Men's NCAA Tournament 2023: Ultimate Guide to the Sweet 16
It was a wild opening weekend to the 2023 men's NCAA tournament.
For the second time ever, a No. 16 seed pulled off the upset of a No. 1 seed with Fairleigh Dickinson upending Purdue in the East Region, and that was just one of several upsets that headlined first- and second-round action.
The Alabama Crimson Tide and Houston Cougars are the only No. 1 seeds left standing, and a total of seven teams seeded outside the top four survived the opening weekend to advance to the Sweet 16.
With the tournament field trimmed to 16 teams and a few days to regroup, now is the perfect time to set the scene for another full slate of basketball next weekend.
Ahead you'll find the complete schedule for Thursday's and Friday's games, a quick rundown of some of the notable storylines and then a complete breakdown of each of the eight games on tap with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.
Let's get to it.
Schedule and TV Info
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Thursday, March 23
- No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 7 Michigan State, 6:30 p.m., TBS
- No. 4 UConn vs. No. 8 Arkansas, 7:15 p.m., CBS
- No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic, 9 p.m., TBS
- No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 Gonzaga, 9:45 p.m., CBS
Friday, March 24
- No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 5 San Diego State, 6:30 p.m., TBS
- No. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 Miami, 7:15 p.m., CBS
- No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 15 Princeton, 9 p.m., TBS
- No. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Xavier, 9:45 p.m., CBS
All game times are in ET.
Biggest Storylines
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Only Four of the Top Eight Teams Remain
After No. 1 seed Purdue and No. 2 seed Arizona were both bounced in the first round, the top seeds continued falling over the weekend with No. 1 seed Kansas and No. 2 seed Marquette also sent packing. The four remaining teams from the top two seed lines are the fewest to reach the Sweet 16 since 2018, when two No. 9 seeds reached the Elite Eight and No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago made it all the way to the Final Four.
The Top Two Teams Are Still Standing
Despite all of those upsets, the top two teams in the 2023 tournament field are still standing, and they reside on opposite sides of the bracket. Alabama has won its first two games by a combined 43 points, while Houston also has a pair of double-digit victories, and those two remain on a collision course for the national championship game. Could one of the wilder opening weekends in recent memory still lead to chalk in the title game?
Princeton's Cinderella Run
For the third straight season, a No. 15 seed has reached the Sweet 16, with the Princeton Tigers following in the footsteps of Oral Roberts (2021) and Saint Peter's (2022). Saint Peter's became the first No. 15 seed ever to reach the Elite Eight last year before getting bounced by North Carolina, so the Tigers will make history with two more wins.
No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 7 Michigan State
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Kansas State Scouting Report
Markquis Nowell (17.1 PPG, 7.8 APG) and Keyontae Johnson (17.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG) stack up to any duo in the country, and they helped K-State rank No. 47 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency. However, defense is the Wildcats' calling card. They have a 20-1 record this year when they hold the opposition under 70 points, including wins over Montana State (77-65) and Kentucky (75-69) in the NCAA tournament.
Michigan State Scouting Report
The Spartans spent most of the season out of the national spotlight, entering the NCAA tournament 19-12 overall and 11-8 in Big Ten play. Seniors Tyson Walker (14.8 PPG, 40.7 3PT%) and Joey Hauser (14.3 PPG, 46.2 3PT%) lead an offense that ranks eighth in the nation with a 38.7 percent clip from beyond the arc, though it went just 2-of-16 from deep last game. The Spartans won the rebounding battle and forced 16 turnovers in their upset win over No. 2 seed Marquette.
Star Watch: Markquis Nowell, Kansas State
Nowell is capable of taking over a game offensively, whether it's as the Wildcats' primary scorer or a floor general distributing to his teammates. The 5'8" point guard had nine games with 10 or more assists this season, and Kansas State won all of them.
