With arguably the greatest time of year for basketball fans just a few weeks away. It is now crunch time for NCAA teams to lock down a spot among the field of sixty-eight teams in the 2023 edition of March Madness.
While a handful of teams are among the favorites heading into the spring hoops tournament. NCAA basketball followers are well aware that there are always upsets and “Cinderella” teams as brackets are made and busted over the course of the single elimination, three-week event.
With Houston, Alabama, Kansas, UCLA, and Purdue in a five-way fight for one of the four top seeds, a spot that has produced the last twenty-three of thirty-six tournament champions. There is still no such thing as a sure bet on March Madness.
Heading into the 2023 NCAA Tournament there are five conferences that are heavily represented among the top twenty-five rankings. From conference champions to teams on the bubble, the 2023 edition of the NCAA Basketball Tournament is certain to have its fair share of “Madness”.
Big 12
Led by the defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks, the Big 12 has six teams in the top twenty-five. Texas, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Texas Christian have all punched a ticket to the Big Dance. Look for the Big 12 to have the strongest representation in the tournament with as many as nine teams with Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and West Virginia seeking late invitations.
Big Ten
While they only have three teams in the top twenty-five, the Big Ten always seems to be a threat come March. Led by Purdue, who held a top ranking during the season, Indiana and Northwestern could also make some noise at the dance.
And if you don’t know by now, never count out Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans who always seem good for a couple of wins each year. There is a good chance that the Big Ten will have at least seven or eight teams in attendance with the Michigan Wolverines and Iowa Hawkeyes fighting for an invite.
SEC
The Southeastern Conference has two teams firmly entrenched in the top twenty-five, including the Crimson Tide and Tennessee Volunteers, while the Texas A&M Aggies are making everyone take notice.
If you add in the Kentucky Wildcats who were at one point on the bubble, but now seem to be a locked-down invitation to the dance, the SEC should have a solid representation during the March tournament. The SEC should have seven solid teams in attendance with Auburn, Missouri, and Arkansas joining the fun.
Big East
The last Big East representative to cut down the twine following the final NCAA Tournament game was the Connecticut Huskies in 2014. While they are headed towards another tournament appearance this year, they are among five conference representatives (Marquette, Xavier, Providence, Creighton) that could either be knocked out early or make some significant noise.
It is unlikely that the 2023 NCAA Tournament Champion will come out of the Big East, but that doesn’t mean they won’t spoil some brackets.
Pac-12
The Pac-12 and the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) sit tied with fifteen national titles. However, it has been twenty-six years since the Arizona Wildcats represented the conference winning the championship.
While the conference has only two teams ranked in the top twenty-five, both Arizona and the UCLA Bruins have as good a chance as any to break the title tie. USC, Arizona State, Utah State, and Oregon are the only other teams in the conference with a winning record, but it appears as though the Trojans and Sun Devils have a chance at the post-season tournament.
