Every year, millions of college basketball fans attempt to create the perfect March Madness bracket. March Madness refers to the insanity and unpredictability of the annual, single-elimination college basketball playoffs. Sixty-four Division I teams participate in this competition, attempting to win the grand prize of a national championship.
The tournament is divided into four sections—the North, South, East, and West divisions, which each have a sixteen-team bracket. The number one seed plays the sixteenth seed, the second seed plays the fifteenth seed, and so on. Eventually, one winner emerges from each of the four divisions, and after three more games, a national champion is declared.
Last year, the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies won the men’s tournament, defeating San Diego State University. Unfortunately for the Huskies, no team has won two consecutive championships in the last fifteen years, so it will take a valiant effort for them to win once again.
Number one seeds have won twenty-five of the thirty-nine tournaments, so if you aspire for a perfect bracket, picking one of them as your national champion is your best bet. The featured teams on the men’s side are Houston University, Purdue University, UConn, and the University of North Carolina (UNC), which is back after missing the tournament last year.
If you’re looking for a local team to support, the Saint Mary’s Gaels are the team to watch. They won the West Coast Conference championship this year and are ranked in the top 25 teams in Division I basketball. Led by sophomore star Aidan Mahaney, the Gaels were recently ranked twenty-first but will likely move up the standings and be a fifth seed in the upcoming tournament. Last year they made it to the Round of 32 and were fifth seed but were defeated by the eventual champion, UConn. The University of San Francisco Dons made March Madness last year but will probably not make it this year.
On the women’s side, defending champion Louisiana State University (LSU) looks weak. Currently ranked eighth in the Associated Press’s most recent poll, LSU is not the team to beat this year. Two years ago, the University of South Carolina won the national championship and is favored to win it once again this year. They are undefeated in their play so far and are poised to continue their stellar play throughout the women’s tournament. UConn also has a great women’s team, led by former All-American Paige Bueckers, who could help them win the national championship this year.
For local teams, the Stanford women’s basketball team has been outstanding this season and has been voted as a number two seed in the tournament. This year, coach Tara VanDerveer set the NCAA record for men’s and women’s basketball for most wins in a coaching career, surpassing the achievements of the legendary Coach K. The Cardinals are led by Cameron Brink, a likely top-three pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.
If you are looking for a Southern California pick, the University of Southern California (USC) women’s team is the way to go. Led by electric freshman JuJu Watkins, the Trojans are ahead of Stanford in the AP poll, positioned in their highest ranking in thirty-eight years. They have defeated Stanford twice this season, including once in the Pac-12 championship, so USC may be Stanford’s biggest threat.
Overall, the number of great candidates for the championship and the single-elimination bracket both contribute to an exciting and competitive tournament. While most of the teams go home empty-handed, all the fans enjoy creating brackets to predict the unpredictable national championship.
