A Very Early Preview of the 2023 March Madness

 
 
Who Will Win March Madness 2023?
 
march madness
Figure 1 March Madness is the pinnacle of college hoops
 
The Golden State Warriors have just claimed the championship over the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Pro hoops fans are gearing up for the NBA Draft – and college fans are only just getting over the excitement of KU’s March Madness triumph. What better time to look ahead to 2023?
 
Betting fans might want to take advantage of the BetUS promo code and sign up for a new account because we are profiling the favorites to win next year’s NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. It might be a while until the best college hoops players hit the court again, but we think its better to be prepared ahead of time. So, here are five teams we think could do well in 2023.
 
Duke Blue Devils
 
The Coach K era has finished and the Blue Devils are going to be without the majority of their starting five when the 2023 tournament comes around. But many college hoops fans are saying that Duke should be considered the favorite to win for the first time since 2015.
 
Paolo Banchero will be in the NBA by then, along with Wendell Moore, Trevor Keels, Mark Williams and AJ Griffin. But the Blue Devils have an excellent incoming class for next season. There will be a lot of expectation but the NCAA might just be getting ready for the Jon Scheyer era to begin.
 
Gonzaga Bulldogs
 
At one point it looked like Gonzaga was going to lose all of its starters to the NBA Draft this year. Chet Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard look very likely to be picked but the big news for the Zags was that star forward Drew Timme has elected to return for his senior year.
 
After losing to underdogs Baylor in 2021, Gonzaga was the favorite to take the title in last year. But a disappointing loss to Arkansas in the Sweet Sixteen saw the Zags fail again. Now coach Mark Few will have a good incoming class – and some transferring players – to help Timme lead Gonzaga to the Final Four.
 
North Carolina Tar Heels
 
After starting March Madness 2022 as a number eight team, the Tar Heels beat reigning champs Baylor, dark horses UCLA and Cinderella team Saint Peter’s to make the Final Four. It then crushed Coach K’s hopes of a farewell title before coming up short in the National Championship Game.
 
A motivating factor for next year will not only be getting so close – but also blowing a 15-point halftime lead to eventually lose to Kansas. Caleb Love and R.J. Davis both returning is huge news for North Caroline and there will be a desire to put things right after last year’s failure.
 
Big 12
Figure 2 Could there be another winner from the Big 12?
 
Kansas Jayhawks
 
It is 15 years since the Florida Gators won back-to-back national titles, so the odds are against Kansas winning again in 2023. But there is some hope for head coach Bill Self ahead of the new season. Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun heading for the Draft is a blow but there are some very good players remaining.
 
Keeping Jalen Wilson is a huge plus, as is the incoming Kevin McCullar Jr. There is some returning talent, but Kansas could well be putting a lot of faith in a group of younger players. If the team dynamic is set early on in the summer, the Jayhawks might have a shot at a repeat.
 
Kentucky Wildcats
 
Kentucky was the first to be shocked by 2022 neutral fans’ favorites Saint Peter’s. After going into the round of 64 as a number two-ranked team, the Wildcats’ exit was a huge surprise. But now there is renewed confidence for the upcoming season, thanks to Oscar Tshiebwe returning for his senior year.
 
Tshiebwe could have easily elected to go to the NBA Draft a year early but has decided to play one more season, making a Wildcats run to the Final Four a more likely prospect. Kentucky will need to get over last year’s disappointment but should do better in 2023.