This year, the 2023 March Madness was a huge sporting event in the USA. That’s why it’s worth looking back to the tournament and discussing the five college basketball teams that performed best in the competition.
Knowing who dominated the recent NCAA basketball tournament will significantly help you decide whom to bet if you plan on betting for the 2024 March Madness. Although it’s still too early, it’s ideal to start researching to prepare for the next NCAA basketball tournament.
UConn Huskies
Of course, the first on the list are the March Madness defending champions, the UConn Huskies. This year’s March Madness was the comeback of the Huskies to the top of the sport. With the win, they add a fifth NCAA tournament championship title under their belt.
The team’s last win was in 2014, which was a long time ago. This year’s victory puts the team in a tie with Indiana and Duke who all have 5 championships apiece. The UConn Huskies have given spectators a show that they will never forget. As a result, the 2023 March Madness was named one of the best seasons in the modern era.
The Huskies improved their winning percentage in NCAA Tournament national finals. UConn was named the favorite in the 2023 NCAA basketball tournament season, holding an NCAAB odds of -340.
San Diego Aztecs
The San Diego Aztecs are the team who fought for the NCAA championship title against the UConn Huskies. But unfortunately, the Aztecs’ efforts weren’t enough to bag the title. However, the team has shown amazing performances from the beginning of the season up to the final minutes of the NCAA Finals.
One of the pride moments of the San Diego Aztecs was when they defeated an overall top-seed team, the Alabama Crimson Tides. That game kicked out the number 1 seed NCAA basketball team from the game.
Instead, the San Diego Aztecs, who were number 5 overall, were the ones who advanced to the elite eight. The elite eight wasn’t the final round for the Aztecs, but due to their skills and talent, the team reached the final round and almost took home the championship title.
Miami Hurricanes
Aside from the last two teams standing in the 2023 March Madness, another team strong enough to have reached the final four are the Miami Hurricanes. Since the tournament’s first round, the Hurricanes have fought to defend themselves against their fiercest rivals.
When the team entered the second round, they fought hard through each round until they reached the sweet sixteen round. Although they were stronger teams than them, the Hurricanes performed at a high level.
True enough, the Miami Hurricanes were one of the teams that made it to the Elite Eight and the Final Four. But little did they know that the final four would be their last destination this year. The Miami Hurricanes lost to the UConn Huskies, which marked the end of their tournament run.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Unsurprisingly, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are included in the five best-performing teams in the 2023 March Madness. The team was seed number 3 in the West region and was undefeated until they advanced to the Elite Eight round of the tournament.
It was an amazing record for the Bulldogs. They were strong, resilient and confident. However, UConn didn’t back down and proved it was their time this year. The Huskies defeated the Zags 82-54.
Although the Bulldogs were undefeated until the Elite Eight, The Huskies made a run and didn’t look back. Like with other impressive teams before them, the Gonzaga Bulldogs fell to the eventual champions.
Arkansas Razorbacks
The last team on the list are the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Razorbacks have also put a number one seed team to sleep. For the second time within only a few days, the Razorbacks defeated a strong Kansas Jayhawks team, a number one seed team in the tournament.
Under the guidance of coach Eric Musselman, the Arkansas Razorbacks threaded the needle in a crucial game, winning it 72-71. Despite the Jayhawks balanced performance from their players, it wasn’t enough to quell the duo of Ricky Council IV and Davonte Davis. Despite a hard-fought win over the Jayhawks, the Huskies pummeled the Razorbacks in the next game. With a dominant 88-65 win, the Huskies eliminated the Razorbacks from the tournament.
Final Words
The 2023 March Madness was a memorable season for the five mentioned teams above. It was also one of the best seasons in the new era of the NCAA Basketball tournament. However, you should consider that every year is different. If a team is strong this year, they will not be guaranteed to remain strong next year.
So, you should keep an eye on these five teams at the beginning of the next season of March Madness and observe how they perform at the beginning of the tournament.
