March Madness continues as the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament will take place on Friday, March 17. The Field of 68 will be reduced to 32 by the end of Friday following another jam-packed day of action on the hardwood.
Once again, NCAA Tournament games will be broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV and be available to stream via March Madness Live and other services. Brackets will surely continue to get busted as more upsets will occur, but everyone will be watching in anticipation to see which top seed tumbles and if this year's Cinderella makes an early appearance.
So if you're wondering, "What NCAA Tournament games are on today?" know this: There are 16 scheduled for Friday, March 17.
Note: All times are ET, some start times are approximate.
East Region: No. 10 USC (22-10) vs. No. 7 Michigan State (19-12)
12:15 p.m. on CBS — Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
Why You Should Watch: This is not a typical Tom Izzo-coached Michigan State team in that these Spartans aren't as consistent on the defensive end. However, that doesn't mean this team is ripe for an upset either. USC is on a bit of a hot streak, winning five of its last six, but the Trojans haven't fared the best against high-caliber competition this season.
Midwest Region: No. 14 Kennesaw State (26-8) vs. No. 3 Xavier (25-9)
12:40 p.m. on truTV — Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, N.C.)
Why You Should Watch: Atlantic Sun Tournament champion Kennesaw State is a great story, but the Owls are not very big and are one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the country. Although Xavier's depth has been impacted greatly by injuries, the Musketeers should get more than enough from its key contributors to avoid the upset.
South Region: No. 14 UC Santa Barbara (27-7) vs. No. 3 Baylor (22-10)
1:30 p.m. on TNT — Ball Arena (Denver)
Why You Should Watch: Baylor is backcourt-driven but also has the guards that lead the Bears on another deep NCAA Tournament run. UCSB can shoot the lights out, although the Gauchos need to in order to be successful. They aren't a great rebounding team and the rotation is not that deep.
West Region: No. 12 VCU (27-7) vs. No. 5 Saint Mary's (26-7)
2 p.m. on TBS — MVP Arena (Albany, N.Y.)
Why You Should Watch: Saint Mary's prefers to take its sweet time while VCU likes to speed things up and thrives off turnovers. If the Gaels turn this into a half-court affair, the Rams may not be able to muster enough patience or points to knock off the WCC regular-season co-champions.
East Region: No. 15 Vermont (23-10) vs. No. 2 Marquette (28-6)
2:45 p.m. on CBS — Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
Why You Should Watch: Shaka Smart has Marquette high in the seed line thanks to an efficient offense that boasts the top two-point field-goal percentage in the country. The Golden Eagles are capable of making a deep run, although a lack of size could prove to be their Achilles heel. Vermont won't post too many issues size-wise, but the Catamounts use their movement to get plenty of good looks, make a lot of those shots, and also don't commit a lot of turnovers.
Midwest Region: No. 11 Pittsburgh (23-11) vs. No. 6 Iowa State (19-13)
3:10 p.m. on truTV — Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, N.C.)
Why You Should Watch: Pitt squeaked by Mississippi State in the First Four despite getting out-rebounded by 21. The Panthers will need to maintain their shooting stroke (47.4 percent from 3-point land vs. Bulldogs) if they want to defeat Iowa State. The Cyclones pride themselves on defense, which also helps cover up their offensive shortcomings.
South Region: No. 11 NC State (23-10) vs. No. 6 Creighton (21-12)
4 p.m. on TNT — Ball Arena (Denver)
Why You Should Watch: Creighton earned its seed, even if it hails from the Big East. The Bluejays are well-coached and balanced, led by center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who can impact a game on both ends. NC State likes to turn games into track meets and presses throughout. Creighton's savvy and discipline could solve the Wolfpack's pressure D and lead to easy baskets.
West Region: No. 13 Iona (27-7) vs. No. 4 UConn (25-8)
4:30 p.m. on TBS — MVP Arena (Albany, N.Y.)
Why You Should Watch: UConn is big and physical and has been one of the best teams in the country over the past few months. Rick Pitino has Iona peaking at the right time, winners of 14 in a row. The Gaels like to limit the damage teams do from long range, but that makes them vulnerable in the paint. That could be a big problem against the long and physical Huskies.
