were planted in the early 20th century by the school's first president. Back in the late 1990s, when Kutcher was a computer science major at the school, he and his friends went out for pizza one night at the Airliner and was "discovered" there by a modeling agent. And to think, Duke gave the university a $40 million endowment in 1924. The hotel is fully functioning and is student-run, with a conference center and a restaurant. Back in the 1950s, the school administration hosted a coffee hour and soon after, a Coke hour in their new student union building to encourage socialization and student interest in school resources. When Dr Pepper sponsored the school back in 1997, the school swapped the Coke floats to Dr Pepper floats, and continues to serve the drinks from 3-4 p.m.

The Princeton mens and womens basketball teams have earned trips to the NCAA Tournament. This is the second time in school history that both teams in the ...

This is the program’s 26th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first appearance since 2017. Princeton women’s basketball (23-5, 12-2 Ivy League) prevailed over Harvard in a comeback win, 54-48, at Jadwin Gymnasium for the Ivy Madness title on March 11. This is the second time in school history that both teams in the same season have punched their ticket to play in the NCAA Tournament.

WVU fans following the men's basketball team to Birmingham, Alabama, for the NCAA Tournament games are invited to come together for a meet-and-greet event ...

Hundreds of WVU alumni, friends and fans are expected to attend the first-round game versus the University of Maryland. on Thursday (March 16) at Mugshots Grill and Bar, 2311 Richard Arrington Jr. The Mountaineer Meet and Greet will take place beginning at 9 a.m.

HOUSTON — The Pitt Panthers and Texas A&M Corpus Christi became the first two teams to win an NCAA Tournament game this season on Tuesday night, ...

Steph Curry made a name for himself in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, leading Davidson on a memorable run. Who will be this year's version of Curry?

[Nelly Junior Joseph](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/nelly-junior-joseph-player), [Iona](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/iona-gaels-team) [DePaul](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/depaul-blue-demons-team) back in December. [Bruins](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/ucla-bruins-team) in the opening round of this year’s tournament — listed at +18, per FOX Bet — it is worth noting that UCLA is dealing with a bevy of injuries, including one to big man [Adem Bona](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/adem-bona-player). 3-seeded [Wisconsin](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/wisconsin-badgers-team). Ashworth, along with fellow backcourt mate [Max Shulga](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/max-shulga-player), could present some major problems for the Tigers in their first-round game. 2 seed [Georgetown](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/georgetown-hoyas-team). [Creighton](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/creighton-bluejays-team) to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2013 and 2014. While he might not be a household name, chances are [Boise State](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/boise-state-broncos-team) fans are going to get to know the name real quick, as Audige has the ability to match up against any guard in the country and alter a game from a defensive standpoint. Now, Darian is the head coach at Drake, and he has the luxury of coaching his son Tucker, who is the [Missouri Valley Conference](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/missouri-valley) Player of the Year. [Davidson](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/davidson-wildcats-team) men’s basketball team entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. The sophomore guard, who became the fourth sophomore in conference history to win the player of the year award, will have the chance to make a name for himself against a Miami team that finished 25-7 and 15-5 in ACC play. [NBA](https://www.foxsports.com/nba) All-Star and two-time league MVP, Curry put together one of the most magical runs in tournament history during his sophomore campaign.

Count ESPN's Jay Bilas as a firm believer in the Arizona Wildcats' chances to bring back an NCAA Tournament title to Tucson.

