The wait is now over. A 2023 NCAA tournament bracket is available. Let the March Madness tournament begin.
The enthusiasm surrounding the fact that there is no obvious favourite to cut down the nets, making an already unpredictable event feel even more challenging to forecast, is one of the many fascinating storylines for this year’s men’s basketball tournament. In addition, Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams aren’t in attendance for the first time in the NCAA tournament in 40 years!
This column is intended to occupy a separate lane, one based simply on historical facts, since many of our excellent ESPN college basketball analysts will be breaking into all the big matchups and making their choices in the days to come.
There are so many interesting details to talk about, including seeds, conference success (or failure), and noticeable patterns for particular teams and coaches in the 2023 tournament. We will select 68 of our favourites below in recognition of the large number of teams in the field, with more details and context for each as they relate to this year’s bracket offered.
This column is not meant to be predictive, but to be clear. Next, when you fill out your ESPN Tournament Challenge brackets—up to 25 of them can be submitted—consider which of the following statements resonates with you and causes you to lean one way or another. You should, at the absolute least, be able to find a topic of conversation while watching the Big Dance with your family and/or friends.