March Madness
College Basketball’s Biggest Month is Back!
March Madness is at the end of the college basketball tournament in the United States and will take place from March 14th to April 2nd this year. It consists of 68 teams that play in a single elimination tournament that will decide the NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball national champion.
The National Association created March Madness in 1939 to end the college basketball season. It was called March Madness due to the extensive amount of games that are happening, usually during the same time or right after each other. UCLA has won the most championships, with a total of 11 titles.
Last year’s March Madness final between Kansas and North Carolina ended with a score of 72 to 69. This was Kansas’s first title win in 16 years. Last year was also the first time in history that rival schools North Carolina and Duke faced off in the semi-finals, with North Carolina winning 81 to 77.
Duke, North Carolina, and Kentucky usually win, but this year is another story. The Alabama Crimson Tides (first place in their division) and the Houston Cougars (fifth place overall last year) are expected to be some of the stronger teams this year. The first four games will take place in Dayton, Ohio, while the final four will take place in Houston, Texas.
It looks to be that Alabama is the top seed, and that the last teams into the 68 playing teams are Clemson, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. USC, Oregon, Mississippi, and Charleston seem to be the first four teams to be eliminated. March Madness is the best time for college basketball, so let’s hope it doesn’t disappoint.