The month of March is a time of joy for many people; spring is starting, the days are longer once again, and most importantly to sports fans, March Madness is back.
Like every year prior, the tournament begins with a total of 64 teams split into brackets of 16.
At the top of each bracket is a number 1 seed which plays the 16th seed in the first round and then 2nd plays 15th and so on.
This year is starting off with the most anticipated team Gonzaga led by projected top 3 pick in next year's NBA draft, Chet Holmgren. They played Georgia St. and set the standards high for all other teams, winning 93-72.
The rest of the first round:
- 8 Boise St. loses 64-53 to 9 Memphis
- 5 UConn loses to 12 New Mexico St. 70-63
- 4 Arkansas beats 13 Vermont 75-71
- 6 Alabama loses to 11 Notre Dame 78-64
- 3 Texas Tech demolished 14 Montana St. 97-62
- 7 Michigan St. barely beats out 10 Davidson 74-73
- 2 Duke led by projected top 3 pick Paolo Banchero beats 15. Cal. St. Fullerton 78-61
- 1 seed Baylor setting the tone early beating 16 North Folk St. 85-49
- 8 North Carolina destroys 9 Marquette 95-63
- 5 Saint Marys moves on to the next round beating 12 Indiana 82-53
- 4 UCLA narrowly beats 13 Akron 57-53
- 6 Texas beats 11 Virginia Tech 81-73
- 3 Purdue sends 14 Yale home winning 78-56
- Former school of NBA all-star Ja Morant 7 Murray St. beats 10 San Francisco 92-87
- This years Cinderella story begins with 2 Kentucky falling to 15 Saint Peters 85-79 after an unforgettable performance by Doug Edert
- 1 Arizona defeats 16 Wright St. 87-70
- 8 Seton Hall falls to 9 TCU 42-69
- 5 Houston sends 12 UAB home 82-68
- 4 Illinois narrowly escapes defeat beating 13 Chattanooga 54-53
- 6 Colorado St. falls short to 11 Michigan losing 75-63
- 3 Tennessee comfortably beats 14 Longwood 88-56
- 7 Ohio St. beats former cinderella story team 10 Loyola Chicago 54-41
- 2 Villanova beats 15 Delaware 80-60.
- 1 Kansas beating 16 Texas Southern 83-56
- 8 San Diego St. can't hold on long enough falling to 9 Creighton 69-72
- 5 Iowa falls short to 12 Richmond 63-67
- 4 Providence defeats 13 66-57
- 6 LSU once again falls short to 11 Iowa St. 54-59
- 3 Wisconsin moves on to the second round with a win against 14 Colgate 67-60
- 7 USC barely gets sent home in a gut wrenching 2 point loss to 10 Miami 66-68
- 2 Auburn comfortably moves on with a win against 15 Jacksonville St. 80-61
And just like that, out of the 64 teams starting off the tournament, only 32 remain to begin round 2, "The Round of 32".
Quick recap:
- 1 Gonzaga beating out 9 Memphis in an instant classic 82-78
- 12 New Mexico St. has its run ended shortly by a bulldozing 4 Arkansas team 48-53
- 11 Notre Dame also has its run cut short with a loss to 3 Texas Tech 53-59
- 7 Michigan St falls short to 2 Duke 76-85.
- 1 Baylor not being able to keep up with a red hot 8 North Carolina team losing 86-93
- 4 UCLA continues its run defeating 5 Saint Marys 72-56
- 3 Purdue ends 6 Texas’ dreams of a championship with a win 81-71
- 7 Murray St. can't keep up with the Cinderella team that has the nation on its side 15 Saint Peters 60-70 after everyone's new favorite player Doug Edert continues his run onto the Sweet 16
- 1 Arizona continuing their run with a win against 9 TCU 85-80
- 5 Houston comfortably sends 4 Illinois home with a 15 point win 68-53
- 11 Michigan continues on to the Sweet 16 upsetting 3 Tennessee 76-68
- 7 Ohio St. can't keep up with 2 Villanova 61-71
- 1 Kansas continues its dominant performance from round 1 with a win against 9 Creighton 79-72
- 4 Providence proves itself as a team not to be taken lightly destroying 12 Richmond 79-51
- 11 Iowa St. continues to show the world what they're made of with a win against 3 Wisconsin 54-49
- 10 Miami upsets 2 Auburn with a dominant 18 point win 79-61
The next round, titled the Sweet Sixteen, began on Thursday March, 24th with 1 Gonzaga finally having their run cut short by 4 Arkansas 68-74. Then on that same side of the bracket 3 Texas Tech was sent home in a close 5 win point win by 2 Duke 73-78.
After that, in a game that was not so close, 8 North Carolina kept their streak alive against 4 UCLA 73-66. Continuing on with the Sweet Sixteen, the Cinderella story does not end here after an instant classic led by new American hero Doug Edert as 15 St. Peters took down 3 Purdue by only three points 64-67.
On the other side of the bracket, 1 Arizona fell to 5 Houston as Houston wins 72-60. Following that, 11 Michigan had its own Cinderella story cut short by 2 Villanova 55-63.
Starting with the first of the last two games of the Sweet Sixteen, 1 Kansas continued to dominate, beating 4 Providence 66-61. Rounding off the Sweet Sixteen, 10 Miami continued on its way to the Elite Eight with a win against 11 Iowa St. 56-70.
The next round, the Elite Eight, started off with a dominant win from 2 Duke led by Paolo Banchero against 4 Arkansas 78-69.
Then ,in a devastating event to watch for sports fans around the world (other than North Carolina), 15 St. Peters’ failed to keep up with 8 North Carolina as they were brutally beat down from the beginning of the game. They started off the game 17-7 and were unable to climb back s they lost to 8 North Carolina 69-49.
In another sad game to watch for underdogs, 11 Michigan fell to 2 Villanova 55-63. 10 Miami blew a 6 point halftime lead and lost 76-50 to 1 Kansas.
On April 2nd, the Final Four begins with 2 Duke playing current powerhouse 8 North Carolina and then continues on with 2 Villanova going up against 1 Kansas.
