March Madness marks the end of college basketball season. Each March, 68 men’s college basketball teams from across the country go head-to-head in the event of the season.

The NCAA hosts the annual March Madness tournament, which determines the National Champion for Division 1 basketball. Beginning in 1939, the games have only grown with time.
Officially beginning on March 15, the first round of qualifying games eliminated four teams, leaving 64 remaining for the full bracket.
The tournament is well-known for its memorable names in the final rounds of the competition, where things start to heat up in the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four. The remaining 16 teams will face each other this week, and the championship will be held on April 4 .
In 2022, the Number One Seeds include Gonzaga, Baylor, Arizona, and Kansas. Other high seeded teams include Duke, Kentucky, Villanova, and Auburn.
However, upsets always occur and are often the most exciting games to watch. One of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far has been No. 2 Kentucky losing to No. 15 Saint Peter’s in a 79-85 loss. According to The New York Post, Saint Peter’s is only one of ten 15th-seeded teams to beat a 2nd-seeded team. Winning against Murray State, Saint Peter’s will face No. 3 Purdue in the Sweet Sixteen.
Other upsets this year have included No. 8 North Carolina defeating No. 1 Baylor, No. 10 Miami beating No. 2 Auburn, and No. 11 Iowa State winning against No. 3 Wisconsin.
Last season, Baylor beat Gonzaga to win the championship 86 to 70. With Baylor out of the tournament, Gonzaga may have another chance to rise victorious.
With the decrease in the number of COVID cases around the nation, March Madness has returned back to traditional locations and protocols.
Here at JC, students and teachers alike have made brackets and chosen the team they think will win it all.
Some students’ brackets have already been busted. Sophomore Wyatt Leach chose Kentucky as the National Champion. Other students still have a chance to predict the right team.
Freshman Aedan Gilbert has Gonzaga winning his bracket. Senior Haley Spencer chose Kansas, and senior Kendall Filiaggi thinks Arizona will beat the other teams.
Math teacher Kristen Kirkpatrick has always loved March Madness.
She said, “My favorite part of the tournament is watching upset games where the underdogs win.” She also thinks Arizona will be the National Champion.