March Madness, The NCAA College Basketball Tournament, is right around the corner, and many fans are looking forward to it. March Madness is known for the exciting atmosphere from the crowds and the exciting moments that take place on the court. There have been many memorable moments from March Madness in recent years, and this year should be just as thrilling. The selection and traditional bracket for the tournament will be released on March 17.
There have been many thrilling games and moments in the history of March Madness. Every single year there are always moments like game winners and upsets that go viral and are remembered forever.
“My favorite part of March Madness is the intensity of the games because every moment is crucial since the games are single elimination. That brings another level of intensity to the games,” senior Brendon Kim explained.
A notable game in recent history is when 16 seed UMBC defeated 1 seed University of Virginia. This was the first time in tournament history that a 16 seed defeated a 1 seed. Another special moment was when the University of Maryland defeated the University of Indiana in 2002 to win the national championship.
“From 2019, I remember all the buzz Zion Williamson was creating when he was playing with Duke. Even though they didn’t win the tournament that year, Zion and Duke were still so dominant and very exciting to watch,” senior Arvin Mungara reflected.
Every year, there are exciting moments where fans are looking forward to more of these moments this March.
Currently the favored team to win the tournament is UConn, who have an overall record of 26-3. UConn won the tournament last year and are looking to go back to back. While they are the favorites and ranked top two in the nation, there is no guarantee that they will breeze through the tournament and easily win.
“One thing that is better in March Madness than the NBA is that the top teams do not win all the time and the games being single elimination help this. Smaller teams from the regular season can make a big run and get far in the tournament when they have momentum,” junior Teja Anumalasetty explained.
Many smaller programs over the last few years have made runs far in the tournament. Surprise teams also make surprising runs every year in March Madness. However, many think that the programs that have experience in the tournament will have success.
“I think that Duke is gonna win this year because they have been playing really well this season and that is just in time for the tournament. Also, Jared McCain has been playing so well recently,” Kim stated.
Many fans have their eyes on Duke, as they could make some noise in the tournament this year. Many fans also believe that the usual teams that are dominant in college basketball will have a shot to win this year.
“I feel like teams like Kentucky, Duke, and Baylor are gonna win. These schools have programs that have gone far and coaches that are experienced in March Madness, so they know how to win,” Mungara explained.
In the end, in order to win the tournament teams will have to stay consistent and stick to their winning formulas.
Every year millions of people across the country fill out brackets to predict every matchup in March Madness. Filling out a bracket is what creates the fun in watching the tournament.
“I have been filling out a bracket for many years now and it is probably my favorite part of March Madness since you want the team you picked to win,” Anumalasetty explained.
Many people fill out these brackets for fun with their friends. Sports bettors also fill these brackets out to win prizes and money offered by various betting companies and organizations. The bracket challenge really makes a whole new level of excitement for March Madness basketball with many basketball fans and even non basketball fans participating.
With March Madness coming up in only a few weeks, the 64 teams must get selected. The selection show will take place on Sunday, March 17, with many schools hoping they can get into the tournament. This year’s tournament should be one to look forward to, as many exciting games and moments will transpire.