Arizona should get to the Elite Eight by dispatching Missouri and then Creighton in a rematch from the Maui Invitational. Leading the charge for the Crimson Tide is freshman forward Brandon Miller, who paces the team in points (19.6) and rebounds (8.3) per game. Arizona is well constructed with its mobile bigs and a matchup problem comparable to Miller in Azuolas Tubelis. Arizona is anchored by forward Azuolas Tubelis and center Oumar Ballo down low. 2-seeded Wildcats getting past Princeton, Utah State, Creighton and top-seeded Alabama on their way to a Final Four matchup against Duke before taking down UConn in the title game. The 6-foot-9, 200-pound forward is shooting 45.1% from the field and 40.1% from three-point land. He’s also averaging 1.3 blocks in 27.6 minutes per contest. Alabama’s tilt with either Texas A&M-Corpus Christi or Southeast Missouri State is set for 11:45 a.m. I say the Wildcats get it done. “I actually thought they would do a little bit better last year than they did in the tournament. They got great big guys that can really run and they’re really solid at every position. The Wildcats had the team to make a Final Four run last season before they were shocked by Houston in the Sweet 16.

It's March Madness Time, Tiger Fans! This year, it's twice the Madness as both the men's basketball and women's basketball teams have qualified for the NCAA ...

FOX Sports Gambling Analyst Jason McIntyre is here with his picks for first-round games of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

UCLA'S PRESS CONFERENCE NCAA Tournament, West Region Sacramento, Calif. (Golden 1 Center) March 15, 2023 UCLA's student-athletes Amari Bailey, ...

I know all the rest of this stuff is neat, but [Drew] Pember, what did he get, 46 in a game this year? If you're overaggressive before he gets the ball, he gets a backdoor. In modern college basketball, to me, if Rick Pitino would have never gone to the NBA, he would have been the best college coach ever in modern basketball. Looking at them, I can see in their league they probably had just a little bit better athlete than the rest of the teams in that league. They remind me of us in a way that they know how to win close games. They know how to lead is the best way to say it. We know that we had a bigger goal at the start of the season. For Will, it's just slowing down a little bit and knowing we have so much confidence in him, we're going to need him, because he's going to play a big role in this tourney.” We're just trying to tell him, ‘You just got to slow down in the games because we know you're a great player, you're not here for no reason.’ We have never wavered confidence with him. Tyger: “I just say that every team that's in the tournament is here for a reason. I think it's just the waves and tides of the season. There's a lot of games and there's a lot of ups and downs.

Patrick Everson spoke with bookmakers and sharps to get insights on the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, including information on several big bets.

[VCU](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/vcu-rams-team) vs. [Oral Roberts](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/oral-roberts-golden-eagles-team) to lift the trophy. [Maryland](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/maryland-terrapins-team) – the No. [West Virginia](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/west-virginia-mountaineers-team) vs. Mary’s](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/iona-gaels-team) in the West Region – although the game is being played in Albany, N.Y. [Just download the Super 6 app and make your picks today!](https://foxsuper6.onelink.me/y0bF?pid=Cross_Sale&c=FOX_Sports&is_retargeting=true&af_dp=super6%3A%2F%2F&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxsuper6.com%2F%3Fsource%3D19259167&af_adset=Sports&af_ad=college-football-week-4-odds-point-spreads-more-for-every-top-25-game&af_sub1=Article&af_sub2=ALL&af_sub4=19259167&af_sub5=Editorial) [Utah State](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/utah-state-aggies-team) on Thursday. 3 [Kansas State](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/kansas-state-wildcats-team) on Friday. I honestly think their path to the regional final is easier than that of the Midwest Region’s top seed, [Houston](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/houston-cougars-team). [Louisiana](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/louisiana-ragin-cajuns-team) vs. 12 seed [Charleston](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/charleston-cougars-team) vs. 5 seed [San Diego State](https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/san-diego-state-aztecs-team) in the South Region.

If you're in Columbus while the NCCA Tournament is in town, check out these places to eat and visit during March Madness.

The 83rd NCAA Tournament tipped off this week, and several Final Four contenders are relying on freshman talent to play beyond their years in March Madness.

Duke’s top-ranked 2022 recruiting class featured three of the nation’s top five players, but only one made this list. South Carolina’s GG Jackson and Oregon’s Kel’el Ware are the only top 10 recruits absent from the big dance. 1 seed with the help of former five-star Gradey Dick, while former No.

