People keep a tab on college-level basketball games to tap the upcoming future in the league. However, one mega event in the process is the Midseason tournament held by NCAA, known as March Madness. The 2023 March madness is just around the corner, with half of the teams already qualified for the tournament and others making a cut to fill in the spots.
But what is March Madness, and how has it all expanded to such a mega level? Here is a little walkthrough of the NCAA March Madness history. The tournament began in 1939 when eight teams were involved in the mix.
The first expansion occurred in 1951 when a total of sixteen teams were involved in the tournament and later reached 64 in 1985, with small additions every season or two. Currently, The NCAA Division I men’smen’s basketball tournament has 68 teams. Once the 68 entrants are finalized, they receive a seeding and are placed in one of four regions.
Although the excitement and unpredictability of it make the games ever entertaining, March Madness’sMadness’s name was given by a broadcaster during his coverage in 1982.
The tournament is a single-elimination tournament of involved teams through seven rounds of competition. The final winner is declared the national championship. The concept of selection Sunday was introduced, where the Selection Committee reveals the full NCAA tournament bracket, including all teams and all seeds.
The following mentioned are the big dates for the March Madness in 2023. NCAA also declared the venues, from the first round to the final four. Starting from “selection Sunday” on March 12 2023, the month-long tournament will be played in various regions, and the Championship game will be held on April 3, 2023, in Houston.
| 2023 DATES | ROUND | CITY, STATE | VENUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 14-15 | First Four | Dayton, OH | UD Arena |
| March 16 & 18 | First/Second Rounds | Birmingham, AL | Legacy Arena |
| March 16 & 18 | First/Second Rounds | Des Moines, IA | Wells Fargo Arena |
| March 16 & 18 | First/Second Rounds | Orlando, FL | Amway Center |
| March 16 & 18 | First/Second Rounds | Sacramento, CA | Golden 1 Center |
| March 17 & 19 | First/Second Rounds | Albany, NY | MVP Arena |
| March 17 & 19 | First/Second Rounds | Columbus, OH | Nationwide Arena |
| March 17 & 19 | First/Second Rounds | Denver, CO | Ball Arena |
| March 17 & 19 | First/Second Rounds | Greensboro, NC | Greensboro Coliseum |
| March 23 & 25 | West Regional | Las Vegas, NV | T-Mobile Arena |
| March 23 & 25 | East Regional | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden |
| March 24 & 26 | Midwest Regional | Kansas City, MO | T-Mobile Center |
| March 24 & 26 | South Regional | Louisville, KY | KFC Yum! Center |
| April 1 & 3 | Final Four | Houston, TX | NRG Stadium |
March Madenss 2023 Possible Bracket
Thirty-two teams are already confirmed for the tournament, where each team is qualified through their performances in the regular season. The teams selected are as follows,
|
|
Grambling State and Howard seem to have a close shot at cutting at the moment. We also have Rutgers and Pittsburg fitting for the place in the West.
Upset potential in 2023 March Madness
An Upset is when a team with lower seeding defeats the higher-seeded team. We have seen this in the past, which makes the tournament even more interesting. Mostly these teams are above 40 rankings, so if we scrabble through the divisions, we will have at least one contender capable of causing upset.
Marquette already qualified for the tournament, but might see a drop in their seeding as their defensive efficiency dropped concerning the high-scoring affair against St. John’sJohn’s. Texas A&M is another contender for a big upset who recently defeated a strong Alabama side at home.
Next up are Maryland and Arkansas, who have lower rankings and pose a threat to humble opponents on their day. The odds are also very high against them (above 5000:1) to make it to the finals. Arkansas, though, has lost 5 of 7 games in the conference. They have players of Nick Smith quality, who averages 21 this season and has a capable offensive partner in Ricky Council IV.
San Diego State, Kansas State, and Arizona are other teams to watch. These being the tournament veterans, they have the experience but need more firepower to through their opponents. But still, no one can count them out of the race.
Mississippi State is on a great run lately, with 8 wins out of a possible 11. With a strong paint finisher in Tolu Smith, the team has a fair bit of chance to cause an upset or even go big this season. Tolu averages nearly 20 points this season and is considered the league’s best “big man”.
There will be upsets, setbacks and flashes of great performances in the March Madness 2023 tournament, but one can expect a hell of a month for basketball fans.
