2023 March Madness 1st round bracket breakdown: South Region

No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 9 West Virginia

Maryland is dominant at home but only 2-9 in true road games. The Terrapins looked like they had fixed their road woes against Indiana in the Big 10 Tournament but a 20-2 Hoosier run in the second half brings back doubt about Maryland. The Terrapins have four players averaging double digits, led by Charlotte transfer Jahmir Young. If Maryland can pretend it’s  in the Xfinity Center when it plays West Virginia, it has a great chance to make it to the next round to play Alabama. 

The Mountaineers received an at–large bid despite having a 7-11 conference record in the Big 12. The reason for that is they had impressive wins against TCU, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Auburn and Kansas State. It’s hard to go against West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins and in a matchup where both teams have struggled on the road, the Mountaineers have a shot. It will largely depend on Erik Stevenson and which team can get their offense going in a game where both teams are defense oriented.