Basketball puts the madness in March

 

On Tuesday, March 19, 64 Division 1 men’s basketball teams will compete in the annual tournament known as March Madness. Everywhere, college basketball fans will be filling out their brackets to determine the winner of the college basketball national championship.

This year’s March Madness tournament is looking to be more than worthy of the name. Both injuries and upsets have created some unpredictability between some of the nation’s top teams.

Jacob Schockemoehl, ‘18, thinks that Duke is a good bet this year.

“Although Zion Williamson got hurt, I think they still have a strong chance when he comes back,” Said Schockemoehl. “There are not any teams nearly as good as Duke when they are at full strength.”

In agreement, Matthew Becker, ‘19, also thinks Duke has a shot at winning.

“I’m considering going to Duke for college, so I am rooting for them this year,” said Becker.

Even those who do not watch a lot of college basketball are drawn to the madness of filling out brackets.

“I don’t watch a ton of basketball until March, but I still fill out a bracket every year with the company my mom works with. North Carolina is my pick to win,” said Morgan Montgomery, ‘19.

Winning a national championship is something that every athlete dreams of doing, but very few get to accomplish. In past years, it seemed easier to pick winners, but with more upsets, this year will be harder to predict.

While Becker is a Duke Blue Devils fan, he is hoping for a Cinderella story.

“I’m also really hoping for another story like Loyola had last year. I think Fletcher Magee could carry Wofford with his high volume 3-point shooting.”