HOUSTON, Tx.– The NCAA Men’s Division One Basketball tournament is right around the corner. Selection Sunday has come and gone, the teams have been selected, and everyone is ready for some exciting upsets and thrilling plays.
The Kansas Jayhawks are looking to repeat as champions, as they defeated the number eight-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels last season, 72-69 in the finals of the tournament. North Carolina was coming off an upset win over the number two-seeded team, the Duke Blue Devils, in the semifinals. Despite having a magical run to the finals last season, the Tar Heels did not find themselves being selected on Selection Sunday and therefore being left out of the tournament. Kansas remains the first-seeded team in the West corner of the bracket, while Duke sits as the five seed on the East side.
The best part about the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament is the upsets. The biggest underdog story in the tournament was when the number eight-seeded Villanova Wildcats went into the tournament with a 19-10 record and a loss in the Big East tournament’s semifinals. The Wildcats were able to go all the way and defeat the number one-seeded Georgetown Hoyas, 66-64 in the championship. This is one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history.
Another well-known underdog story would be Oral Roberts 2021 tournament run, which gave the Eagles a Sweet 16 birth, as they were a 15 seed and upset the two-seeded Ohio Buckeyes. The Eagles eventually saw their season come to an end, as they fell to the Arkansas Razorbacks, 72-70, in the Sweet 16. Oral Roberts has made it to the Elite Eight once in their Men’s Basketball history, which they achieved back in 1974, as they defeated Syracuse in the first round and Louisville in the Sweet 16. The Eagles look like a team that could have a potential upset game, as they face the five-seeded Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the tournament. Oral Roberts will head in as a 12-seeded team.
The heavy favorites to win the title this season, are the defending champion Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas won the title last year, as they defeated eight-seeded North Carolina, 72-69. The win over the Tar Heels gave the Jayhawks their fourth NCAA Men’s Basketball title. Kansas will face the Howard Bison in the first round of the tournament. Another favorite to claim the title would be the Houston Cougars. Houston is the one-seeded team on the Midwest side of the bracket. The Cougars will face the Northern Kentucky Norse in the first round. Gonzaga has a good shot at winning the title, despite being a three-seeded team, the Bulldogs are still a great basketball team, as Gonzaga made it to the finals of the tournament two years ago. The Bulldogs would fall to the Baylor Bears, 86-70.
Mizzou sits as the seven-seeded team in the South part of the bracket. The Tigers are in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021 when they lost in the first round. Mizzou defeated Tennessee earlier in the season, 79-71. The Tigers will face the ten-seeded Utah State in the first round of this year’s tournament. Mizzou heads into the contest with a 24-8 record, while Utah State has a record of 26-8.
As the first tip-off occurs, the 84th NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and March Madness will finally be underway. The NCAA tournament began in 1939 when Oregon defeated Ohio State to claim the first title for men’s college hoops. Good luck to all the teams competing in the tournament, and good luck to everyone filling out their brackets.