A closer look at the first round games on Thursday's slate of the NCAA Tournament.

With sharpshooting Max Abmas, they have the goods to keep Duke sweating down to the wire. The Golden Eagles are one of only four teams this season to win at least 30 games, and they enter the tourney having won 27 of their last 28. That's enough for me to lean their way in a close spread, so I'll lay the point. So, effectively, this is a home game for the Tigers. are potential top-10 picks -- but they've not clicked for most of the season and enter the NCAA Tournament with virtually no momentum. If Alabama can beat Mississippi State by 23 or No. Last year, KU romped Texas Southern in Round 1 by 27 points as a 21.5-point favorite, and it could do the same here against Howard despite the big number. KU [March Madness Live](https://mml.smart.link/i2m6p5d5v?game=225&cid=mml_partner_cbs_game): Every year it feels like the lines for 1-16 games feel too high, and yet almost every year, the No. Pick: Utah State -1 Getting some extra skin in the games may help put you in the tournament spirit, too. Technically, the 2023 NCAA Tournament began Tuesday with the First Four, but the real mayhem of March gets going Thursday and Friday as first-round action takes place across the country.

Here you go. We polled ESPN's crew of men's college basketball commentators, analysts and writers -- the experts off the court, if you will -- for their ...

[UCLA](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/26/ucla-bruins), even with its injured defensive star [Jaylen Clark](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4432247/jaylen-clark) out, still has a shot to some. [Purdue](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2509/purdue-boilermakers)'s chances to reach the Final Four (2), but for the most part, our experts predict some significant upsets here. Duke and UConn are more favored by our experts (11.9% and 9.5%, respectively) than by the larger bracket population 3.1% and 2.1% respectively). [Duke](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/150/duke-blue-devils) head coach, who guided his freshman-dominant crew to a 5-seed, has the confidence of 62% of our experts. In addition to the Blue Devils, Big East champ [Marquette](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/269/marquette-golden-eagles) is as dangerous as a 2-seed gets and comes in as the second overall favorite (11 of 42). Each of the top five seeds in this quarter of the bracket received at least one vote, with over half going to the 2-seed Longhorns (54.8%, or 23 votes), one-third to the 1-seed Cougars (14) and single-digit votes for 3-seed [Xavier](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2752/xavier-musketeers) (2), 4-seed [Indiana](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/84/indiana-hoosiers) (1) and 5-seed [Miami](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2390/miami-hurricanes) (1). And [Arkansas](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/8/arkansas-razorbacks), home to a couple projected first-round NBA draft picks, gets a couple nods. Printable brackets are [can be found here.](https://a.espncdn.com/i/ncaa/basketball/ncaatourney23/ncaam_bracket_filled.pdf) The first-year They picked from among 10 different teams, which proves it's a wide, wide open field, and anyone's for the taking. We polled ESPN's crew of men's college basketball commentators, analysts and writers -- the experts off the court, if you will -- for their thoughts on the best of the field of 68. By now you're cross-eyed reading about every team competing for the 2023 NCAA title.

We're on the hunt for upsets as the men's N.C.A.A. basketball tournament gets going in earnest. Here are our picks for the games we don't want to miss (all ...

No. Fans are largely picking Duke, but some modelers are skeptical, with Pomeroy giving Duke a 63 percent chance to advance. Auburn also recorded an up-and-down season: The Tigers had winning streaks of eight games (to start the year) and five games (in January), but otherwise didn’t win more than two games consecutively. [39.5 percent of the time](https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-02-07/records-every-seed-march-madness-1985-2022). According to Ken Pomeroy’s ratings, though, they feature the [13th-best offense in Division I](https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankAdjOE). West Virginia went 7-11 in the Big 12, but the Mountaineers finished the regular season with wins at Iowa State and against Kansas State. But Duke is also on a hot streak and has won its past nine games on the way to an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title. Maryland finished fifth in the Big Ten but did score a win in February over eventual No. We’re on the hunt for upsets as the men’s N.C.A.A. Here are our picks for the games we don’t want to miss (all times Eastern): It’s hard to root against Coach Bob Huggins and West Virginia’s pesky defense: According to Our first game of the day should also be a good one.

The Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball team saved their best performance of the season for the First Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Arizona State also forced 10 of its 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes of the contest. ASU forward Jamiya Neal, who has exploded offensively in the team’s last few games, also contributed with 16 of his side’s 33 bench points. ASU finished with five players in double figures, with DJ Horne leading the way with 20 points, while Cambridge Jr. As a team, ASU shot a staggering 64% from the field while also hitting 11 three-pointers and going 71% from the free throw line. 11 seed Nevada Wolf Pack within the first 3:21 of Wednesday night’s contest in Dayton en route to a 98-73 victory. And it was across the board, just everyone contributed.

DJ Horne had 20 points and Arizona State raced to a big halftime lead and scored the most points ever in a First Four game, burying Nevada 98-73 on ...

Grant Singleton scored seven points during a 19-6 run in which the Knights led by as many as 18 points at the end of the first half. One of Nevada’s top players, Kenan Blackshear, picked up three fouls early and sat on the bench for more than five minutes of the opening half. Will Baker scored 17 and Tre Coleman had 14 for the Wolf Pack (22-11).

It is time to continue our March Madness odds series with prediction and pick for all 32 opening round games.

Kentucky is 66th in the nation at a plus-seven points per game, while Providence is 72nd at plus-six points per game. In their last 17 games, they have lost three times, with two of those being to Houston, and the other one being a one point loss to Tulane. Marquette is 19th in scoring per game, and is outscoring opponents by 9.3 points per game this year. At the same time, Big West Champion UC Santa Barbara is a solid defense, ranking 49th in the NCAA in scoring defense at 65.6 points per game. Offensively, USC is slightly better at 72.8 points per game to the 70.2 points per game of the Spartans. Baylor is the fourth highest scoring team in the NCAA with a 77.2 point per game average. On the defensive side of the ball, Michigan State sits 97th in scoring defense, allowing 67.4 points per game, right behind USC who is 94th at 67.2 points per game. Tennessee has played that top level of competition, and is seventh in scoring margin, bolstered by a defense that is third in scoring in the nation. San Diego State is the ninth best team in the NCAA against the three, and is 28th in defensive points per game at 63.8 points. Part of this is because they are 13th in the nation in three points percentage at 38.52%. As a team, the Golden Eagles were third in points per game, at 84.2 points per outing. Alabama rolls, and the only question is when do the put in the reserves.

If you need help filling out your men's bracket ahead of the action starting on Thursday, Scott Pianowski has some last-minute advice.

Arguably the most dramatic three weeks in sports is underway as the 2023 men's NCAA Division I basketball tournament began Tuesday with a pair of First Four ...

1 in the West, and the Purdue Boilermakers No. 13) from New Rochelle (Westchester County), which took the MAAC regular season and conference championship game, will meet the UConn Huskies (No. 1 in the East. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, the Kansas Jayhawks No. Surviving teams will move on to the Final Four and ultimately the championship game, both being held at NRG Stadium in Houston on Saturday, Apr. The First Four format began in 2011, increasing the field from 64 to 68 teams.

Jessika Carter had 22 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, Anastasia Hayes added 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Mississippi State beat ...

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—This time a year ago, Arizona entered the NCAA Tournament with a roster that included just nine minutes of tourney experience and a head ...

