This article covers predictions for the Elite 8 Round games of the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (i.e. March Madness). Tournament time is right around the corner on 3/25/23 and that means the best playoff in all of sports has reached the Elite 8 round. Time to get into a daily and weekly cadence of highlighting the best games to watch. Also determining the potential upsets lurking below the radar. Kansas won the 2022 National Championship over North Carolina (72-69) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jayhawks rallied from a 16 point deficit in the second half, to get head coach Bill Self, his second national championship (2008, 2022). The brackets are wide open in 2023 and the next three weeks will determine if Kansas repeats as champs, or if a new team ascends to the title throne in Houston, Texas on 4/3/23.
2022-2023 Season Recap
Weird regular season to say the least. Mike Krzyzewski retired as head coach at Duke and handed his whistle to Jon Scheyer. North Carolina started the season ranked #1, started to crater in late November 2022 and didn’t make the big dance in 2023. Several teams held the #1 ranking during the regular season (North Carolina, Houston Purdue, Alabama), but there was chaos in the Top 25 each week. Texas head coach Chris Beard was fired on 1/5/23. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim retired on 3/10/23 after spending 47 years leading the Orange, including a national championship in 2003.
2023 Sweet 16 Round Picks
Sweet 16 Round (games played on 3/24/23) – 2/4 correct thanks to Creighton and Texas
Overall – 4/8 which is right at the mean
2023 Overall Picks
First Four – 4/4
First Round -22/32
Second Round – 11/16
Sweet 16 Round – 4/8
Overall – 41/60 which is one standard deviation above the mean
2023 March Madness Elite 8 Games on 3/25/23
East Region – Florida Atlantic (#9 seed) vs. Kansas State (#3 seed)
Current betting line – Kansas State favored by -2.0 points
Analysis: Owls are now officially the last Cinderella team in the Big Dance, due to being the lowest remaining seed still playing. Controlled the second half of their Sweet 16 game against Tennessee and won 62-55. Balanced guard heavy offense is being led by Johnell Davis (18.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG). Secret weapon is distributing playing time to the entire nine man rotation, with each player averaging 23 minutes. Fourth year head coach Dusty May knows exactly what he’s doing by having his squad in the Elite 8.
Wildcats instant classic game against Michigan State (98-93 win in OT) on 3/23/23, had more twists and turns than the 2003 release of The Italian Job. Best point guard in the brackets, Markquis Nowell, set the Big Dance record of 19 assists in a single game against the Spartans. In the current trend of shooting three pointers and slam dunk style points, Kansas State plays a beautiful high-low offense, from the top of the key to the basket. Nowell’s passes are almost impossible to defend, and his front court teammates (Keyontae Johnson, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Ismael Massoud) are also playing at a high level. Enjoy this ride as long as it lasts.
Prediction: First half will be a feeling out process by both teams. Kansas State runs their signature offense to perfection in the second half to win by 4 points.
West Region – UConn (#4 seed) vs. Gonzaga (#3 seed)
Current betting line – UConn favored by -2.5 points
Analysis: Could be considered the de facto national championship game, due to the historical background of both programs. That would be a disservice to the other six teams left in the tournament. Huskies have been dominate in all three tournament wins, capped by a thorough beatdown of Arkansas (88-65). Hard to believe this squad lost eight games during the regular season. Guard Jordan Hawkins (16.3 PPG) and budding superstar forward Adama Sanogo (23.3 PPG, 9.7 RPG), will continue to lead the hot shooting offense.
Bulldogs showed incredible patience during the first half against UCLA on 3/23/23, trailing by 13 points. Erupted for a monster second half with 46 points and won 79-76. Head coach Mark Few relied on two veterans (Drew Timme, Julian Strawther), to get past a tired and undermanned Bruins squad. Currently averaging 81.7 PPG and 44.0 PPG, which typically leads to a win. Took twenty-seven years for Jim Calhoun to win his first national title in 1999. Jim Boeheim also needed twenty-seven years to win in 2003. Roy Williams was on the fast track after moving to North Carolina. Won his first title after coaching for seventeen years in 2005. Bracket busting tournament might be the big break Few needs, to win a national championship after twenty-four years as head coach.
Prediction: Best game of the Elite 8 will be a back and forth contest. Both head coaches will stretch their benches to keep up in a high scoring game. Connecticut has yet another buzzer beating basket highlight to win by 1 point.
Same bat time, same bat channel in one week. I’ll review the results of the Elite 8 Round games and try again in the Final Four round of the 2023 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament.
Never walk away from the table when you’re on a heater in Vegas!
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