The 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament continues Saturday with the first two games of the Elite Eight!
Kicking things off, the East Region takes center stage, as 9-seed Florida Atlantic aims to continue its hot streak in this tournament against 3-seed Kansas State at Madison Square Garden.
Later, in Las Vegas, there will be a No. 3 vs. No. 4 battle, as Gonzaga faces UConn in the West Region at 8:49 p.m. ET.
The remaining Final Four teams will be decided Sunday among 2-seed Texas or 5-seed Miami (Fla.) and 5-seed San Diego State or 6-seed Creighton. This is the first time since seeding began in 1979 that no 1-seed advanced to the Elite Eight.
Three schools — Creighton, FAU and SDSU — are making their debut in the Elite Eight. FAU is the first Conference USA team to make the Elite Eight since 2008, while SDSU is the first Mountain West team to make the Elite Eight all time.
What’s more, six of the eight coaches in the Elite Eight are coaching in the round for the first time in their career, with Miami’s Jim Larrañaga and Gonzaga’s Mark Few being the only two to have coached this far into the tournament before.
Follow along with the most up-to-date bracket here.
Here are the highlights!
No. 9 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 3 Kansas State
We’re off!
FAU was first to strike in this one, making a splash with a 3-pointer right out of the gate to set the tone early.
A 9-seed has faced a 3-seed twice before in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 9 teams going 0-2 in those games.
Eyes on the prize
The Owls were determined from the start to make a statement — and make a statement they did.
Back and forth
The Wildcats responded in a big way, going on a quick run to regain the lead.
All-out effort
FAU went on a 10-2 run midway through the first half to take a 22-18 lead at the second official TV timeout.
Clawing back
K-State wasn’t backing down, however, coming up with one big-time basket after another to keep FAU within arm’s reach.
Neck and neck
The Wildcats went on an 8-0 run to take a one-point lead, 32-31, as the first half wound down.
No quit
FAU quickly put a stop to the run and retook the lead, thanks to the fancy footwork of breakout star guard Johnell Davis.
One down, one to go
The Owls led at the break, 42-36.
However, it was Wildcats guard Markquis Nowell who led all scorers in the first half with 15 points.
Stay tuned for updates!
COMING UP:
No. 4 UConn vs. No. 3 Gonzaga (Saturday, 8:49 p.m. ET, TBS)
A 4-seed has faced a 3-seed five times in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 4 teams going 3-2 in those games.
No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 5 San Diego State (Sunday, 2:20 p.m. ET, CBS)
A 6-seed has faced a 5-seed once before in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 6 teams going 0-1 in that game.
No. 5 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 2 Texas (Sunday, 5:05 p.m. ET, CBS)
A 5-seed has faced a 2-seed five times in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 5 teams going 4-1 in those games.
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