March Madness: A deeper look into the college basketball phenomenon

With the month of March in full swing, the college basketball regular season has come to a close with March Madness set to start.

Sports News Blitz’s Lorenzo Gagliotta gives a rundown on how it all works, what to expect and a look back at March Madness’ best moments.

What is March Madness and how does it work?

March Madness officially starts on March 17, with 68 teams participating in the bracket. 

Teams can get either through an automatic bid, where the teams in their respective conferences win in the postseason, or an at-large bid, where it’s based on tournament pedigree to participate in the tournament.

It starts off with the First Four, and as the tournament goes on, schools battle it out to reach the Sweet Sixteen stage, then aim to progress to the Elite Eight and the Final Four.

Towards the culmination of the tournament, teams will have the shot to reign supreme in the championship game, to claim the glory, winning the NCAA tournament.

With the name of the game in the title, the annually-held event is a single-elimination tournament that has been renowned for some fairytale runs to the Final Four and some unexpected gems found in the college game. 

It’s become that much of somewhat a cultural phenomenon, that the spring period completely dominates NBA basketball, with fans hooked to their respective teams and bracket selections. 

The tournament has been held ever since 1939, where it started with only eight teams to start off, with the field expanding year by year.

March Madness is known for its unpredictability and the growth over the past few years with fans has only seen college basketball in March become the phenomenon it is today.

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Historic moments in the tournament

The joys of the tournament come from different extremes, whether it would be a ‘Cinderella’ run by a low seed or an amazing buzzer-beater bucket that wins the championship. 

In more recent years, March Madness has produced some memorable moments. 

Back in 2016, the stage was set for the top two teams to battle it out for the NCAA Championship, with the no.2 team, the Villanova Wildcats facing off the No.1 team, the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The game did not disappoint, with it tied up at 74-74 in the dying embers of the game. 

Clutch shot after clutch shot, both the Wildcats and the Tar Heels endured a grueling second half to try to secure the championship.

With a few seconds on the clock, the possession was in the hands of Villanova guard Ryan Arcidiacono who found teammate Kris Jenkins at the top of the key, who hit the three-point shot that stopped the testament of time. 

Confetti everywhere, a wild end to an enthralling game which saw Jenkins engrave his name in Wildcats history, securing Villanova their first championship since 1985.

A recent fairytale run by a team who caught everyone by surprise, and quickly became the darlings of March, was the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights. 

Heading into the tournament, they were the 16th seed, with coach Tobin Anderson at the helm, his team looked to defy all odds.

Defying all odds they did, upsetting the top seed Purdue in the very first round, 63-58, achieving one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. 

With the world at their foot, their ‘Cinderella’ run continued, with fans cherishing every moment. 

Just before setting their goals on reaching the Sweet Sixteen round and a game to play at Madison Square Garden, their glorious run ended, losing to Florida Atlantic 78-70. 

A run that FDU players and fans will always remember, pulling off an insane upset and capturing the hearts of college basketball fans across the country.

Ingrained in UConn’s legacy and history, guard Kemba Walker, in 2011, had one of the most iconic seasons of college basketball that anyone has ever witnessed.

A basketball program like no other for both men and women’s basketball. UConn have been powerhouses of the game for some time.

2011 was the year in which everything came into fruition for coach Jim Calhoun and his team, with guard Kemba Walker the head of the snake in a remarkable run. 

Winning five games in five days, then going on to assert their dominance in the NCAA tournament, Walker alongside teammates like Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier played a brand of basketball that fans could not fathom.

From the Final Four to the championship game, the UConn Huskies took down the Butler Bulldogs to cap off an excellent season and tournament, alongside a tournament-long masterclass by their leaders, Jim Calhoun and Kemba Walker.

What teams to look out for and players to watch?

With the Florida Gators taking all the glory against the Houston Cougars, they look to make a push to defend their championship title this year. 

Overcoming a 12-point deficit in the second half, star player Walter Clayton Jr. and his teammates came through to win the Gators’ third championship in their history.

They are the top of the chain in terms of teams in contention for the championship, but it will be a tall order to repeat considering the growth in development and competition by other teams. 

A team to keep a keen eye to surprise the pack would be the Ohio State Buckeyes, who have caught themselves in hot form, nearly upsetting the Michigan Wolverines in their conference tournament. 

With head coach Jake Diebler in his 10th season with the Buckeyes, could they make a push to at least head to the Sweet Sixteen stage in March Madness?

Teams like Arizona and Michigan are in for a bid to secure the tournament title, with senior guard Jaden Bradley and Big Ten player of the year Yaxel Lendeborg being the best players and one to watch come the start of March Madness.

With the talent pool large this year, many of the top players this year are projected high for the NBA Draft this year, with the likes of Darryn Peterson from Kansas, Cameron Boozer from Duke and AJ Dybantsa excelling this season with their exciting individual games. 

It’s a highly-anticipated period for college basketball, with players and fans looking to excel on the national stage to clinch the NCAA championship.

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