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No. 4 UConn vs. No. 8 Arkansas
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UConn Scouting Report
The Huskies played their best basketball of the season down the stretch, going 8-1 in their last nine regular-season games before beating Providence in the Big East tournament and narrowly losing to Marquette in the semifinals. With a 24-point win over Iona in the first round and a 70-55 victory over Saint Mary's on Sunday, they continue to look like one of the most well-rounded teams left in the NCAA tournament field.
Arkansas Scouting Report
The Razorbacks roster is loaded with future NBA talent, but things haven't always clicked, and they've been the classic "capable of beating anyone or losing to anyone on any given day" team all season. They pulled out a one-point win over No. 1 seed Kansas behind stellar games from Davonte Davis (25 points) and Ricky Council IV (21 points, 10/11 FT), and Council is averaging a team-high 16.1 points per game on the year.
Star Watch: Adama Sanogo, UConn
Sanogo scored a combined 52 points on 24-of-33 shooting against Iona and Saint Mary's, adding 21 rebounds and picking up his seventh double-double of the year in the first round. The 6'9", 245-pound forward is averaging 17.5 points on 61.3 percent shooting, and the Huskies will continue to lean heavily on his efficient offense.
No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic
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Tennessee Scouting Report
The Volunteers rank No. 1 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing just 57.8 points per game while holding the opposition to 37.2 percent shooting. That stifling defense was on full display in their 65-52 victory over Duke in the second round, which was the lowest scoring output for the Blue Devils all season. They lack a go-to scorer but got 27 points from Olivier Nkamhoua on Saturday, which matched a season high for the senior forward.
Florida Atlantic Scouting Report
The Owls were one of the best mid-major teams in the country this year, and they have won nine in a row after victories over Memphis and Fairleigh Dickinson to begin their NCAA tournament run. They rank in the top 40 in KenPom's adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, so they have the talent to run with a top-tier team, but they've not seen a defense like the one Tennessee brings to the table.
Star Watch: Johnell Davis, Florida Atlantic
Davis filled up the box score on Sunday with 29 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a 78-70 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson. The sophomore guard averages a team-high 13.9 points per game, and that has climbed to 17.4 points per contest over his last seven games.
No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 Gonzaga
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UCLA Scouting Report
The Bruins being without starting guard Jaylen Clark was a major storyline leading up to the NCAA tournament, but the emergence of freshman Amari Bailey (17.0 PPG in his last five games) has helped offset some of his lost scoring. He joins Jaime Jaquez Jr. (17.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG) and Tyger Campbell (13.4 PPG, 4.9 APG) as impact players on the offensive end, while the Bruins also ranks No. 2 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency.
Gonzaga Scouting Report
The Bulldogs punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the eighth consecutive NCAA tournament with an 84-81 victory over TCU, and they are now 23-0 in games they score at least 80 points. The No. 1 team in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency has six players who average at least eight points per game, and they will go as far as that high-powered offense carries them.
Star Watch: Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Timme has been the focal point of the Gonzaga offense once again this year, averaging 21.1 points per game on 62.1 percent shooting. The 6'10" senior had 82 points in three NCAA tournament games last season, and it's been more of the same this year with 21 points against Grand Canyon and 28 points on 12-of-21 shooting against TCU.
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 5 San Diego State
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Alabama Scouting Report
The NCAA tournament has been a walk in the park for the Crimson Tide thus far, with blowout wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (96-75) and Maryland (73-51) on their way to the Sweet 16. Jahvon Quinerly (22 points) and Brandon Miller (19 points) led the way against the Terrapins, and the top overall No. 1 seed has now won five straight after claiming the SEC tournament title as well. How will their uptempo style of play fare against the San Diego State defense?
San Diego State Scouting Report
The matchup of an Alabama team that ranks No. 5 in KenPom's adjusted tempo against a San Diego State squad that ranks No. 263 in that same category will be the story of this game. The Aztecs are 2-3 when they allow more than 75 points and have helped opponents under 60 an impressive 15 times, including both of their NCAA tournament opponents thus far. Can they do the same against an Alabama team that averages 82.3 points per contest?
