2023 MARCH MADNESS
2023 NCAA March Madness. Day 3 recap | Winners, losers, bracket busters and upsets
Princeton hit the headlines for the second round in succession, while there was a shock defeat for top seeds Kansas.
It turned out to be quite a Saturday as day one of the March Madness 2023 round of 32 played out, with eight teams booking their place in the Sweet 16. Three top seeds were in action but only two made it through to the next stage, while No. 15 Princeton, who shocked No.2 Arizona in the South regional tournament in the first round, pulled off yet another upset.
South: Princeton hog the headlines with second upset
Let’s start in the South, where we’ve seen three bracket busters so far, more than anywhere else. In addition to that win for the Tigers over the Wildcats, No. 13 seed Furman edged out Virigina (4) by a point in the round of 64. Is there an argument to say that Princeton’s whopping 78-63 win on Saturday over Missouri (7) has been the most impressive of the lot? The margin of their victory suggests there might be. Elsewhere, top seeds Alabama easily defeated Maryland (8) and San Diego (5) did the same as the Furman fairytale came to an abrupt end.
- (1) Alabama 73-51 Maryland (8)
- (5) San Diego State 75-52 Furman (13)
- (7) Missouri 63-75 Princeton (15)
East: Tennessee surprisingly comfortable against Duke
Only one match was played in the East regional on Saturday, with fourth seeds Tennessee beating Duke (5). Not a surprise, then, although the 13-point winning margin did raise a few eyebrows.
- (5) Duke 52-65 Tennessee (4)
Midwest: Top two seeds through to the Sweet 16
In the Midwest, top seeds Houston made it through to the Sweet Sixteen with minimum fuss, comfortably dispatching Auburn (9). Second seeds Texas were made to work rather harder for their spot in the round of 16 by a spirited Penn State (10), but they ultimately prevailed by five points.
- (1) Houston 81-64 Auburn (9)
- (10) Penn State 66-71 Texas (2)
West: Arkansas shock Kansas
Top seeds Alabama and Houston romped through in the South and Midwest respectively, but there was no such joy for Kansas in the West. The Jayhawks became the second No. 1 team to exit the tournament after Purdue, losing by a single point to Arkansas (8). In the other match played on Saturday, UCLA (2) ensured that they will be the highest remaining seed left in the West region thanks to a five-point win over No. 7 seed Northwestern.
- (1) Kansas 71-72 Arkansas (8)
- (7) Northwestern 63-68 UCLA (2)
NCAA March Madness: Who plays today March 19? How to watch on TV and online