Every year, millions of people fill out brackets for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. March Madness gives fans a time where they can not only attempt to be experts but also time to watch teams they haven’t seen all year. While the tournament isn’t totally unpredictable, as there have been perfect brackets in the past, fans can expect to be surprised during March Madness.
The last time the Final Four was composed of only No. 1 seeds was 2008, when Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina and UCLA made the field. Something tells me we might not see this again for a long time. In past years, the Final Four consisted of almost all 1-4 seeds. Times have changed.
In 2011, the Final Four was made up of No. 3, 4, 8 and 11 seeds, including teams such as Virginia Commonwealth and Butler. Last season, Wichita State made the Final Four as a No. 9 seed. Traditional powers like Duke, North Carolina and Kansas will most likely continue to be in the mix each March, but it’s schools like Wichita State and Butler that keep college basketball interesting.
Anything can happen in a tournament format. All it takes is for one great team to have a bad 40 minutes for the unbelievable to happen. Small schools across the country are chomping at the bit to put their team on the map. When it’s single elimination, as the NCAA Tournament is, anything is possible.
The talent in basketball is better than it has ever been. Top high school basketball players across the country are forced to play at least a year in college. With the wide range of talent across the country, teams are getting better and better. The parody in college basketball is growing, and fans are loving it.
Fans root for the underdog each year. It’s tough to not fall in love with teams like Wichita State and VCU. These small schools whose teams didn’t make the tournament gain fans from across the country. That’s what makes March Madness so fun.
This year, there is not really a clear favorite going into the NCAA Tournament. These type of tournaments can be very interesting. Many experts believe there are 20-plus teams they could see reaching the Final Four. For basketball fans, March is the best time of the year, and 2014 shouldn’t be any different.
