March Madness bracket 2023: Midwest Region teams, preview, Final Four odds

No. 1 Houston will be the top team in the Midwest Region in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The Cougars will have plenty of competition, as Texas, Xavier, and Indiana are also in the region.

No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Northern Kentucky

Houston finished the regular season with 32 wins, but were outmatched against Memphis in the AAC title game. They bring one of the best defenses in the country to the court, holding opponents to 56.5 points per game (second in the nation).

The Northern Kentucky Norse picked up an automatic bid to the Big Dance from the Horizon League for just their second appearance in school history. They're led by Marques Warrick who tallies 19.1 points per game.

No. 8 Iowa vs. No. 9 Auburn

The Iowa Hawkeyes' all-offense, no-defense style continued this season, but it hasn't resulted in much NCAA Tournament success with no Sweet 16 appearances in the Fran McCaffery era.

The Auburn Tigers biggest strength comes on the defensive end, but the offensive struggles are a major reason they finished 4-9 over their final 13 contests.

No. 5 Miami vs. No. 12 Drake

Miami was crowned ACC regular-season champions, and the Hurricanes certainly have enough offensive firepower to make a Final Four run.

The Drake Bulldogs earned the auto bid from the Missouri Valley led by Tucker DeVries, who has potential to become a March Madness star after scoring 19.1 points per game. The Bulldogs enter the NCAA's having won 13 of their last 14 games.

No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 Kent State

The Hoosiers had a dominant regular season before dropping their last few games as they lost steam in conference play. They are led by Trayce Jackson-Davis, one of the best players in college basketball this season, who averaged 20.5 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Thanks to a huge second half, the Kent State Golden Flashes beat the Toledo Rockets in the MAC Championship Game to grab an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Sincere Carry is a name to watch this tournament season – the guard leads the team with 17.6 points per game.

No. 3 Xavier vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State

Xavier finished second in a strong Big East this season with wins over UConn, Creighton, and Marquette. They reached the conference championship game despite the absence of injured center, and leading rebounder, Zach Freemantle.

The Atlantic-Sun champs are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history after winning 16 of the last 18 contests.

No. 6 Iowa State vs. No. 11 Mississippi State/Pittsburgh

The Cyclones had a strong start in the Big 12 but late-season struggles saw them end in sixth place and fall to Kansas in the conference tournament. They dominate on the defensive end of the court, allowing just 62.2 points per game to opponents.

We know that Mississippi State will bring it differently defensively, but will Tolu Smith and the Bulldogs' offense show up when they need it most?

The Pittsburgh Panthers are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time during the Jeff Capel thanks to their strengths on the offensive end of the floor.

No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Penn State

Led by Wade Taylor IV and Taylor Radford, Texas A&M finished in second place in the SEC standings after winning 17 of their last 20 games – including an upset victory over No. 2 Alabama.

After being on the bubble in mid-February, Penn State surged late to earn its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2011. Will the Nittany Lions be able to keep their hot streak going?

No. 2 Texas vs. No. 15 Colgate

The Longhorns have battled arduously this year, both on and off the court. After a major win over No. 3 Kansas to close the regular season, Texas joins the Big Dance with high expectations.

The Colgate Raiders are riding a nine-game winning streak heading into the NCAA Tournament with an offense that features five players scoring double-digit points per game, and are the nation's No. 1 team in three-point percentage at 40.9%.

  
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