2023 March Madness scores, takeaways: Alabama's path gets easier, Houston wins, but may have problems

The first full day of the NCAA Tournament provided plenty of madness Thursday

By David Cobb

& Kyle Boone

Mar 17, 2023 • 1 min read

Thursday's NCAA Tournament slate wasted no time providing college basketball fans with riveting theater as first-round action began with upsets, wild finishes and big-time performances. In total, 16 teams advanced while 16 were sent home, their time in the Big Dance cut short by the heartbreak of March.

No. 13 seed Furman knocked off No. 4 seed Virginia 68-67 while making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1980. The Paladins got a go-ahead 3-pointer from from JP Pegues with 2.2 seconds left after a confounding turnover from the Cavaliers. But that was only the beginning of the madness as No. 15 seed Princeton shocked No. 2 seed Arizona 59-55, marking this the third straight year in which a No. 15 seed has defeated a No. 2.

As for the No. 1 seeds, all three took care of business, and each produced important personnel notes. Alabama star freshman Brandon Miller played in the Crimson Tide's 96-75 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi but did not score as coach Nate Oats revealed after the game that Miller is dealing with a hamstring issue.

Meanwhile, Kansas beat Howard 96-68 without coach Bill Self, who is continuing his recovery from a health issue that forced him to miss last week's Big 12 Tournament. Self said that he's been back around the team but that he was "not ready to coach the game."

Houston survived a scare in its 63-52 win vs. Northern Kentucky, but played most of the game without leading scorer Marcus Sasser, who continues to be bothered by a groin injury. To make matters worse, Cougars coach told CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson that starting point guard Jamal Shead is dealing a with a bad knee.

"I'm very concerned," Sampson told Wolfson.

Here's the rundown from Thursday's first round action across a loaded day of March Madness action with a few takeaways featuring the SEC, which was 5-1 on Thursday, tying the record for most NCAA Tournament wins by a conference in a single day:

Alabama's path opens

It didn't take long for Alabama's path out of the South Region to open wide. It already looked like the easiest region in the bracket, and it only got easier Thursday as No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 4 seed Virginia were eliminated. No. 3 seed Baylor plays Friday and could also be at risk of an upset against No. 14 seed UC Santa Barbara, which nearly knocked off Creighton in a first-round game two years ago.

While a second-game with Maryland on Saturday will be no pushover -- especially if Miller is limited due to his hamstring issue -- the Crimson Tide have a smooth path to Houston.

Good Arkansas shows up

Looking ahead to the second round, Kansas could face a tough matchup with No. 8 seed Arkansas, which handled Illinois 73-63 on Thursday. The Razorbacks have been erratic this season while trying to piece together a roster full of freshmen and transfers, but they showed glimpses of their full potential against the Illini.

The Razorbacks forced 17 turnovers and turned those into 19 points while Ricky Council IV drilled 11 of 12 free throws while leading the team with 18 points. Arkansas is a poor 3-point shooting team -- as evidence by its 3 of 11 clip against Illinois -- but it's an athletic squad that can thrive in transition. If Kansas gets caught looking ahead to the Sweet 16 and the Razorbacks suddenly get hot from outside, they are capable of pulling a stunner on Saturday.

Missouri's turnaround continues

Just a year ago, Missouri finished 12-21 and ranked 309th nationally in scoring. Fast forward one year and the Tigers are marching into the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 7 seed Tigers handled Utah State 76-65 while continuing to demonstrate an incredible offensive turnaround under first-year coach Dennis Gates.

Originally, it seemed as though Arizona would be Mizzou's potential second-round opponent. But with Princeton's stunning upset of the Wildcats, Missouri now has a great opportunity to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009. Beating Princeton won't be easy, but it's certainly a more desirable matchup than playing Arizona.

We'll be tracking all the mayhem here, so keep this page handy for updates and scores from the first round of the NCAA Tournament, one of the best sports days of the year.

2023 NCAA Tournament TV schedule

All times Eastern | NCAA Tournament schedule | LIVE bracket

(8) Maryland 67, (9) West Virginia 65 -- Recap	(13) Furman 68, (4) Virginia 67 -- Upset Breakdown
(7) Missouri 76, (10) Utah State 65 -- Recap	(1) Kansas 96, (16) Howard 68 -- Recap
(1) Alabama 96, (16) Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 75 -- Recap	(5) San Diego State 63, (12) Charleston 57 -- Recap
(15) Princeton 59, (2) Arizona 55 -- Upset Breakdown	(8) Arkansas 73, (9) Illinois 63 -- Recap
(9) Auburn 83, (8) Iowa 75 -- Recap	(5) Duke 74, (12) Oral Roberts 51 -- Recap
(2) Texas 81, (15) Colgate 61 -- Recap	(7) Northwestern 75, (10) Boise State 67 -- Recap
(1) Houston 63, (16) Northern Kentucky 52 -- Recap	(4) Tennessee 58, (13) Louisiana 55 -- Recap
(10) Penn State 76, (7) Texas A&M 59 -- Recap	(2) UCLA 86, (15) UNC Asheville 53 -- Recap

CBS Sports will be with you the entire way updating this story with the latest from every first round game on Thursday. Keep it locked here for scores, analysis and highlights throughout the evening.

