The race is on for NCAA March Madness
Photo by SportingNews.com
By Brooke Lazarus // Staff Writer
The brackets are starting to come together and March Madness is the talk of the town. Which Cinderella team will make everyone’s jaw drop this year or which teams will not even make it into the tournament? The excitement begins in just a few short weeks.
March Madness is what every player dreams about and what coaches look forward to all season long. It is held between the second week in March and the first week in April, where ultimately a national champion is crowned.
March Madness got the name in 1939 when coaches, fans and athletes came together over their love of college basketball. It’s one of the most famous months of the year for NCAA basketball. It’s one and done. If you win, you advance; if you lose, you go home. It is a true test of who could handle the pressure, intensity and of course the hype.
Prior to March starting, the brackets are constantly changing. The seeding depends on how teams finish in their conference and how they perform in the non-conference games. The only way to guarantee a spot in the bracket is to win the team’s respective conference tournament. Sixty-eight teams have the chance to become the best team in the nation.
“When it comes to March Madness I personally don’t look into which team is better, because anything can happen,” said senior Hannah Smith. “In 2015, there were some big upsets that happened and you can’t undermine any team because they all come to play as hard as they can.”
Villanova is currently sitting as the number one seed in the AP poll followed by Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia. The University of Miami is among the five most surprising teams this year and is hoping to make a deep run in the tournament.
The brackets are starting to take their course, but what really matters is the determination of the players.
After Duke’s season, coach Mike Krzyzewski prepares his players as best as he can to anticipate the ACC tournament.
“Everybody wants to take responsibility when you win, but when you fail, all these fingers are pointing,” Krzyzewski said.
“Kentucky has always been the heart of basketball, and it has been my heart since as long as I can remember,” said sophomore, Lindsay Elsen. “Last season went down as one of the best seasons in college basketball history. This year, I’m hoping Kentucky gets the losses out of the way early.”
Bets are on. Who do you want to win?