Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket 2023: Easy-to-Print Sheet, Men's Tournament Tips
It's the most wonderful time of the year! March Madness is upon us, and the bracket for the 2023 NCAA men's tournament was unveiled on Sunday.
The First Four is set to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the round of 64 will commence on Thursday. The start of the tournament brings the fun of office pools, instant bracketology experts and high-intensity basketball.
Below, we've provided a link to a printable bracket that's easy to fill out and keep handy for quick reference. We also have some tips to help you put together a successful bracket in 2023. Additional scheduling information can be found at NCAA.com.
Make your picks: Play the NCAA March Madness Men's Bracket Challenge and Tournament Run.
Bracket Tips
Not All No. 1 Seeds go to Heaven
It's usually an easy decision to ride a few No. 1 seeds to the Final Four and beyond, but picking all four to make it to the national semifinal would be a mistake.
In recent years, we've seen teams seeded as low as No. 11 advance to the Final Four. In 2022, North Carolina made it to the National Championship against Kansas as a No. 8 seed.
Overall history suggests it's best to avoid a Final Four that contains all four No. 1 seeds. The only time that occurred was in 2008, and three No. 1 seeds have made it to the national semifinal together just five times in the tournament's existence.
The best course of action would be to search for some lower seeds who are riding hot streaks entering March Madness, as they could be the key to setting your bracket apart from the pack.
Blue Bloods Are Your Friends
The 2022 Final Four was a prime example of why Blue Bloods are dependable commodities come tournament time.
Kansas, North Carolina, Villanova and Duke occupied the four spots, putting some of the most historic programs in NCAA history under the spotlight.
This year hasn't been as kind to some of them, but it's still worth putting your faith in a couple. Kansas and UCLA are favorites to compete for a National Championship, while Kentucky and Duke could make runs as lower seeds.
Three of the past five NCAA champions have been Blue Blood programs. While legendary coaches Mike Krzyzewski, Jay Wright and Roy Williams are no longer in the picture, Bill Self and John Calipari are still going strong. This is the time of year when they shine.
It could be a smart move to back a historic program to go all the way to the title game this year.
Look for a Cinderella
As we outlined earlier, lower seeds have had a ton of success in recent years. While the search for a Cinderella team can be a daunting one, finding one to wear that glass slipper could be a difference-making move for your bracket.
The 2018 run by Loyola Chicago is still one of the most magical performances in recent memory. It wouldn't be a surprise to see an unexpected team crash the party this year in a wide-open field.
Picking upsets is always tricky, as you never want to go overboard with predicting outcomes unlikely to come true. It's best to identify one or two teams who are peaking at the right time.
Don't let the clock strike midnight without taking the chance on a team that is prepared to shock the world this year.
