On Sunday, March 16, the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship brackets were released after a multitude of tournaments and showdowns. For both the Men’s and Women’s brackets, let’s split the reveal into three categories: The Usual Suspects (teams who are no surprise), The Controversies (teams who snuck in), and The Frontrunners (self-explanatory).
Men’s Tournament
The Usual Suspects:
Many teams in the Men’s tournament are no shock to see. With repeat offenders like Gonzaga, Houston, Purdue, UConn, Tennessee, and Auburn, many teams are used to the big dance. Michigan and Michigan State are both returning as high seeds, both defeating our hometown Terrapins on their way to the tournament.
1-seeds for the Tournament are no surprise either. Florida, with the addition of 7’9 freshman Olivier Rioux, have only lost 4 games all season and put up over 85 points per game. Auburn was the winning pick for many fans coming into Selection Sunday, but their upset loss against Alabama proved that they could be beaten.
Duke, a March staple, only lost 3 games this season, and is 1st in the Country by Net Rank, only allowing 61.9 points per game. The last 1-seed is Houston, who has been on an incredible run of high seeds throughout the 2020’s. They are ranked 3rd in the Country, but allow only 58.5 points per game, an incredible defensive feat against the 18th strongest schedule.
Of course, we can’t discuss this year’s madness without discussing the Maryland Terrapins. What many consider the shock of the season, our Terps are ranked 10th in the Country, and made a splash behind star Center Derik Queen. Will they make a run? Only time will tell.
The Controversies:
The general public seems to have three major controversies with the seeding: North Carolina, Clemson, and Michigan. North Carolina, after squandering a possible upset over Duke thanks to a free throw lane violation, narrowly snuck into the First Four despite losing 13 games.
Clemson received the 5-seed, but many believe they deserved nothing higher than an 8, if that. With a tough road against teams like Purdue, Houston, or Gonzaga on the horizon, we’ll see if they earn their claim. Michigan also received a 5-seed, despite winning the Big 10 Tournament and proving they could hang with tough competition.
We also need to highlight some new presences in the tournament. Teams like Lipscomb, UNCW, Omaha, Robert Morris, and SIUE are hoping to make some major upsets and solidify their run as Cinderellas.
The Frontrunners:
The initial reaction of the public points towards five major favorites: Auburn, Michigan State, Houston, Florida, and Duke, with Tennessee and Alabama close behind. Now, every 1-seed is a frontrunner, but that doesn’t always happen. This year’s pool is a very top-heavy selection, meaning the best teams are really, really good, and very hard to beat.
However, in the true nature of the Madness, any one of these teams could be taken out as early as the first round.
Games will begin on Tuesday, March 18, with the first two First Four games, both on TruTV at 6:40 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. respectively. Tune in!
Women’s Tournament
The Usual Suspects:
UCLA, South Carolina, LSU, Duke, Notre Dame, USC, and UConn are all returning as high seeds in the Women’s tournament, all hoping to dethrone Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks.
The 1-seeds (USC, UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas) are all heavily favored to make a run, but Texas seems to be the odd one out, so to say. A great team, but not one many have focused on during the regular season.
Additionally, the mid-season losses by the UConn Huskies bring into question if they can make the magical runs they seem to always make against teams that are ready to fight, such as Notre Dame and USC.
2-seed TCU is hoping to stake their claim, not being known for their Women’s Basketball domination. Only time will tell.
The Controversies:
No major controversies seem to be plaguing this year’s Women’s bracket, which I guess is a good thing. The only implications of issues come with seeding in terms of betting, as teams like UConn are second favorite to win it all, but are a 2-seed, changing the landscape of their matchups.
In bigger news, 6 teams are making their March Madness debut this year: 13-seed Grand Canyon, 15-seed Arkansas State, 11-seed George Mason, 16-seed William and Mary, 15-seed Farleigh Dickinson (the men’s team beat 1-seed Purdue as a 16-seed a few years back!), and 16-seed UC San Diego.
Can one of these newbies take down a powerhouse and open the door for a Cinderella run?
The Frontrunners:
It should come as no surprise that South Carolina is the frontrunner, with UConn close behind. Then, Texas, USC, UCLA, and Notre Dame are all in the mix as well.
Iowa, the team notable for Caitlin Clark’s star-studded collegiate run, is placed as a 6-seed, their lowest since 2018. Can they shock the world in their first year without Clark’s prowess?
The Women’s matchups begin on Wednesday, March 19, with times and channels not yet decided (as of Sunday, March 16).
It is destined to be another great year of March Madness, with many heavy hitters ready to dethrone UConn and South Carolina and crown themselves champion. Will we have a new record-setting number of lower seeds winning? Will a 16-seed win two games for the first time in tournament history? Be sure to fill out your brackets and get ready for mayhem!