March Madness bracket 2023: Iowa State-Mississippi State/Pittsburgh preview, odds

The NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 14th with the First Four, and then moves on to the First Round on Thursday, March 16 and Friday, March 17. The No. 6 seed Iowa State Cyclones will face the No. 11 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs/Pittsburgh Panthers on Friday, March 17

Here's an early look at what we can expect from the matchup.

Once odds from DraftKings Sportsbook are made available for this game, we'll add that information below. We'll also add the game time and TV channel once it's settled.

Game date: Friday, March 17
Game time: TBA
TV channel: TBA
Location: Greensboro, NC

Odds: TBA

No. 6 Iowa State

Iowa State started the season 12-2 and appeared to be among the best the Big 12 had to offer. That was, of course, before they struggled to a 6-10 record over the remainder of the season. To their credit, they did knock off No. 7 Baylor on the road in their season finale, an excellent Quad 1 win.

A key reason for the Cyclones' struggles have been a lack of steady sources of scoring. Jaren Holmes (13.2) and Gabe Kalscheur (12.7) are the only Cyclones who averaged double-figures, leading the team to a Big 12 second-worst mark of 68.5 points per game. But they rank 8th in defensive efficiency via KenPom, and force a turnover on a whopping 25.1% of possessions (2nd in NCAA).

Record: 19-13, 9-9 Big 12
Coach: T.J. Otzelberger
Qualifier: At-large
KenPom overall: 23
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: 97
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: 8
Pace: 325
PPP overall: 1.010
Leading scorer: Jaren Holmes
NET: 20
Quad 1 record: 10-11
Against The Spread: 16-16-0
Over Total: 11-21-0
Odds to win NCAA Championship: TBD

No. 11 Mississippi State

Mississippi State started its season 10-0, including a quality win over the Marquette Golden Eagles. The Bulldogs had an up and down season; they lost five in a row during conference play, concluded with a three-point loss at the hands of Alabama. After that loss, they went on to rip off five straight wins. Head coach Chris Jans has kept his team afloat all season and it's paid off with a trip to the tourney. This team struggles offensively, averaging just 65.9 points per game. Senior forward Tolu Smith leads the team in scoring with 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He is the only player averaging in double figures, which showcases Mississippi State's offensive struggles.

KenPom has them ranked in the top 50, but their offensive rating is at 105.4. They've scored 80 points only once in a game that mattered – an overtime victory over TCU. The one saving grace for them is their stifling defense allows just 91 points per 100 possessions, which is a top 10 mark.

Record: 21-12, 8-10 Big Ten
Coach: Chris Jans
Qualifier: At-Large
KenPom overall: 49
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: 168
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: 7
Pace: 334
PPP overall: .980
Leading scorer: Tolu Smith
NET: 49
Quad 1 record: 4-8
Against The Spread: 16-16-1
Over Total: 13-20
Odds to win NCAA Championship: TBD

No. 11 Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Panthers are enjoying their best season since 2013-14, and are going dancing for the first time post-2016. After going 14-6 through their arduous ACC schedule in 2022-23, the Panthers ended the regular season at 22-11.

Pitt fought valiantly in the opening round of their conference tournament, defeating Georgia Tech, but got clobbered by the Blue Devils in the Quarterfinal. On the heels of a 27-point loss, the Panthers will be eager to remind opponents that they can be quick to pounce on the offensive end of the floor.

Record: 22-11, 14-6 ACC
Coach: Jeff Capel III
Qualifier: At-large
KenPom overall: 78
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: 24
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: 143
Pace: 174
PPP overall: 1.094
Leading scorer: Blake Hinson
NET: 67
Quad 1 record: 4-4
Against The Spread: 22-10-1
Over Total: 21-12

  
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