Arizona is playing NCAA games in Sacramento for the first time since 1998, when as the defending national champ and No. But one of his best players with Gonzaga, Domas Sabonis, plays for the The UA ranks 14th in Division I in 3-point shooting, at 38.2 percent, and are almost assured of breaking the single-season school record for 3s on Thursday. No one on that 2010-11 squad made more than 50, while the current team has two in the top 10 in single-season history. That was after scoring only five points in the second-round overtime win against TCU and made for seven single-digit performances in his final 10 games. Those games were played at the old Arco Arena, which was demolished last year. And Tommy Lloyd, whose 61 wins are the most in NCAA history for a coach in his first two seasons, feels like a grizzled vet instead of a wet-behind-the-ears newbie. “I think this time around in the tournament I feel much more comfortable,” Lloyd said Wednesday. Princeton takes more than 40 percent of its shots from 3-point range, likely a byproduct of their lack of overall size and an Ivy League that’s not known for physical interior play. “I’m more focused and locked in,” Tubelis said. This is going to be new for us in some ways. Oumar Ballo revealed after the Pac-12 title game win over UCLA that he was playing with a broken hand.

ASU fifth-year guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. (4) chasing a loose ball against Nevada at the University of Dayton Arena on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Dayton, ...

[Will Baker](https://nevadawolfpack.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/will-baker/8468) put together a solid second half for the Wolf Pack, scoring 14 points, and Nevada continued to knock down shots from the perimeter. But it was the quality of play and the whole team doing it; I can't say I put a guy in the game that did not contribute tonight." By the six-minute mark in the second half, Nevada had gone 4-6 from 3-point range, bringing its total to 10 made threes. [Jamiya Neal](https://thesundevils.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=13214)'s influence on the Sun Devils' success at the end of the season cannot be understated. That helped stretch the drought to five minutes, but the Wolfpack couldn't capitalize, and ASU answered with a 6-0 run. Muhammed scored 10 points in the second half, leading ASU. "I mean, we scored the most points we've scored all season tonight. Despite a barrage of 3-point makes, the Wolf Pack was shooting 33% at halftime. Still, the Wolf Pack couldn't find consistent offense as ASU followed up on a 14-0 run over the next four minutes, extending its lead to 24 points at 48-22. [Desmond Cambridge Jr.](https://thesundevils.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=13219), who after the game admitted he felt disrespected being one of the last four in, scored 17 points and added six assists. The Sun Devils forced five Wolf Pack turnovers in the first four minutes of the contest. Nevada made six 3-pointers at the half.

Odds, upsets, predictions and top picks can be confusing. Our betting analysts give their best advice on how to bet the first round of the men's NCAA ...

[Terquavion Smith](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4683940/terquavion-smith) and another dynamic bucket getter in [Jarkel Joiner](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4278729/jarkel-joiner). [Tucker DeVries](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4837238/tucker-devries) is legit and [Roman Penn](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4279754/roman-penn) and [Darnell Brodie](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4397121/darnell-brodie) were both key players on the 2021 team that beat Wichita State in their first-round matchup. [Norchad Omier](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4702134/norchad-omier) isn't healthy for Miami, Drake could pull the upset. [Jayden Nunn](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4896614/jayden-nunn) and Nick Kern Jr. Fulghum: VCU (+162) is the 12-seed that I have advancing furthest in my bracket. Their size and length will make life difficult for Aidan Mahaney and [Logan Johnson](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4396608/logan-johnson). The Paladins enter the dance having won 14 of their past 15 contests and are built to beat a team like Virginia, thanks to their love of the 3-pointer (top-10 in 3-point attempts per game). A team that finished fourth in the SEC is an underdog as a 7-seed in the first round against a team that finished second in the Mountain West? The way to beat the Nittany Lions is to win the 3-point battle: make your own 3s and limit their 3s. The Aztecs will control the tempo of the game and grind the Cougars in a way they haven't seen all season. Utah State is favored and plays a slower tempo than Missouri, so this feels like a game that won't be played in the mid- to high 70s. At +700, the value isn't that bad, but Houston is the shortest favorite at +600, and those are the longest odds for a title favorite since 1994.

