It’s time for some madness -- literally. The 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament kicked off yesterday (March 14), and here’s everything you need to know. Start filling out those brackets and let the games begin!

GAME START

The two of the First Four games began yesterday in Dayton, Ohio. Southeast Missouri State lost out to Texas A&M Corpus Christi while Pittsburgh defeated Mississippi State by just one point. 

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

After the first two games, the First Round is March 16th and 17th. Second Round takes place March 18th and 19th, following the Sweet 16 on March 23rd and 24th. The Elite Eight is right after on March 25th and 26th, and the Final Four will be April 1st. Then, the NCAA Championship game will be April 3rd.

FINAL FOUR LOCATION

This year, the Final Four will be held in Houston at the NRG Stadium with Rice University and Houston Baptist hosting. Next year, the games are expected to be in Phoenix, Arizona, home of Arizona State University.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Freshman forward/center Jarace Walker with the Houston Cougars is expected to be a standout player. He’s only 19 years old but has skills that are unmatched. Keyonte George is another freshman star from Baylor who even won the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He’s an important asset to shooting and is definitely a 2023 draft contender.

NUMBER 1 SEEDS

Currently, the number one seeds are starting strong with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Houston Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks, and the Purdue Boilermakers. The number two seeds are the Arizona Wildcats, Texas Longhorns, UCLA Bruins, and the Marquette Golden Eagles. Will the top 2 seeds make it to the end?

What does your bracket look like?