March Madness has returned for its 89th season. Every year the tournament consists of 68 teams battling to be the national champion.
Selection Sunday is when the bracket for the annual competition is revealed and each of the 68 teams is seeded. There are four regions: the Midwest, East, West, and South, and each has its respective No. 1 seed. Those four No. 1 seeds include Auburn, Duke, Houston, and Florida. Selection Sunday is always followed by debates over whether teams were snubbed or overseeded.
“Housten is the No. 1 seed, but I think they will lose to better teams like Clemson,” Caleb Hurley (10) said.
After the 4 play-in games, 64 teams remain to start the bracket officially. The most anticipated part of the tournament is the major upsets. While a 16-seed upsetting a 1-seed is uncommon, it has been achieved twice.
In 2023, Fairleigh Dickinson University became just the second 16-seed to win in the first round with its 63-58 win over the Purdue Boilermakers. The only other time this happened was in 2018 when UMBC took control of its game against Virginia and won 74-54.
Most Highlands students believe Duke will win the championship, with Florida close behind. Duke has been dominant all season with freshman small forward, Cooper Flagg leading the team. Flagg leads the Blue Devils in almost every statistical category and performs continuously for his team.
Flagg injured his ankle during the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. He could not play in the rest of the ACC tournament but is available for Duke in March Madness. Flagg’s injury instilled fear in Duke fans and those making a bracket, although many still believe Duke can win the championship.
“Duke will make it to the championship because, despite Cooper Flagg’s ankle injury, they’re still beating good teams even if it’s not by much. If they can do that without him, I imagine they’ll continue winning even more with him,” Cameron Markus (11) said.
On the other hand, The Florida Gators, the No. 1 seed in the west, are also a fan favorite for the championship. The Gators faced a tough schedule this year and have still come out on top, beating some of the top teams and building a hot streak with which they enter the tournament.
Their high performance can be credited to players like Alex Condon, who stands at 6’11 and is a well-rounded player, and Walter Clayton Jr., one of the best guards in the country.
Another major player is Olivier Rioux, who is 7’9 making him one of the best shot-blockers in college basketball. His height gives him multiple advantages on both sides of the court, making him a leading factor in Florida’s preseason wins.
So far both teams have advanced to the Sweet 16, meaning the chances of a Duke v. Florida face-off in the championship are increasing. The Arkansas Razorbacks are the lowest seed left in the tournament, as the 10-seed defeated St. John’s 75-66 to earn their spot in the Sweet 16.
The first true March Madness moment happened when Maryland defeated Colorado State on a buzzer-beater. Throughout the regular season, Maryland has always been on the losing side of a last-second shot, however, they finally beat the odds in this tournament against CS.
Predicting what will happen this year is impossible, as every tournament contains unexpected upsets and dominant wins. Fans wait impatiently to see if this year will have a dramatic ending or if the expected teams will continue their success to the championship.