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Live updates

Kansas coach Bill Self out

No. 1 seed Kansas tips off against No. 16 seed Howard in a few minutes without coach Bill Self. "Kansas Men's Basketball Coach Bill Self will miss today's NCAA Tournament game versus Howard but continues to progress well from a recent health issue," KU said in a statement. "Assistant Coach Norm Roberts will serve as acting head coach today." Here is more background on Self's issue.

Furman hanging tough

Halftime: Virginia 32, Furman 27

Virginia jumped out to an early 17-7 lead before Furman settled down. The Paladins are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1980 and couldn't find the basket early. But after hitting 4 of 14 attempts from 3-point range in the half, they are within striking distance. By contrast, UVa is 0 for 2 from deep, which is right in line with how these teams have played all year. Furman ranks No. 20 nationally in made 3-pointers per game while Virginia ranks No. 251.

Terrapins-Mountaineers close at half

Halftime: Maryland 32, West Virginia 30

West Virginia jumped out to an early 19-6 lead before Maryland settled in dominated the rest of the way. The Terps shot 57.9% from the floor in the first half and entered the locker room with a two-point edge, despite attempting nine fewer shots from the floor than WVU. The Mountaineers got 10 points from Kedrian Johnson in the first half and dominated the offensive glass. But they will need some adjustments on both sides of the ball to hang around in the second half.

Thursday NCAA Tournament predictions

While surviving and advancing is clearly what matters for most, we care about whether these teams will cover their spreads, and we've tracked the season since November to be able to offer our own thoughts on every game. Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the rest of the month for NCAA Tournament coverage through the end of the Final Four. Let's take a look at our expert picks as first round games get underway Thursday.

East Region Preview

It's the region with one of the best stories of the season (FAU) and one of the best Cinderella stories of the past 10 years (Oral Roberts, 2021). It's the corner of the bracket with the likely National Coach of the Year: Either Purdue's Matt Painter or Marquette's Shaka Smart ... or perhaps Kansas State's Jerome Tang? It's also the region with two more great coaches, both of whom have national championships and are in the Hall of Fame: Kentucky's John Calipari and Michigan State's Tom Izzo.

West Region Preview

Selection Sunday came, and it was Houston, which finished one spot ahead of Kansas in the final seed list, getting the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. Kansas now not only misses the opportunity to play pivotal tournament games in Kansas City, but it takes its talents out to a city where West Region competition like No. 2 seed UCLA and No. 3 seed Gonzaga have plenty of experience. If Kansas is going to make it back to the Final Four, it will not be a path that is free from significant adversity.

Midwest Region Preview

There are lots of quality teams in this pod that could make their way out of this region elsewhere; No. 2 seed Texas had a borderline 1 seed resume, No. 4 seed Indiana proved it can go toe-to-toe with anyone and same for No. 8 seed Iowa as well as No. 3 seed Xavier. I won't hedge my Houston crystal ball pick, but the talent and coaching within this region is among the best in the field, which should make for a delightful viewing experience as we sort out the upper-right quadrant of this year's bracket.

South Region Preview

No. 1 seed Alabama and No. 2 seed Arizona stand out in the South Region of the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket as teams playing at peak levels following conference tournament titles, but the Crimson Tide and Wildcats lack something that No. 3 seed Baylor and No. 4 seed Virginia can each claim: the Bears and Cavaliers are led by coaches with recent national titles at their schools, and both still have players in their starting lineups from those title runs.

Cinderella teams to consider in your bracket

Even if nothing quite so outlandish as a No. 15 seed making the Elite Eight occurs, there is always the potential for a team playing in the First Four to get hot and make a run. That's what No. 11 seed UCLA did in 2021 on its way to the Final Four. Then, there's always the example of a team that sneaks in after getting hot in their conference tournament and makes a run, like No. 12 seed Oregon State did in 2021. The bracket is full of Cinderella scenarios and hypothetical matchups that could create a memorable run from someone this March. So, as you fill out your bracket and decide which squad with long shot odds is worth a look, here is one team from each region to consider.

March Madness X-factors

Having complimentary players is vital for any team with aspirations of sticking around during March Madness. While star power is central to every team that made it this far, having reliable help surrounding your best players is essential to sustaining a postseason run. So who are the X-factor players for this season's national title contenders? Let's take a look. Thirty-one of the last 33 champions have been top-three seeds, so we'll start there.

First round NCAA Tournament games ranked

Some would argue that the Thursday and Friday of the NCAA Tournament are the two best days of the sports calendar. Now that so many Americans work from home, the all-day slate of action is accessible without fear of a supervisor strolling by to question why basketball is on during the work day.

But when it comes down to it, college basketball fans need a viewership plan for the first-round action. With 32 games on different channels and with overlapping times, it's important to be prepared to catch the best action when it happens.

Final Four paths

The 2023 NCAA Tournament is finally upon us, and debate is raging in the final days leading up to the first-round action over how the bracket shapes up. Ultimately, the twists and turns of the event end up creating unforeseen matchups, and a single upset can open the door for utter chaos in a given region. But until the ball is tipped, it's impossible to know who is going to get the breaks that will help facilitate a deep run. As things stand ahead of Thursday's action as the first round commences, the best we can do is look at the bracket and see whose path looks the easiest and whose looks most difficult.

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