March Madness

May the March Madness begin!

May the March Madness begin!

It’s arguably the most exciting and thrilling month for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). March Madness kicks off this month starting with selection Sunday on March 13, all the way to the final four, and then championships on April 4th. The 2022 men’s NCAA tournament for March Madness will start with its first four games in Dayton, Ohio. Then, will continue onto the 2022 final four in New Orleans. After selection Sunday, which will be on March 13th on CBS, the first four is a play-in round at the beginning of the tournament that consists of games contested between teams holding the four lowest-seeded bids and the four lowest-seeded at-large bids, which determine the last four teams to qualify for the 64-team bracket that plays the first round. Then there will be the first round also known as the round of 64 where all 64 teams play in the first round. There are 32 matchups in the first round. Since the field is divided into four regions, there are 16 teams in each region during the Round of 64. After the first round is the second round where both winners from each side of the tournament bracket play against each other. Then there’s the sweet 16. Teams that make it to the Sweet 16 previously won in the second round, or the round of 32, and the winners of Sweet 16 matchups move on to the Elite Eight. The Elite Eight consists of the two teams in each of the four regional championship games. The winners advance to the Final Four, where all 2 teams of 2 compete until two are left and then they compete for the championship.

Gonzaga’s Drew Timme celebrating during a game. (The Athletic)

In the most recent March Madness tournament back in 2021, The Baylor Bears won the championship and were crowned as the national champions for the 2020-2021 season. The Baylor Bears were against the then-undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs played on April 5, 2021, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This was a big surprise to many people who were amazed by the Baylor Bears dominating the court this season. But what shocked most people was the fact that Gonzaga had gotten this far just to lose. For those who don’t know, Gonzaga has won 27 consecutive games by double digits, which is the most by any team in the last 60 years. Gonzaga has also won 29 of their 30 games by 10 or more points.

Gerardo Padilla (11th) is a fan of college basketball especially when it comes to March Madness. When asked what his thoughts were on March Madness 2021 he responded by saying, “ It was intense from the start to end. I was hoping the Michigan Werewolves would win but unfortunately, they lost during the elite eight round. He also hopes his second favorite team, Ohio State, wins. Laura Andrade (11) said she watches March Madness with her dad on the weekends. When questioned about her favorite part about March Madness she stated, “It feels like a tradition between me and my dad, I like to be a part of it because when I was younger I thought sports were boring but they’re not so boring after all.”

Two Baylor teammates celebrating together! (Sports Illustrated)

Willian Davis (11) says he watches March Madness on CBS every year. When asked what he hopes to happen this March Madness he responded by saying he hopes Gonzaga wins this year because they have a history of winning feats and were doing well at the beginning until the end of the tournament.
Jackson Steven (10) loves sports and says he honestly doesn’t keep up with March Madness until the final four and the championships. He revealed that because of Covid 19 he was unable to watch March Madness because it was canceled, so he looks forward to trying to watch this year.

Overall it’s pretty obvious that the hype this year is going to be insane. Countless people are going to be tuned in to this year’s March Madness. Even so, a lot of teams have a chance to take the crown this year. So while we know everyone is excited for this year’s March Madness we can’t wait to see who will dominate this year’s championships.