March Sadness
Every year, a group of schools will get left out of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship tournament, otherwise known as March Madness. This year is no different, with some teams getting outright snubbed, while others were able to sneak in that maybe were not so deserving.
When the field for March Madness was released to much anticipation on Sunday, March 16, some teams were left scratching their heads. Especially when some of the power conferences got an excess number of teams that maybe weren’t so deserving of making it.
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) sent 14 teams to the tournament while the Big Ten clocked in at 8. Some schools from these conferences that were on the bubble heading into selection Sunday did not get picked and all you heard was the fanbases from those schools complain and complain. This tournament is called March Madness, not March Sadness.
If you want to make this tournament it’s simple, win more games.
The rest of the conferences got a meager number of teams into the tournament to include 4 by the ACC, 7 by the Big 12 and 5 by the Big East.
Does Indiana and Ohio State deserve to be in? I think not, when comparing them to other schools who made it and were on the bubble. Does the Big Ten really need 2 more teams when they already have a solid group going into the tournament? The answer is no they don’t.
The most talked about and controversial decision by the committee was to include North Carolina, instead of schools like West Virginia, Boise State, UC Irvine and Dayton. None of these schools have a legitimate argument to have made the dance except for UC Irvine. They have a 28-6 overall record and 17-3 conference record, but they didn’t win their conference tournament. Their resume speaks for themselves record wise, but North Carolina has the brand recognition and ratings that come with it, more than UC Irvine could ever dream of. That’s the sad reality of the tournament now, where name recognition means more.
As a sports fan, you want the best teams, and North Carolina is a good team that can get hot and go on a run. Fans are going to tune into North Carolina more than UC Irvine because most fans either love or hate UNC. The ACC is clearly a tougher conference than any of the committee members think, and UNC will show that in this tournament. They have had a tougher road than UC Irvine which isn’t an excuse but when I watch these two teams play, I can’t help but favor UNC. All of the other teams who didn’t get in should shut up and listen to FSU football fans who got snubbed when they went undefeated.
The only legitimate snub was UC Irvine and the only thing sports fans are missing out on is the UC Irvine mascot…which is an Anteater.
Despite all the March Sadness, there are some teams to look out for.
The Louisville Cardinal check in at an impressive 27-7 record and a buzzer beating win against Stanford in the ACC tournament. They pushed Duke to the limit in the ACC Chamionship game but didn’t win. Still, the Cardinal are a strong candidate to upset some teams who will more than likely take them not as serious. This program has seen a remarkable turnaround and any team that plays them will be in for a fight. Look for the Cardnial to make a run to the Elite Eight.
Michigan State and Purdue are battle tested teams that have made the tournament before and both have gone far, but both teams are more than capable of losing in the early rounds before the Sweet Sixteen. Both of these teams are toss-ups as to their National Championship aspirations.
Saint Johns is back in March Madness and the college basketball world couldn’t be happier. Saitn Johns is one of the most interesting schools in the history of college basketball. Being nesteled in New York City, which is the basketball mecca of the world, Saint Johns has an aura going into the tournament. The Red Storm are led by hall of fame coach Rick Pitino, who has won multiple national championships with numerous schools, most notably Kentucky and Louisville. Look for the Red Storm to push the pace defensively and take guidance from Pitino, who has been here before. Saint Johns should easily make the final four if they play like have been playing all year. The only thing that can stop the Red Storm is themselves.
If you look back at the past ten years in college basketball, only a handful of conferences can claim championships and none are the Big Ten or SEC.
In the past ten years, the ACC has won three championships, all by different schools. The Big East won 5 and the Big 12 has 2. You wanna know when the last time a Big Ten school won the championship? Try the year 2000 when Michigan State took home the trophy. For as many teams as the SEC get in the tournament year in and year out, they sure do like to lose a lot. The SEC hasn’t had a champion since 2012 when Kentucky won the title. So why does the committee like these conferences so much if all they do is lose? That answer is another story.
You don’t have to be an expert to pick a winner in this tournament, usually after the first weekend, everyone’s bracket is busted. That’s why its called March Madness and that’s why they play the games on the court and not off lame “Quad wins”.
It’s not about “Quad wins,” It’s about winning games no matter the opponent.
This tournament is unforgiving and can break your heart. A team could have a great year and enter the tournament as a high seed, only to lose to a team called High Point.
