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Today I was speaking with my roommate on how excited I was for March Madness to finally begin. I ranted on and on about how everyone and their mothers waited all year for March Madness and how I wish I knew more so that I could make my own bracket and win money and beat all my guy friends etc., etc.  However, when I finally stopped ranting and raving, she lamented that she had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. No idea what a bracket or a set was and asked me to better explain. I am going to be honest, I was a little offended, I really donât know why, but I guess because I assumed that everyone knew what March Madness was.  Apparently I was wrong. Though March Madness is a huge event, itâs so big and complex that it can be confusing and a little daunting — I completely understand!Â
So, this week, from me to you (and to my beloved roommate)âŠyour very own: Girlâs Guide to March Madness.
The Basics:
March Madness: A huge tournament between 68 competing college basketball teams. Over the span of the tournament, 63 games determine the Division 1 NCAA champion. Â It is also a HUGE sports betting event. Â The NCAA has reported that over 30 million Americans participate in office pools (Thatâs huge!). Â Billions of dollars are bet by a range of casual fans to hardcore, âI watch every single game of the tournamentâ fans.
Bracket:  Brackets are the complex looking forms  that individuals will fill out by predicting the teams that will win and lose, where they will win/lose, and to whom they will win/lose.  Basically, itâs your very own prediction of the outcomes of the gruesome competition.  Sound complicated?  It sure is. Statistically, the chances of you picking a perfect bracket are 9,223,372,036,775,808 to 1, and no I did not just make up that number.
Seed:  So, there are 16 teams in each bracket that make up a total of 4 brackets.  Each team is âseededâ or ranked from 1-16.  The winners of each group make up âThe Final Four.â The number one team in each bracket frequently makes it to The Final Four but then again, you never know what will happen.  Right now, teams like Indiana, Gonzaga, and Duke are favored to go far in the tournament. Â
Teams to know:
Gonzaga â Basically, Gonzaga is rated the No. 1 seed in the nation, as we are all aware, as they are the biggest competitors in our conference (WCC), not to mention our rival! Â You should know about the Bulldogs because they tend to be the underdogs that pleasantly surprise everyone. Â I am curious to see how they do because the conference that they compete in is not as competitive as others, so how they will do in the overall tournament is up in the air.
Duke â If you have heard anything about March Madness, you have definitely heard about Duke. Â They are a big name and a big team, bringing a good game to every season. Â People assume that they will get to the Sweet 16 (the top four teams in each bracket) for the 10th straight time, but there is always room for an upset. Â It would be a wise move for you to put them high on your bracket, but you never know their streak may just come to a halt this year. Â However, Dukeâs star Ryan Kelly will be back in time for the ACC tournament. Â A strong Kelly makes for a stronger band of Blue Devils.
Miami â Now, Miami is a team to keep watching, they have not made the Sweet 16 since 1999 — 13 whole years ago! Â To top that, they have only ever made it once; however, they somehow came out of nowhere this year and wrapped up the ACC title. Â Five of their six players are seniors and Shane Larkin, sophomore point guard, acts as the glue to keep them together.
Kansas â The key to a successful March Madness for Kansas is this yearâs senior guard, Elijah Johnson. Â Johnsonâs highlight was in Kansasâ win against Iowa state where in the last minute of the regular game and 5 minutes in overtime, Johnson single handedly scored 20 game winning points. Â If Johnson can bring game like that to the court, Kansas will be your national champion.
Indiana â Indiana. Enough said.
Some Underrated Teams:
Texas A&M â Though they play in the shadows behind big teams such as Kansas and Texas, Texas A&M holds one of the nations best senior guards â Acie Law IV. Law might play out well in the tournament, keep an eye for him and Texas A&M.
Louisville â They are on a six game winning streak after losing to Georgetown (Big East champ). Â They have a great freshman big man, Derrik Caracter, and one of the best tournament coaches in the history of the game, Rick Pitino.
Oregon â The Ducks have gone 5-4 since January 23rd. Okay, okay â thatâs not exactly the most comforting news, but they are still in the AP Top 25. Â Also, they should be getting their freshman point guard Dominic Artis back from a foot injury, which kept him out 9 games. Â This team has nothing to lose and with their point guard finally back in the game, they should be back and ready to make some magic.Â
Future Husbands or Future All Stars — however you might define them, here are the names with fame:
Victor Oladipo (Indiana)
Trey Burke (Michigan)
Ben McLemore (Kansas)
Doug McDermott (Creighton)
Cody Zeller (Indiana)
Mason Plumlee (Duke)
In realityâŠ
The real fun of March Madness is trying to come up with your bracket in the first place. Â I mean worst come to worst, pick the team with the best mascot and your favorite colors. Â Who knows? Â You may actually have a stronger chance of winning more money in your bracket. Â Also, March Madness comes with a ton of upsets. Â Defining an upset as beating a team at least 4 seeds higher, there was an average of 8.7 upset games last year. Â March Madness is an exciting tournament that is so difficult to predict, actually impossible to predict, that almost anyone, no matter how knowledgeable you are on the game, has a fair chance of winning.Â
So, what should you take away from this? Ultimately, I am telling you all this so that you will know a little more about the tournament this March and get to take part in the fun and the spirit of the competition. And beat your guy friendsâ bracketsâŠ
So, good luck! Game on! And may the odds ever be in your favor!Â