When March arrives, the madness begins.
That is certainly the case for this year’s March Madness, the invitational tournament inviting 68 of college basketball’s best teams this season to the center stage of the sporting world. The tournament implements a single-elimination, one-and-done format, with teams being seeded based on their regular season record and other statistics. The #1-seeded team squares off against the #16 team, the #2 against the #15, and so on. It truly is a joy for fans to experience the game of basketball throughout the entirety of March.
With March Madness, it’s expected for a couple of surprise teams to win. This year however has proven to be the likely case, with top-ranked teams such as Baylor and Kentucky failing to make the Sweet 16.
Baylor, last year’s national champions, crashed out of the tournament in the second round after falling to the University of North Carolina (UNC). UNC had been originally designated as a #8 seed, and silenced critics with their first round thrashing of #9 Marquette 95-63. In their matchup against #1 Baylor, UNC stunned the nation by dominating Baylor throughout most of the first half. UNC was winning at one point of the game by 25 points. However, after a furiously improbable comeback by Baylor, the game was forced into overtime. UNC, after the initial scare, regained composure and defeated the favorites 93-86. UNC will now face off against #4 UCLA led by star player Johnny Juzang.
#2 Kentucky didn’t even make it out of the first round this year with a shocking upset loss to #15 Saint Peter’s 85-79. Saint Peter’s has made it into the Sweet 16, which makes it just the third time in NCAA history that a #15 seed has been a part of the final 16 teams.
Around the tournament, #11 Michigan continues to make a run for the ages despite harsh criticism throughout the season, beating #6 Colorado State and #3 Tennessee. #10 Miami took down #2 Auburn comfortably, 79-61, and will face off in the Sweet 16 against #11 Iowa State, another shocker that defeated #6 LSU and #3 Wisconsin.
Several upsets and Cinderella story runs for seemingly unknown teams makes March Madness all worthwhile. It comes to show that despite being overlooked and treated as the underdog, there is always a chance for greatness for those who have the hunger to earn it. Now with the Sweet 16 decided, there’s only one question left to ask.
How much more madness is there left?
Sources:
https://www.google.com/search?q=march+madness
Image Credits: Brianna Paciorka/ News Sentinel
