New Jersey is well-represented in the 2023 NCAA Men’s and Women’s National Basketball Championships, even with the Garden State’s larger schools not being invited to the Big Dance.
Fairleigh Dickinson University and Princeton University are competing in the men’s bracket. The women’s teams from Princeton and Monmouth University are playing for a national title in 2023.
Noticeably absent are the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University and the Seton Hall Pirates, both of whom accepted bids in the NIT Men’s Tournament. The 2022 Cinderella story, Saint Peter’s University, failed to secure a tournament bid this year.
Still missing in 2023 is the ability to bet on any of NJ’s hoops teams legally. State law prohibits NJ sportsbooks from offering lines on in-state college teams or collegiate events in the state.
New Jersey sports bettors have been known to cross into Pennsylvania or New York to bet on NJ teams, and this year will be more of the same.
Here is a quick rundown of the four NJ teams playing in the 2023 NCAA National Basketball Championships.
Intro to Fairleigh Dickinson University
Those who have never spent time in Northern New Jersey are forgiven for not knowing who or where FDU is.
The private university has two campuses in North Jersey, located several miles apart. The Florham Campus is in Morris County (Florham Park and Madison), while the Metropolitan Campus is in Bergen County (Hackensack and Teaneck).
The FDU Knights play Division-I basketball in the Northeast Conference. FDU (19-15,10-6) earned the conference’s automatic bid despite losing the championship game. The winner, Merrimack College, is ineligible as it completes its transition to D1.
The Knights are playing against Texas Southern in a First Four match-up on March 15 at 6:40 p.m. on TruTV. The winner advances to play East Region No.1-seed Purdue.
Coach Carril is smiling down on his Tigers
Princeton University needs no introduction. The Ivy League school is one of the country’s most prestigious and storied universities.
Every few years, the Tigers remind people brainiacs can play ball, too. Princeton has a history of making runs in the NCAA tournament, particularly under the late-Pete Carril. The school’s last NCAA appearance was in 2017.
Princeton (21-8, 10-4) earned a 15-seed this year by winning the Ivy League crown. They will play South Region No.2-seed Arizona. The game tips off Thursday at 3:50 p.m. on TNT.
Hawks and Tigers making women’s title runs in 2023
The women’s basketball team at Princeton is making its second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.
Princeton (23-5, 12-2) won the Ivy League tournament, earning a No. 10 seed in a matchup against No. 7 North Carolina State. The game is scheduled for Friday at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.
Monmouth University, located in sleepy Ocean County (West Long Branch), plays in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Hawks (18-15, 9-9) thumped Towson to earn the school’s first CAA title. Their reward is a First Four game against Tennessee Tech on Thursday at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
