NCAA Tournament: Five potential first-round upsets

It is March Madness, and everyone loves a good upset. With the amount of parity that currently exists in college basketball, and given the fact it is the NCAA Tournament, upsets are bound to happen.

As we all sit down and fill out the perfect brackets, here are some games to watch as potential first-round upsets in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

(11) NC State vs. (6) Creighton

Friday at 4:00 PM EST

South Region. If you like offense, this game has all the makings of an exciting one. Preseason top 10 Creighton stumbled a little early, then rang off 15 wins in their final 21 games. All five Creighton starters average in double-figures, between 11.9 and 15.4 points. Junior center Ryan Kalkbrenner was first-team All-Big East and the Big East Defensive Player of the Year this season.

NC State is led by a trio of Jarkel Joiner, Terquavion Smith, and DJ Burns. Joiner, a graduate transfer from Ole Miss, averaged 17.1 points and 3.7 assists. Smith, a sophomore guard, averaged 17.5 points and 4.2 assists. Burns, a grad transfer from Winthrop, averaged 12.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. Smith and Joiner were both second-team All-ACC this season.

NC State averaged 78.2 points per game this season while giving up 70.8. Creighton averaged 76.6 points while giving up 68.5. Who can establish tempo, get hot, and get stops?

Matchup to watch: NC State’s DJ Burns vs. Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner

(15) Colgate vs. (2) Texas

Thursday at 7:25 PM EST

Midwest Region. Many casual basketball fans have probably not heard of Colgate head coach Matt Langel. Colgate has made each of the NCAA Tournaments, leading the Raiders to 87 wins over that period. This season, Colgate is averaging 78.6 points per game while shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three as a team. They are also averaging 18.6 assists per game. Colgate has a nine-man rotation, with each of their starting five in double figures.

Senior Tucker Richardson, a 6-foot-5 wing, won Patriot League Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Tournament MVP

It has been an admirable job that Rodney Terry has done this season. Taking over a tough situation, keeping the boat afloat, and finishing second in the Big 12 and 7th in the A.P. Poll. Texas has athleticism and creativity from their guards, putting four players on the floor who can create and make shots. Marcus Carr is first-team All-Big 12 this season, and Sir’Jabari Rice was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year.

Texas averaged 77.9 points per game this season and gave up 67.4.

Matchup to Watch: Which team will be able to set the tempo?

(12) College of Charleston vs. (5) San Diego State

Thursday at 3:10 PM EST

South Region. San Diego State has spent the better part of its season around, if not in, the top-25 of the A.P. Poll. They returned first-team All-Mountain West senior wing Matt Bradley who has scored 2,258 career points and brought in senior point guard transfer Darrion Trammell. San Diego State is a defensive-minded team who wants to grind out its offense. Bradley was the only member of the team to finish in double figures, as the team averaged 72.1 points. However, they only gave up 63.6 points.

College of Charleston, on the other hand, wants to score points. They averaged 80.8 points while shooting 30.2 threes per game. Charleston is also a very good rebounding team, grabbing 40.5 rebounds per game. The Cougars play nine players, and each of their starting five is in double figures. Former D-II transfer Dalton Bolon was first-team All-CAA this season, along with 6-foot-10 forward Ante Brzovic, who was third-team All-CAA.

Matchup to Watch: Fast or slow, what tempo will this game be played?

(13) Kent State vs. (4) Indiana

Friday at 9:55 PM EST

Midwest Region. Indiana is led by Wooden Award finalist senior Trayce Jackson-Davis. Jackson-Davis was first-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defense this season after averaging 20.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Big Ten Rookie of the Year Jalen Hood-Schifinio ended the year strong as well. It’s the consistency of the remaining players why Indiana dropped four of their final eight games. For instance, in each game Miller Kopp scored in double figures in 2023, Indiana has won.

Kent State senior Sincere Carry is one of the better guards many have not heard of. The former MAC Player of the Year was this year’s MAC Tournament MVP, first-team All-Defense, and first-team All-MAC. He has scored 1,957 career points. Malique Jacobs is a tough, big-bodied guard, and 5-foot-10 Jalen Sullinger is a sniper (42.9%) from three. Kent State likes to get its work done on the defensive end of the floor.

Matchup to Watch: Trayce Jackson-Davis vs. Kent State front line.

(13) Iona vs. (4) UConn

Friday at 4:30 PM EST

West Region. You can never count out Rick Pitino. Plain and simple, the Iona head coach remains one of the best coaches in college basketball. Everything starts in the backcourt for the Gaels. Walter Clayton, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, was the ACC Player of the Year this season after averaging 16.9 points. Pacific transfer Daniss Jenkins was the MAAC Tournament MVP. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 15.6 points and 4.9 assists this season. While his teammate handle the scoring load, senior wing Berrick JeanLouis was the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year.

UConn has a nice inside-out, one-two punch with first-team All-Big East teammates Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins. Hawkins is a 6-foot-5 scorer who averaged 15.9 points and shot 37.3 percent from three. Sanogo is a 6-foot-9, 240-pound post presence who managed 17.0 points and 7.2 rebounds. UConn moves the ball around and is opportune on the offensive glass.

UConn averaged 78.7 points per game while giving up 65.2 this season. Iona averaged 76.4 points while giving up 65.0.

Matchup to Watch: The depth of UConn vs. the Depth of Iona.