Ah, spring time is upon us and one of the best time periods for sports has arrived once again: ‘MARCH MADNESS.’ Professionally known as the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, 68 of the nation’s top teams compete in a yearly single-game elimination bracket that follows the immediate conclusion of the regular season and conference tournament play. Many die-hard basketball fans like to argue how the opening days of ‘March Madness’ need to become a holiday; countless hours of games occur on television channels, such as TBS, TNT, CBS, and truTV. The championship game typically doesn’t occur until around the first week of April (this year, in 2019, on April 8th), so spectators can enjoy over two weeks of nerve-wrecking action on the hardwood. When considering how much predicting, cheering, booing, applauding, and channel-flipping that all takes place, it’s not too unusual to see one exhausted after those two weeks. Trust me, this is when college basketball gets real. Those who know me well can acknowledge ‘March Madness’ as not only my favorite event in not just basketball, but all sports. If wondering why, just take a look below at all it has to offer:
We Can Always Expect the Unexpected
Arguably the most fascinating aspect of the annual tournament: it’s up for anyone’s grabs. No team can shy away from the competition and we’ve seen numerous upsets occur ever since the event originated back in 1939. For starters, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) shook up many filled-out brackets (including mine) when the Retrievers notoriously took down the #1 seeded Virginia Cavaliers during the first round of last year’s tournament in 2018. Most acknowledged the outing as the greatest upset in NCAA tournament history, as a 16th seed had never taken down the top one before. I could go on and on about the countless number of times an upset had messed up my bracket, honestly. Nonetheless, I always found it most fascinating to witness a program exceed expectations and make a deep run through the rounds. Who could forget when the VCU Rams made a Final Four appearance in 2011' Or two years later in 2013 during Florida Gulf Coast’s success in becoming the first 15th seed to win two games in a tournament, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen' There’s no limit to the possibilities in ‘March Madness,’ something we can both love and hate.
Thinking Thoroughly
Predictions and arguments tend to happen in pretty much all sports, but even more in-depth thinking takes place for ‘March Madness’ talks. Take a trip to your local barbershop around this time of the year and I’m optimistic you’ll hear all sorts of chatter amongst spectators. When noting the aforementioned unpredictability, there’s even more careful thought put into selections while filling out brackets. Nobody wants theirs to end up ‘busted’; so they must ask themselves, “What reasons make __ the favorite to win this game'” Once debates start to happen, things become even more interesting in the claims others try to make in vouching for a particular team(s). Yes, one could argue that certain teams should find success in the tournament due to performing well in the regular season. But, as we’ve seen before, this frankly doesn’t mean anything. I always consider which teams have had past success in the tournament. Those programs have been on that stage before, so they know how things operate. We can never truly tell what will happen within the tournament, but opening it up for debate always becomes a fun time.
The Cheers and Tears
Personally, I’ve always had a greater joy in watching college sports over professional ones, for quite a few reasons. One of which includes the inevitable passion expressed amongst players, coaches, and fans. This remains present in the first months of college basketball and becomes even more apparent once tournaments start up. Everyone knows what’s at stake and turns up the intensity to perform their best, keeping their respective seasons alive. For me, it’s always bittersweet to view ‘March Madness.’ I’m sure other former college players can agree that there’s plenty of moments where we feel happy for a winning team, but also sympathetic for whoever’s on the losing side. Having been there in that same position, watching your season and/or college career come to a close earlier than desired, never feels good. Still, that’s just one notion that makes sports so special. The pride always feel stronger in college sports; these kids play their hardest on the floor to represent their school, not for monetary incentives.
Opportunity to Shine in the Spotlight
Every year, new stars arrive/develop to take the college scene by storm and create a buzz that makes them must-see-TV. I’ll just go ahead and throw out two particular names that have been the talk of this 2019 season: Zion Williamson (Duke University) and Ja Morant (Murray State). The two underclassmen consistently rank in the top 5 on NBA draft boards and have wowed viewers for the past several months with their exciting highlights. Regardless of how great they may have looked in the regular season, the NCAA tournament becomes a test for high-profile guys to fully show what they can do. Everyone starts playing some of their best basketball in March, so, if one’s slotted as a potential NBA lottery pick, he needs to show an ability to still stand out against ‘March Madness’ competition. Morant’s already off to a good start; he poured in a triple double of 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists in Murray State’s first-round win over Marquette yesterday (3/21). In Williamson’s case, I’m confident he’ll continue to prove himself as the best player in college basketball. Still, make no mistake that all eyes will center on him since most have favored Duke to win the national title. Williamson and the #1 seeded Blue Devils tip-off tonight (3/22) against North Dakota State.
Oh, and a quick fun fact: Williamson and Morant also played on the same travel basketball team years ago. Looking at the photos below, you can tell they picked the right events to attend! (Williamson in blue, Morant in white).
Numbers Don’t Lie
Lastly, I appreciate how ‘March Madness’ brings audiences together. During the last couple of years on my college campus, I remember getting together with teammates and other friends to check out the non-stop action. We would have a set-up of 3-4 televisions in the room if possible. Basketball folks love the culture of this annual tournament; I’ve seen people alter their entire schedule just to make room for game-watching. Last spring, as evident by the NCAA.com website, the 2018 Final Four in San Antonio and entire NCAA tournament resulted as one of the most viewed/attended events in tournament history.[1] Over 97 million Americans tuned in, along with other members from 180 countries worldwide. In terms of social content, the event garnered 69.7 million impressions.1 Those numbers from last year alone can indicate how much people love this tournament. Some go an entire season without watching any college basketball but have their brackets ready and attention glued to the TV screen as soon as ‘March Madness’ begins. It has a different type of effect.
Villanova University took the hardware home in 2018… who will we crown as a champion in the incoming weeks' Get your popcorn ready; it’s sure to be another rollercoaster, as usual.
[1] 2018 NCAA tournament viewership, attendance numbers. NCAA.com. 13 April 2018.