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The 2023 NCAA Tournament starts things off with some South Region action as No. 5 San Diego State (27-6) meets No. 12 Charleston (31-3) at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
We have the breakdown of where you can watch this opening round matchup as well as preview what could be a tightly contested matchup that goes down to the wire.
2023 March Madness: No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 Charleston
Date: Thursday, March 16
Start time: 3:10 p.m. ET
TV channel: truTV
Live stream: March Madness Live
The Cougars are in the Big Dance for just the sixth time in school history, while the Aztecs are dancing in March for the third season in a row. This opening-round matchup pits two of college basketball teams against each other, with Charleston riding a 10-game winning streak and a CAA championship as the exclamation point. San Diego State won 10 of their last 11 games and captured the MWC title over Utah State.
This head-to-head could be a battle of two very capable defenses, as the Aztecs allowed just 63.6 PPG from their opponents in the regular season, ranking 29th in the nation. The Cougars average 80.8 PPG, a top-15 scoring offense in the country, but could take a minute to heat up against a San Diego State team that embraces a defensive mindset.