With the Selection Sunday show in the books, the field of 64-teams are set and ready for opening tip-off’s on March 14th, and March 15th for the women. The No. 1 seeds in the men’s NCAA Division I Basketball tournament will be the Houston Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Purdue Boilermakers. In the women’s NCAA Division I Basketball tournament, the South Carolina Gamecocks, Stanford Cardinal, Indiana Hoosiers, and the Virginia Tech Hokies will represent the four regions.
On the men side, the Kansas Jayhawks will defend its title coming into the tournament off of a loss to the hands of the Texas Longhorn’s who went on to win the Big 12 Championship on Friday. The Jayhawks will need no more motivation as they will take on the a undermanned Howard team in the first round. Meanwhile, the consensus No. 1 team for most of the season, the Houston Cougars will take on Northern Kentucky in the first round. Just like the Jayhawks, the Cougars will enter the tournament on the heels of loosing their conference championship to the Memphis Tigers.
The Crimson Tide of Alabama is the hottest team in the country. Despite a few issues involving the team off the court, the play on the court has been superb. After winning the SEC conference title for the first time in school history, the Tide is expected to roll in their first round match up with the winner of Texas A&M Corpus Christi and SE Missouri State on Tuesday.
Last but not least, the Purdue Boilermakers will enter the tournament as a No.1 seed after winning its first Big Ten title since 2009. The Boilermakers will tip off against the winner of the Fairleigh Dickinson and Texas Southern winner in the first round.
The Women’s NCAA tournament is sure to add pure excitement this year. Of course, there is one overall favorite to blaze through the field with ease, we have learned to never come to a forgone conclusion. The South Carolina Gamecocks are a perfect 32-0 this season and has looked unstoppable doing it. Coached by the University of Virginia legend and Gold Medalist, Dawn Staley has the Lady Gamecocks focused and poised. The Gamecocks will tip off against Norfolk State in their first round of the tournament.
The Indiana Hoosiers will enter the tournament as a No. 1 seed in the Greenville Region after posing a 27-3 regular season record. The Lady Hoosiers, coached by Teri Moren will take on the winner of Tennessee Tech and Monmouth in the first round.
The Stanford Lady Cardinals will be back in familiar territory as they have earned a No. 1 seed now three years in a row in the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinal’s will try to duplicate the run that landed them Champions in 2021. The team is red hot after a 28-5 regular season record as they will face the winner of Southern and Sacred Heart in the first round.
The Virginia Tech Lady Hokies will enter the 2023 NCAA Tournament with a mound of momentum. The Lady Hokies are fresh off the programs first ACC title and marking Mr. Kenny Brooks as the first Black women’s coach to win the ACC tournament. The Lady Hokies enters the tournament as a No. 1 seed and will face off against Chattanooga in the first round.
March Madness Men’s Schedule
- First Four: March 14-15
- First round: March 16-17
- Second round: March 18-19
- Sweet 16: March 23-24
- Elite Eight: March 25-26
- Final Four: April 1
- National championship game: April 3
March Madness Women’s Schedule
- First Four: March 15-16
- First round: March 17-18
- Second round: March 19-20
- Sweet 16: March 24-25
- Elite Eight: March 26-27
- Final Four: Friday, March 31
- National championship game: Sunday, April 2
