NCAA Tournament 2023: Ranking all 16 Second Round matchups

By Joey Loose | Mar 18, 2023

Mar 17, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Creighton Bluejays center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) and Creighton Bluejays guard Ryan Nembhard (2) react to a play during the second half against North Carolina State Wolfpack in the first round of the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-USA TODAY Sports /

7 of 9

NCAA Tournament Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

6. 1 Houston vs. 9 Auburn

This Auburn squad is not as a talented as the one that Bruce Pearl took to the Final Four back in 2009, but Pearl still has the Tigers playing good basketball at the right time of year. After a dreadful end to the regular season, Auburn bounced back for an 83-75 win over a hot offensive team in Iowa, getting just enough on the defensive end. Morehead State transfer Johni Broome was excellent and has been a much-needed addition in the frontcourt for the Tigers.

Top-seeded Houston wasn’t exactly dominant in a 63-52 win against Northern Kentucky and their problems seem to be multiplying. Both Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead have injury issues going into this game (which will be played in Auburn’s home state) and that might be make this a much closer outcome than expected. It’ll be important for that frontcourt J’Wan Roberts and Jarace Walker to play well against Auburn’s bigs regardless of the status of their injured players. Coach Kelvin Sampson knows how to win and has his most talented squad hoping to return to the Final Four.

5. 3 Gonzaga vs. 6 TCU

TCU didn’t end their season on the best foot and almost got a gut punch on Friday, briefly losing star point guard Mike Miles Jr. to another injury. Fortunately, Miles was able to return and lead the Horned Frogs to a dramatic 72-70 win over Arizona State. Their performance down the stretch has not exactly been awe-inspiring, especially on the offensive end, but Jamie Dixon’s squad is talented and have won a flurry of big games already this season.

After trailing for a significant portion of the first half, Gonzaga pulled away for an 82-70 win against Grand Canyon in their first game in the Tourney. Clearly, Drew Timme is the player to watch here for the Bulldogs, who have been one of the best offensive teams in the nation this season. However, the Bulldogs have had some struggles this season, even against some of their weaker WCC foes, and will certainly get quite a fight from the Horned Frogs. Expect a nice performance from Timme but an exciting back-and-forth game.

Home/March Madness