The Madness of March Begins

Each year in college basketball, the month of March is one of the craziest times in all of sports. Filling out blank brackets and following each game closely is one of the most exciting times of years. The tournament is filled with powerhouses like Kansas, North Carolina, and Michigan State, who all seem to be ranked #1 or #2 each year. In fact, the #1 seeds have won 22 titles since 1979, and #2 and #3 seeds are tied with the second most titles out of all seeds having won 5. There has never been a team under the seed of #8 that has won the title. However, there are always people rooting for the Cinderella-like seeds such as #15 Webber State or #16 Hampton. These teams have a 33% chance to upset the #2 seed, and there has never been a #16 seed that has upset the top ranked team. The teams in the middle are where most college bracket tournaments are won and lost. Having to predict the #4 through #13 teams always seems to mess people's brackets up, with various upsets, wins, and losses. In this years tournament, the #4 seeds include Duke and Kentucky, who are normally powerhouse teams with some of the greatest coaches in college basketball. This could help them reach the final four just with the experience they have gained as a team playing this late into the year. Teams such as #5 Maryland, #7 Wisconsin, #5 Baylor and #6 Arizona are mid-ranked seeds that I have going far, with a few upsets along the way. Below I am going to break down the teams that I have in my final four, and why I think they belong there.

South Region #1 Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas (30-4, 15-3) ended the season as the topped ranked team in the nation after capturing the Big 12 championship. They average just over 81 PPG while holding their opponent just under 68 pts. Forward # 34 Perry Ellis (Senior) will dominate this tournament as he looks for one last go at it this March. At 6'8 225lbs, he leads Kansas with 16.7 PPG. He will get some help from his two elite guards back court. #0 Frank Mason III and #1 Wayne Seldon Jr. are both Juniors looking to have a big tournament, and help punch the Jayhawks ticket into the title game. Kansas has played great this year, so I believe with all of their experience and depth on their roster they will no doubt play deep into this tournament. On a side note, the President of the United States has Kansas going the distance.

West Region #3 Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies (28-6, 13-5) lost in the SEC championship game, but will look to bounce back in the big dance. Having to go through two powerhouse teams like Duke and Oklahoma, the Aggies will set themselves up to play against Kansas to reach the big one. They will be playing lights out throughout this tournament, making the case to knock down the #4, #2, and potential #1 team and make it into the final four in my bracket. Averaging 75 PPG might not be enough to knock out the top seeded Jayhawks, but Seniors #12 Jalen Jones and #23 Danuel House will dance well enough to punch their own ticket to the final four. 

East Region #1 North Carolina Tar Heels

The Tar Heels (28-6, 14-4) won the ACC championship making their case to be the top ranked team in the East region. North Carolina has been a powerhouse throughout the years, and looks to keep a promising title bound season alive. Averaging 82.3 PPG ranks them 10th among all teams in the NCAA. Senior Forward #11 Brice Johnson leads the team with 16.6 PPG, but will get help from his three guards #2 Joel Barry Jr (Sophomore), #44 Justin Jackson (Sophomore), #5 Marcus Paige (Senior) who are all averaging 12 PPG. The downfall of the Tar Heels will be their defense. They are ranked 7th in the ACC and 61st in the NCAA for OPP/PPG. If they can play solid defense throughout the tournament, they will make their way down to Houston.

Midwest Region #2 Michigan State Spartans

The Spartans (29-5, 13-5) won the Big 10 in a close 66-62 game against the #5 seed Purdue, who is also in the Midwest Region. Michigan State also leads the Big 10 in OPP/PPG, with an average of 63.4 pts. With #45 Denzel Valentine (Senior) leading the way for the Spartans. I see them losing to the Tarheels in the final four in a close game 75-73.