It’s that time of year when college basketball fans become excited because it’s the start of March Madness. This is the month of the NCAA tournament which will determine what college basketball team will be crowned the best in the nation. As in the past, the teams will be seeded through a drawing process that will place them in competitive play regionally. There are four regional locations—South, West, Midwest, and East. Each section is composed of a random placement of teams and brackets are made available for fans to select which teams will move forward or be eliminated. Betting is big business and brackets can be downloaded and submitted to a wide variety of gambling internet sites and office pools. There’s been very little change since the NCAA first created the tournament in 1939, with the University of Oregon defeating Ohio State University 46-33.
It’s fairly easy to project that the top four teams ranked in the country will be the number one seeds regionally. The Gonzaga University Bulldogs have the best record in the country at 25-2 and are ranked number one of the AP Top 25 NCAA teams. The Bulldogs are led by junior guard Josh Perkins. Perkins is also the all-time assist leader in their school history. The next team that will receive a high seed will be the University of Virginia Cavaliers. The Cav’s are ranked number two nationally with an overall record of 24-2. The Cav’s are led by junior guard De’Andre Hunter who is often compared by his coach to Lebron James. The third team to receive consideration is the Duke University Blue Devils. They are coached by the legendary Mike Krzyewski, who also is known as “Mike K”. The Blue Devils secured a national ranking of third place with a record of 24-3. The team is led by freshman sensation Zion Williamson. Williamson, who is averaging 21 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, is a man-child when on the court. Lastly, the fourth team to receive a top selection in regional play is the Kentucky Wildcats with an overall record of 23-4 and led by freshman’s Tyler Herro and PJ Washington. The Wildcats are a young squad who could dominate over the next few years. These four teams should make an impression this month, however, let’s not forget that teams like North Carolina, Michigan State, and Tennessee will be contenders as well.
So, as this month rolled in, I downloaded my bracket and selected my teams like so many of you. And like UNLV’s late Coach Jerry Tarkanian, I pulled out my chewing towel, and will anxiously track my progress. No bets, no pools, but just being a big fan of college basketball.
The Traveler Weekly 