March Madness

By Ruth Nwaturuocha

One of the best times in college sports has begun! March Madness is the icing on the cake of the college basketball season. The top teams from around the country compete in this tournament to find out who is the best of the year.

March Madness is quite the process. It all starts with “Selection Sunday.” This is when sports analyst, fans, and even the President of the United States begin to fill out their brackets. The brackets work in a series that starts with 64 teams that are divided into four regions. Each team per region is ranked 1-16. The regions will then begin their playoff games, which have been given the nicknames “Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final Four.” Many people have bracket competitions within their home, in the workplace, or join along with others on ESPN’s website.

The first game was played on March 21 with Valparaiso vs. Michigan State, New Mexico State vs. Saint Louis, Southern vs. Gonzaga, Louisville vs. North Carolina A&T, Akron vs. VCU, and Syracuse vs. Montana.

This year Nebraska is lucky to have the Creighton Bluejays represent for the state. The Bluejays won their last regular season game against Wichita State to lock them as the number seven seed in their region.

A big part of selecting your bracket is deciding when and where the upsets are going to occur. A few teams to watch this year are Miami, Indiana, Duke, Louisville, Michigan, Kansas, and Florida. One key way to go all the way in basketball games, let alone this tournament, is to be dominant on the offensive side. Duke and Miami tend to struggle with offensive rebounds and second chance shots, while Kansas has been known to choke in the 11th hour during crucial games.

Another key component is free throws, they are literally free points. Missing those can add up and may end up costing a team the game.

Wisconsin is also a force to be reckoned with. Their steadfast defense, they are able to hold their opponents to just 28 percent from the 3-point line. A team who has been known to do well at the 3-point line is Iowa State, and we should be keeping an eye on them during this tournament also.

Top seeds Louisville and Indiana seem to be the ultimate favorites to win this tournament. Louisville comes into the tournament with an awesome 29-5 record, going 14-4 in conference play. Six foot guard Russ Smith dominates the floor with 18 points per game and shoots more than 80 percent from the line. The team overall is ranked number 2 in the country for overall defensive efficiency.

Indiana wows the crowd as being the expected winner of it all. The Hoosiers are 27-6 in overall play and are also 14-4 in conference play along with Louisville. The popular Cody Zeller averages 16 points per game. The team holds a majority of their opponents to an 18 point deficit, averages 38 rebounds per game, and shoots about 74 percent from the free throw line.

To keep up with the latest stats and brackets, you can visit ESPN, CBS, or any other sports news website. There is also a handy app for both iOS and Android called BracketBound by ESPN. Here you can create your own bracket, look at the Presidents bracket, and look at analysis from coaches from across the country. There is also an app created by the NCAA called “March Madness Live” where you can watch all of the games FREE with an internet connection.

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March Madness