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2023 NCAA Championship — What’s Next for the Biggest Stars

2023 NCAA Championship — What’s Next for the Biggest Stars

Mar 10, 2023

With the refreshing signs of spring comes another invigorating tradition The NCAA Basketball Championship. This year’s NCAA Tournament will kick off with the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio, on March 14 and 15, and finish up with the Final Four on April 1 and 3 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. 

So who are the college basketball picks for this year? The top college basketball players? Read on to discover what you need to know about college basketball predictions and college basketball consensus picks. We even threw in some basketball NCAA coaches with interesting rituals for fun! And, of course, Hibbett | City Gear is your one-stop shop for all the NCAA gear you need to rep your favorite team during the March Madness excitement.

2019 NCAA Basketball Tournament

2023 College Basketball Predictions

The top college basketball picks for the 2023 NCAA Championships are Kansas and Alabama, but it depends on who you ask as to which team will clinch the top spot. The quality wins and team strength of Kansas have many marking them as the team to beat; however, the Crimson Tide held strong in the eyes of the selection committee in light of their win at Houston.

Players to Watch

March Madness has a way of turning run-of-the-mill players into household names. Brady Manek, Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor are just a few examples. So who are the top college basketball players to watch this year? Let’s break it down:

  • Jahmir Young, a Maryland guard, averages 16.2 points per game and has a knack for positioning himself in the right spot at the right time for integral shots.
  • Nick Smith Jr., a guard for Arkansas, was the No. 1 prospect in the 2022 class and has returned with a vengeance after a knee injury kept him sidelined for most of the season. 
  • Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 6-foot-6 Indiana guard, has the ability to take over games and make those key plays. 
Jalen Hood-Schifino playing basketball

Coaches with Interesting Rituals

We all have our eyes on the players, but many coaches have practiced quirky customs before the buzzer sounds.

  • Tim Miles, coach of the San Jose State Spartans men’s basketball team and former Nebraska coach, is usually on the hunt for a lucky, heads-up penny that symbolizes a good game is on the horizon. He also suspects some of the student managers placed said lucky penny in his pre-game path.
  • Larry Krystkowiak, former Utah head coach, embraced a ritual from his playing days at Montana—finding a quiet, dark room where he would lay on the floor before the game.
  • John Thompson III, former head coach for Georgetown and current assistant coach for the United States men’s national basketball team, typically has an unsettled stomach before the game kicks off. His solution? A few ritualistic sips of good ole Pepto Bismol.

Visit a Hibbett | City Gear location or shop online to get some new threads for the 2023 March Madness season.

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