If you had to pick your favourite month of the year, you probably wouldn’t even consider March, would you? When you really think about it though, the month of March is promising. Winter is on its way out and the days are starting to get longer, sunnier and warmer. St. Patrick’s Day, or, if you go to Bishop’s, St. Patrick’s week, is a holiday that all of us students enjoy after midterms. For some, however, these things are second to the NCAA Basketball Championship.
Properly nicknamed March Madness, the Championship brings together the 64 best college basketball teams in the United States and provides fans with the most exciting basketball of the year. Personally, I cannot stand watching the NBA, but the NCAA Championship is something else entirely. The players might not be as big or as skilled as NBA players, but you will never find a bunch of guys with as much heart and determination as those who step out and participate in the Big Dance. Less than two percent of NCAA basketball players make it to the pros and, as a result, these college kids aren’t playing for money, they’re playing to become champions.
The rich history, the impossible dreams, the unbelievable comebacks and the insane buzzer beaters are what this tournament has been about for 70 years, and this year promises to provide its viewers with the same level of excitement.
Before the Big Dance can begin, however, teams had to duke it out in their own conference championships before the final rankings were determine for the bracket. The top four number one seeds in the tournament are the Kansas Jayhawks, Kentucky Wildcats, Syracuse Orange and the Duke Blue Devils. The Kansas Jayhawks currently top the overall standings with a 29-2 record and were selected as the number overall seed in the bracket. Kansas has had an outstanding year and they have only lost two games. Some would say that their recent loss to Oklahoma State and their shaky Big 12 semifinal win should have dropped them down a few pegs but they are deservedly the number one seed going into the NCAA Tournament, especially after their impressive win in the Big 12 final over Kansas State. The Kentucky Wildcats also have a 29-2 record and have had a great season with both losses while on the road. Their overwhelming young talent and late-game heroics to win the SEC Championship against Mississipi State (who were robbed of a berth by 0.2 seconds) secured them a number one seed. The third number one seed will belong to the 28-3 Syracuse Orange, despite losing their last two games and their starting centre in the process. They were a number one caliber team all season and being guard oriented, they still have a winning shot in the tournament. The fourth number one seed went to the Dukies, or more specifically the three S’s: Scheyer, Singler and Smith. The Blue Devils haven’t done well in recent tournaments and if they have any hope of a final four this time around they will depend on their three prong attack to take them there. The best number two seed is probably Ohio State (West Virginia may have something to say about that) as they have shown some real grit and possesses one of the nation’s best players, Evan Turner, who recently shot a game winning three point shot from just within the half court en route to a Big Ten Championship.
No matter the standings, we are in for some great basketball and I encourage all of you who have never watched NCAA basketball to start this time around. Since the games take place primarily during the day, you will probably find yourself bringing your laptop to class to watch the games online. The Madness begins Thursday, March 18th!