4 Tennessee (23-10 | 11-7 SEC) vs. #13 Louisiana (26-7 | 13-5) Thursday, March 16th, 2023 | 8:40pm CT / 9:40pm ET Orlando, FL | Amway Center | TV: CBS.

Tennessee and Indiana are the only teams in the field that own multiple wins over No. The Vols are the only team with wins over different No. And in the 2000 South Regional in Birmingham, Tennessee beat Louisiana and UConn in Birmingham. 1 seed Virginia in the round of 16. The Ragin’ Cajuns finished the season ranked No. 4 seed for the fourth time in program history. The Vols also beat No. The Vols hold a 91 lead in the series. 4 or better in the Big Dance. Duke, with no meetings in the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee and Indiana are the only teams in the field of 68 that have multiple wins over No. As the South’s No.

Omaha, Neb. -- The Creighton women's basketball team begins its 2022-23 NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 17 as the Bluejays face Mississippi State in the ...

Expect Morgan and [Emma Ronsiek](/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emma-ronsiek/6930) to get a few early touches on Friday. [Molly Mogensen](/sports/womens-basketball/roster/molly-mogensen/6928) [Carly Bachelor](/sports/womens-basketball/roster/carly-bachelor/6922) [Rachael Saunders](/sports/womens-basketball/roster/rachael-saunders/6931) While the Bluejays need offense from their Big Three, the key to Creighton's rise down the stretch was improvement on the defensive end. Over the final 12 contests the Bluejays held six opponents under 60 points, including 34 to Georgetown on Feb. Creighton has won ten of their last 12 games, dropping two-point decisions at #6 Connecticut (62-60) and against #11 Villanova (63-61) in the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals. [Emma Ronsiek](/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emma-ronsiek/6930) [Morgan Maly](/sports/womens-basketball/roster/morgan-maly/6927) [Lauren Jensen](/sports/womens-basketball/roster/lauren-jensen/6933) 15, while Mississippi State fell to Nebraska in overtime 73-65 on Nov. No.

You can try to figure out whether playing well recently means teams are peaking at the right time or if it doesn't really matter because the NCAA Tournament is ...

- No. 1 Kansas over No. 2 Texas over No. 2 Marquette over No. 1 Purdue over No. 2 UCLA over No. 3 Xavier over No. 1 Houston over No. 2 Arizona over No. 3 Baylor over No. 1 Alabama over No. 3 Gonzaga over No.

The former president filled out his NCAA Tournament brackets with the Blue Devils winning the national championship over Houston Cougars.

1 seeds Alabama and Kansas to join the Cougars in the Final Four, along with (we’re sensing a theme here) Duke. Former Duke standout Paolo Banchero — as expected — also picked Duke to cut down the nets. He also picked Gonzaga to win the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Last year, he had Gonzaga, Arizona, Kentucky and Kansas in his Final Four with Gonzaga winning the title. He has ACC champion Virginia Tech making the women’s Final Four in Dallas, along with Stanford, Indiana and South Carolina. Under coach Mike Krzyzewski, Duke won NCAA championships in 2010 and 2015 during Obama’s tenure in the White House.

While we love the First Four and the way Dayton, Ohio, embraces kicking things off, the 2023 NCAA tournament truly gets underway on Thursday -- with 16 ...

[Louisiana](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/309/louisiana-ragin-cajuns) losing to [Tennessee](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2633/tennessee-volunteers) by just three points. [Princeton](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/163/princeton-tigers) upset UCLA in the first round, the 15-seed Tigers [took down another Pac-12 power](/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/35874896/no-15-princeton-shocks-no-2-arizona-ncaa-tournament) in 2-seed [Arizona](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/12/arizona-wildcats). [Penn State](/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/213/penn-state-nittany-lions) had arguably the best offensive performance of the day, shooting 59.1% from 3 en route to its first NCAA tournament win in 22 years.

March Madness has arrived and the 2023 Men's Basketball Tournament bracket is set as the full 68-team field was announced. Here is your look at the schedule ...

