The NCAA Tournament’s First Four tips off with two games from Dayton on Tuesday night with No. 16 Southeast Missouri State vs. No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, followed by No. 11 Pittsburgh vs. No. 11 Mississippi State. Here’s a breakdown of each, both shown on truTV.

2023 March Madness First Four Tuesday Game Information

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No. 16 SE Missouri State vs. No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

• When: Tuesday, March 14, 2023, 6:30 PM ET
• Where: UD Arena, Dayton, OH
• TV: truTV
• Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (SE Missouri State) // 1440 AM (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)
• Live Stream: March Madness Live
• College Basketball Betting Odds: SE Missouri State (+3.5) // Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (-3.5)

The winner faces South Region No. 1 Alabama. These programs have never met. SE Missouri State (19-16) upset Tennessee Tech 89-82 in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament final to earn the at-large berth. The Redhawks are dancing after becoming the first #5 seed in OVC Tournament history to win the event, and did so by ousting the top two seeds (#1 Morehead State; #2 TTU) to keep their magical season alive.

OVC All-Tournament Team selection Phillip Russell scored the final seven points of the game against Tennessee Tech to seal the win, with five of those coming at the free throw line. Russell went over 1,000 points in his SEMO career in that decisive stretch. Russell is the second player to clear that mark this season, along with teammate Chris Harris.

The Redhawks are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 23 years, and they are a quick crew. Brad Korn’s team ranks top-10 in adjusted tempo, per KenPom. SEMO is in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history and first in 23 years. The Redhawks were a #13 seed the last time they went to the Dance in 1999-2000. SEMO lost a close, 64-61, game to #10 Louisiana State in Salt Lake City, Utah that year.

Steve Lutz has done an incredible job in two years on the job at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (23-10). This is the Islanders’ second straight appearance in the NCAAs. They shoot 80% on their foul shots, second-best in college basketball. Senior Trevyian Tennyson is one of the sharpest shooters in the tournament: 92.4% from the foul line and 42.7% from 3-point range.

The Islanders were in the First Four last year against Texas Southern. In that game, A&M-Corpus Christi led 61-59 with 6:04 remaining when the Tigers came back for a 76-67 decision. Tennyson paced the Islanders with 19 points.

After anchoring TAMU-CC’s run to its second NCAA tournament appearance in school history last season, Tennyson, Isaac Mushila (14.4 PPG, 9.7 RPG) and Terrion Murdix (13.4 PPG, 2.3 SPG) all returned. This season’s team is even better. Last season, the Islanders connected on just 32% of their 3-point attempts. This season, the Southland tournament champs were first in both offensive and defensive efficiency in league play, per KenPom.

The Islanders landed three All-Conference selections for the first time in program history. Murdix and Mushila were tabbed to the First-Team and Tennyson to the Second-Team. Murdix became just the second SLC Defensive Player of the Year in program history, along with Rashawn Thomas in 2015-16. Murdix was also on the All-Defensive Team for the second year in a row. He is in question for this one due to injury.

College Basketball Betting Pick: SE Missouri State ATS

Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State

• When: Tuesday, March 14, 2023, 9:00 PM ET
• Where: UD Arena, Dayton, OH
• TV: truTV
• Radio: 710 ESPNLA (Pittsburgh) // WRNO 99.5 FM (Mississippi State)
• Live Stream: March Madness Live
• College Basketball Betting Odds: Pittsburgh (-2) // Mississippi State (+2)

Midwest Region game tips at 9:10 PM ET and the winner faces No. 6 Iowa State in the first round. This is the first postseason appearance for Pitt (22-11) Panthers under Jeff Capel and the fourth time he has led a team into NCAA Tournament play. Capel was named the ACC Coach of the Year and is also among the top candidates for the Naismith National Coach of the Year.

The Panthers’ 11-game win improvement overall from last season is tied for the second-best mark in program history, while their eight-game win increase in conference play is a program record. Pitt set a program record with 14 ACC wins, also the third most in conference play in program history. Pitt also became just the third team in ACC history to post a conference regular season win percentage of .700 or higher following four consecutive losing seasons in league play.

Jamarius Burton became Pitt’s second First Team All-ACC selection after averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in conference play. He is one of four players in the NCAA averaging 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, while shooting 49 percent or better from the field percent or better from the field.

Blake Hinson, a Second Team All-ACC pick, has posted 28 double figure scoring games, including 19 games with 15 or more points and nine 20+ point games. He is the only player in the ACC averaging 15.5 or more points (15.6 ppg.) and 6.0 or more rebounds per game (6.2 rpg.) with 85 or more made threes (91 3FG). Pitt is 24-28 all-time against teams currently in the SEC, including a 1-3 mark in NCAA Tournament action.

The Bulldogs (21-12) will make their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance and have secured eight of the program’s trips dating back to 2001-02. MSU is the nation’s only program to rank inside the top 20 in scoring defense (61.0 – 2nd SEC • 10th nationally), opponent field goal percentage (39.4 – 3rd SEC • 10th nationally) and steals (8.85 – 2nd SEC • 17th nationally). Historically at State, the 61.0 points per game allowed is the program’s fifth-lowest average through 33 games in the modern era since 1955-56.

Coach Chris Jans’ team has 292 steals on an 8.9 per game clip through 33 games. The 8.9 steals average is third-best in program history through 33 games, trailing only the 1991-92 squad coached by Richard Williams and the SEC championship 2003-04 team led by Rick Stansbury.

According to KenPom, the Bulldogs are among the nation’s top 25 in five additional categories which include adjusted defensive efficiency (91.3 – 6th), steal percentage (13.4 – 7th), offensive rebounding percentage (35.2 – 15th), effective defensive field goal percentage (46.2 – 19th) and defensive turnover percentage (22.0 – 23rd).

Mississippi State and Pittsburgh are meeting for the second time in the postseason. The Bulldogs emerged with a 66-61 road win during the 2001 NIT Round of 16.

College Basketball Betting Pick: Mississippi State ATS

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