Star Watch: Brandon Miller, Alabama
Miller was held scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting in 19 minutes of action against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first round, but he bounced back with 19 points against Maryland on Saturday. The future lottery pick is averaging 19.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, and Alabama can't afford to have him disappear against the San Diego State defense.
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 Miami
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Houston Scouting Report
The Cougars entered Selection Sunday on a sour note, losing to Memphis by 10 points in the AAC tournament title game to snap a 13-game winning streak while star guard Marcus Sasser watched from the sidelines with a groin injury. After a lackluster 11-point win over Northern Kentucky in the first round, they looked more like the team that has steamrolled the competition for most of the season in an 81-64 win over Auburn on Saturday. The Cougars are the only team in the country that ranks in the top 10 in KenPom's adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency metrics.
Miami Scouting Report
The Hurricanes went 8-1 to close out the regular season with an 81-59 blowout win over Duke during that span, and while the Blue Devils got revenge in the ACC tournament, this team still entered the NCAA tournament on an upswing. Isaiah Wong (16.1 PPG) and Jordan Miller (15.1 PPG) lead a potent offensive attack, but the Hurricanes rank outside the top 100 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency. They held Indiana to 69 points on Sunday, but that's something to keep in mind.
Star Watch: Marcus Sasser, Houston
One of the best guards in the country, Sasser suffered a groin injury during the AAC tournament and then re-aggravated the injury in the first round against Northern Kentucky when he played just 14 minutes. The 6'1" senior looked like his old self against Auburn, tallying 22 points in 31 minutes of action, and his health will continue to be a major storyline going forward.
No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 15 Princeton
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Creighton Scouting Report
The Blue Jays began the year ranked No. 9 in the AP poll, but a six-game losing streak that began at the end of nonconference play quickly knocked them out of the national picture. They have started to look more like the team that was expected to be a Final Four contender since the start of the new year. All five starters average in double figures, and they play one of the cleanest games in the nation with just 11.6 turnovers and 13.3 fouls per game.
Princeton Scouting Report
The Tigers managed to grind out a 59-55 victory over Arizona in the first round, and then they poured in 78 points with 12 made threes against Missouri in the second round to survive the opening weekend. This is one of the best rebounding teams in the country, and they had a lopsided 42-29 advantage on the board against Missouri while matching an Arizona team that had a significant size advantage 35-35 on the glass.
Star Watch: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
An imposing 7'1", 260-pound presence on the inside, Kalkbrenner averages 15.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. He went off for a season-high 31 points against NC State in the first round on 11-of-14 shooting, though Baylor held him to just 10 points on 10 attempts. With no one over 6'9" in its rotation, Princeton will have its hands full trying to slow him down.
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Xavier
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Texas Scouting Report
The Longhorns closed out the Big 12 tournament with a convincing 76-56 victory over Kansas in the title game, and after blowing out Colgate by 20 points in the first round they survived a five-point game against Penn State. After matching a season high with 13 threes against Colgate, they shot just 1-of-13 from distance on Saturday, showing they can beat you in a variety of ways. They share the ball well (16.1 APG) on offense and rank No. 10 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency.
Xavier Scouting Report
With five seniors and one junior in their rotation, the Musketeers are an experienced group, and they went 15-5 in the Big East with wins over UConn, Marquette and Creighton in conference play. An offense that ranks No. 7 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency is the key to their success, and they have scored over 80 points a whopping 23 times this year with a 22-1 record in those games.
Star Watch: Dylan Disu, Texas
Dylan Disu is averaging a modest 9.1 points and 19.5 minutes per game on the season, but he has taken his game to another level of late. The 6'9", 225-pound senior is averaging 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds in his last eight games while shooting 68.8 percent from the floor and upping his time on the floor to 23 minutes, and he had 28 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes against Penn State on Saturday.
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