March Madness 2023: Reranking the remaining teams 1-32 after First Round
By Drew Koch
March Madness: Reranking the remaining teams 8-1
8. Texas (No. 2 Midwest): The Longhorns did what they were supposed to do by taking down No. 15 Colgate by 20 points. Now the true test begins as the red-hot Penn State Nittany Lions are set to clash with Rodney Terry’s squad in Round 2.
7. Houston (No. 1 – Midwest): There is cause for concern for Kelvin Sampson after Marcus Sasser played just 13 minutes against Northern Kentucky. If Sasser is out or limited against Auburn, the Cougars could be making an early exit from a tournament that concludes in their hometown.
6. Marquette (No. 2 – East): The Golden Eagles looked the part in their victory over No. 15 seed Vermont on Friday. Marquette shot nearly 52 percent from the field and were 10-of-20 from outside the arc. That type of performance will take Shaka Smart and his Golden Eagles to the Final Four.
5. UCLA (No. 2 – West): Mick Cronin’s team was not slowed by the loss of Jaylen Clarke with the Bruins’ 33-point victory over UNC Asheville. UCLA will look to keep their winning ways as they head into Round 2 to face the Northwestern Wildcats.
4. Connecticut (No. 4 – West): There may not have been a more impressive second-half performance all weekend than what the Huskies did to Rick Pitino’s Iona team. UConn shot 44 percent from beyond the arc and ripped off 50 points after halftime.
3. Duke (No. 5 – East): I hesitate to mention this to all the Duke haters out there, but the Blue Devils picked the month of March to play their best basketball. In his first year at the helm, Jon Scheyer is looking to take Duke to the Sweet Sixteen.
2. Kansas (No. 1 – West): The Jayhawks, without head coach Bill Self, went on an absolute tear and dismissed the No. 16 seed the way a No. 1 is supposed to. Are you taking notes, Purdue? KU has a tough second-round battle slated against Arkansas with a trip to the West Regional Semifinal on the line.
1. Alabama (No. 1 – South): The Tide did nothing to disrupt their No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Alabama scored nearly 100 points and knocked down 15 trays. Even more troubling for the rest of the field is the fact that Brandon Miller didn’t score in their first-round game.
Next. 30 greatest college basketball players this century. dark
For more NCAA basketball and March Madness news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.