East Region: No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson (20-15) vs. No. 1 Purdue (29-5)
6:50 p.m. on TNT — Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
Why You Should Watch: Purdue has been one of the top teams in the country throughout the season and the Big Ten regular-season and tournament champions are legitimate threats to win it all. It all starts with consensus All-American Zach Edey a double-double machine who will likely take home several national player of the year awards. Congratulations to Fairleigh Dickinson for picking up its first-ever NCAA Tournament win by overwhelming Texas Southern in the First Four, but the Knights will be on the other end of a blowout in Columbus.
East Region: No. 11 Providence (21-11) vs. No. 6 Kentucky (21-11)
7:10 p.m. on CBS — Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, N.C.)
Why You Should Watch: Kentucky went from bubble trouble to solidly in the field, and the Wildcats are one of the most talented teams in the country. It's just a matter of if all the pieces come together — and UK has been dealing with several injuries. Providence is gritty and won't back down, but the Friars aren't that big down low and Wildcats big man Oscar Tshiebwe, among others, could exploit that vulnerability.
Midwest Region: No. 12 Drake (27-7) vs. No. 5 Miami (25-7)
7:25 p.m. on TBS — MVP Arena (Albany, N.Y.)
Why You Should Watch: Miami has the guards and the credentials as co-ACC regular-season champions, but the Hurricanes could be hurting in the frontcourt due to a key injury. Drake finally broke through in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, and the veteran Bulldogs are hoping their experience and ability to shoot from long range will lead to more postseason success.
West Region: No. 14 Grand Canyon (24-11) vs. No. 3 Gonzaga (28-5)
7:35 p.m. on truTV — Ball Arena (Denver)
Why You Should Watch: Suprise, surprise. Gonzaga is playing really well entering the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have won nine in a row to claim another WCC Tournament title and are a legitimate threat to make it to the Final Four because of their incredibly efficient offense. Grand Canyon has overcome plenty to make its second trip to the Big Dance (2021), but there's a reason the Antelopes are heavy underdogs.Â
East Region: No. 9 Florida Atlantic (31-3) vs. No. 8 Memphis (26-8)
9:20 p.m. on TNT — Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
Why You Should Watch: Memphis comes into this game with a ton of confidence after finally beating Houston in a rout of the Cougars in the AAC Tournament championship game. The Tigers can put up plenty of points thanks to some solid shooting, but they are top-heavy and don't get much production behind their two leading scorers. Florida Atlantic has dominated the opposition all season long, winning by an average of nearly 14 points per game, but the Owls haven't been particularly tested either. Both teams average around 80 points per game, so this could be a barnburner.
East Region: No. 14 Montana State (25-9) vs. No. 4 Kansas State (23-9)
9:40 p.m. on CBS — Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, N.C.)
Why You Should Watch: Kansas State has already surprised many by simply getting into the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats will need their top two players — Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson — to be at their best to stick around long. Montana State is back in the Big Dance for the second year in a row, but the Bobcats aren't used to facing this level of competition and are probably looking at another early exit.
Midwest Region: No. 13 Kent State (28-6) vs. No. 4 Indiana (22-11)
9:55 p.m. on TBS — MVP Arena (Albany, N.Y.)
Why You Should Watch: Indiana boasts All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis, but he's far from a one-man show. The Hoosiers are capable of making a deep run and will need to hit their shots when their best player is double-teamed to do so. Kent State is a defensive-oriented team that's led by a pair of dynamic guards. The question is can the Golden Flashes match up well enough with bigger IU on the boards?
West Region: No. 11 Arizona State (23-12) vs. No. 6 TCU (21-12)
10:05 p.m. on truTV — Ball Arena (Denver)
Why You Should Watch: Arizona State put up a season-high 98 points in the rout of Nevada in the First Four, but such an offensive outburst is very out of character for these Sun Devils. TCU is capable of lighting up the scoreboard or putting itself in a tough spot if it gets behind since 3-point shooting is a weakness. Keep an eye on guard Mike Miles Jr., who makes the Horned Frogs hum.