The 2023 NCAA tournament is finally here with a loaded Thursday slate, and Doug Kezirian is here to make sense of the madness and offer his best college ...

ET) Penn State (+3.5) over Texas A&M -- This is a bad matchup for the Aggies. Oral Roberts (+6) over Duke -- The Blue Devils are a chic Final Four pick but let's remember this current nine-game win streak has come in a weak ACC. Northwestern-Boise State under 128.5 -- This is in contention with WVU for my top play. They should overwhelm Princeton, which is a bit worse than recent Ivy League teams that have gone dancing. Meanwhile, Maryland was embarrassing on the road in conference play, only defeating lowly Minnesota. West Virginia (-2) over Maryland -- The Mountaineers laid an egg in the Big 12 tournament opener but they finished the regular season winning four of five with the lone loss coming by two points at Kansas. Watching the opening weekend at a Vegas sportsbook is a rite of passage that every fan must experience at least once. Once in a while the public will back a 'dog in other sports but not like this. In the decade prior to that, there were 15 such spreads, including a 46-point line in 1999. Plus, the playing field is becoming more level, as demonstrated by the betting odds. Schools are coming off conference tournaments, which involve familiar opponents and playing on consecutive days.

No. 4 seed Virginia (25-7) plays No. 13 seed Furman (27-7) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 16 in Orlando, Fla.

• The winner of the Virginia/Furman NCAA first round game plays No. • UVA is ranked No. 5 seed San Diego State or No. Miami and 0-1 vs. 13 seed Furman (27-7) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 16 in Orlando, Fla. Baylor and 1-0 vs. NC State and 0-1 vs. 2 in 2018-19. Duke, 1-0 vs. • UVA went 1-1 vs. 4 seed Virginia (25-7) plays No. 2 ranking on Dec.

The 2023 NCAA Tournament tipped off Thursday morning and we already have a huge upset. No. 13 Furman upset No. 4 Virginia 68-67 on a last-second 3-pointer ...

SportsLine's model revealed its college basketball picks for Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Arkansas Razorbacks during the first round of March Madness 2023.

He has recorded one double-double, a 19-point and 10-rebound effort in a 78-60 win at [Minnesota](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/MINN/minnesota-golden-gophers/) on Jan. [Matthew Mayer](/college-basketball/players/3041756/matthew-mayer/), a transfer from [Baylor](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/BAYLOR/baylor-bears/), has started all 32 games for the Fighting Illini. He has reached double-figure scoring in seven of the last eight games, including 24 points in a 91-87 double-overtime win over [Michigan](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/MICH/michigan-wolverines/) on March 2. He has registered two double-doubles on the season, including a 16-point and 10-rebound performance in an 84-69 loss to [Alabama](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/BAMA/alabama-crimson-tide/) on Jan. In the Big Ten Tournament second-round loss to [Penn State](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/PSU/penn-state-nittany-lions/), Shannon scored 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists. - Illinois vs. [Ricky Council IV](/college-basketball/players/3177699/ricky-council-iv/) will score two fewer points than their season averages. Arkansas](https://www.sportsline.com/college-basketball/game-forecast/NCAAB_20230316_ILL@ARK/) and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. In 30 games, including 29 starts, the [Texas Tech](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/teams/TXTECH/texas-tech-red-raiders/) transfer has been a force, averaging 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals. [Terrence Shannon Jr](/college-basketball/players/3142402/terrence-shannon-jr/). [You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks](https://www.sportsline.com/insiders/2023-ncaa-tournament-illinois-vs-arkansas-prediction-odds-line-spread-picks-for-thursdays-game-from-proven-model/#ttag=03142023_agg_cbssports_picks_basketball_ncaa_model_IllinoisArkansasCBB). The Razorbacks (20-13), who tied for ninth in the SEC at 8-10, were 4-2 at neutral sites.