March madness 2017 bracket building: what we know and what we think
By Angie Padden
March madness is almost here! The official tournament starts with 68 teams on March 12, and continues until the championship on April 3. If you remember last year, the tourney ended with a last second buzzer beater for Villanova to beat the ever famous North Carolina Tar Heels. Hopefully this season can bring us plenty of thrill just like last year did.
By Angie Padden
March madness is almost here! The official tournament starts with 68 teams on March 12, and continues until the championship on April 3. If you remember last year, the tourney ended with a last second buzzer beater for Villanova to beat the ever famous North Carolina Tar Heels. Hopefully this season can bring us plenty of thrill just like last year did.
If you are like me, you always end up making a bracket based off of your few team favorites, and the rest is completely random. If you are just as confused as I am on who to pick, here are some good ideas. The number one team in the country right now is Kansas, (no real surprise there). Kansas has two players, Frank Mason III and Josh Jackson, which could potentially be picked first round of the 2017 NBA draft. Kansas has a reputation for making it to the final four, and this year their chances have skyrocketed. If Kansas can make it to the semi-finals and finals, they will only be 45 minutes away from their own campus. Playing near your home town can bring in a huge crowd, and a huge crowd makes the game more exciting for the team playing.
One of my favorites for this tournament is UNC. Earlier this season Duke and UNC had been tied for their overall number of games won in their rivalry. Duke beat UNC 86 to 78 earlier this year in February during the regular season, but North Carolina got their revenge last week in the playoffs and beat out Duke for the number one position in the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina has the determination and the offensive skill to take it back to the championship again this season.
Since Villanova won last year, it only makes sense to pick them as one of the top teams in the country. Villanova has some seniors and sophomores that were able to experience the intensity of a national championship, and that could come in handy when the stress of the tournament hits. Villanova isn’t necessarily destined for greatness again this year, but seniority and experience can help their team carve a path to the top.
My personal pick for this tournament is Gonzaga University. Maybe it’s my long time love for the Zags, but I truly believe this is their year. The Zags had a great season this year and only lost to one opponent, BYU. Gonzaga doesn’t necessarily play in the hardest conference in the NCAA, so they could crumble against larger opponents like Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, and UNC. I have some faith that their winning season could give them the confidence to push though the trials of the tournament and possibly upset some of the bigger teams. I wouldn’t necessarily pick them to win the whole thing, but Gonzaga has promise to make it at least to the elite eight, and maybe the final four.
Your odds of creating a perfect bracket are one in 9.2 quintillion. That figure is very disheartening, but I believe that miracles can happen. You can read all of the sports articles on the internet and one tiny upset can throw off your whole bracket. So go ahead, put down that number 16 team to beat a number 1 team, and may the odds be ever in your favor. March Madness isn’t about the bracket anyways, it’s about watching your favorite teams battle it out for the eternal glory of a national championship. So turn on your TV while you do your homework, and let the March Madness festivities begin!
One of my favorites for this tournament is UNC. Earlier this season Duke and UNC had been tied for their overall number of games won in their rivalry. Duke beat UNC 86 to 78 earlier this year in February during the regular season, but North Carolina got their revenge last week in the playoffs and beat out Duke for the number one position in the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina has the determination and the offensive skill to take it back to the championship again this season.
Since Villanova won last year, it only makes sense to pick them as one of the top teams in the country. Villanova has some seniors and sophomores that were able to experience the intensity of a national championship, and that could come in handy when the stress of the tournament hits. Villanova isn’t necessarily destined for greatness again this year, but seniority and experience can help their team carve a path to the top.
My personal pick for this tournament is Gonzaga University. Maybe it’s my long time love for the Zags, but I truly believe this is their year. The Zags had a great season this year and only lost to one opponent, BYU. Gonzaga doesn’t necessarily play in the hardest conference in the NCAA, so they could crumble against larger opponents like Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, and UNC. I have some faith that their winning season could give them the confidence to push though the trials of the tournament and possibly upset some of the bigger teams. I wouldn’t necessarily pick them to win the whole thing, but Gonzaga has promise to make it at least to the elite eight, and maybe the final four.
Your odds of creating a perfect bracket are one in 9.2 quintillion. That figure is very disheartening, but I believe that miracles can happen. You can read all of the sports articles on the internet and one tiny upset can throw off your whole bracket. So go ahead, put down that number 16 team to beat a number 1 team, and may the odds be ever in your favor. March Madness isn’t about the bracket anyways, it’s about watching your favorite teams battle it out for the eternal glory of a national championship. So turn on your TV while you do your homework, and let the March Madness festivities begin!