Tom Izzo’s Spartans Face Off Against USC in March Madness 2023 Opener

On Friday, there are several key March Madness 2023 games to watch. The first game to keep an eye on is No. 10 USC versus No. 7 Michigan State, which will air at 12:15 p.m. on CBS.

While Alabama is participating in the tournament and has received negative attention for its response to a shooting, viewers might consider rooting for Michigan State and their Hall of Fame coach, Tom Izzo.

Izzo has spoken out against gun violence after a shooting killed three students on campus in February.

He has a strong track record in the NCAA Tournament, having won at least one game in eight of his past ten tournaments with the Spartans.

At 2:45 p.m. on CBS, No. 15 Vermont will face off against No. 2 Marquette.

Shaka Smart’s Golden Eagles have been one of the biggest surprises in the country, capturing the Big East’s regular-season and tournament titles despite being picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll.

Guard Tyler Kolek, who averages 7.7 assists per game, contributes to this explosive offense.

No. 11 N.C. State will play against No. 6 Creighton at 4 p.m. on TNT.

Creighton is a popular sleeper pick in brackets and represents another Big East team in the tournament.

N.C. State and Creighton are two of the higher-scoring teams in the country, so viewers might anticipate a high-scoring game.

Keep an eye on N.C. State’s backcourt tandem of Terquavion Smith and Jarkel Joiner, who combine to average nearly 35 points per game.

At 7:10 p.m. on CBS, No. 11 Providence will compete against No. 6 Kentucky.

Kentucky fans had a disappointing experience in the tournament last year when they lost in overtime to 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s as a 2-seed.

Since then, Kentucky coach John Calipari has faced criticism for his team’s performance, despite a late-season surge that secured their spot in the tournament.

Calipari will rely on big man Oscar Tshiebwe, while Coach Ed Cooley’s Friars will aim to build off their run to the Sweet 16 last year.

Finally, at 9:55 p.m. on TNT, No. 13 Kent St. will face No. 4 Indiana. Former Knicks coach Mike Woodson is back in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year and has a dominant player in senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.

The Golden Flashes haven’t won a tournament game since 2002, but MAC teams have recently pulled off March Madness upsets, including Buffalo in 2019 and Ohio in 2021.

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