It’s that time of year again when every guy we know goes crazy watching ESPN and attempting to fill out the perfect bracket, yes that’s right it’s March Madness. For many of us college girls this annual tournament seems like a mystery and we just want all of our men to stop watching, talking and living NCAA basketball, but as they say, “When you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” So here is your easy guide to join in on all of the madness.
First off, the first two rounds of play are already over and the major highlights are the upsets and the true madness that took place on Friday. For only the 5th and 6th time in tournament history two 15 seeds defeated two 2 seeds (great fact to throw out to sound really informed in the inevitable conversations about the upsets) on Friday when perennial powerhouse Duke was upset by Lehigh and Missouri by Norfolk State. Another fun fact to casually add to conversation is, “Oh my gosh can you believe that 7 double-digit seeds won on Friday?!”
Now for the really confusing part, how do you pick which team you are going to cheer for? So here are a few easy ways to pick your favorite team of the tournament (and a few facts about that team that will make you actually look like a real fan).
- Jump on the Bandwagon: Pick teams like UNC, Kentucky, and Kansas to be your “favorite” team this year. UNC is always a great team to cheer for because they have a long history of success. The Tarheels have won two national championships in the past ten years, one in 2005 and one in 2009, and over 15% of ESPN Brackets have UNC winning it all. Just be cautious because junior forward John Henson sat out during UNC’s first game and without him their road to a championship will be more difficult. Kentucky is also a fan favorite because this team is the top ranked team in the entire tournament. Kentucky only lost two games this season, one in early December on a buzzer beater to Indiana and the other in their Conference Championship game to Vanderbilt, but the Wildcats are still a safe team to cheer for. Kansas is another team that usually has a lot of bandwagon fans after winning the National Championship in 2008, but I warn you to be careful cheering for the Jayhawks because they have been the disappointment of the tournament the past two years.
- Hometown Favorite: Another great way to pick your team is to choose the team from the same place you are. Then you can also say things like, “What?! I have always loved them!” and you will most likely have a t-shirt or something from that school so you can look like a real fan!
- The Comeback Kid: This season has been deemed “The Resurrection” for the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana has long been synonymous with basketball but in recent years the Hoosiers have been plagued with scandal, injury, and failure, but this year everything changed. The Hoosiers defeated Kentucky in a buzzer-beater that shocked the nation as well as letting everyone know that Hoosier Nation is back. Indiana and Kentucky will most likely meet again in the South Regional Sweet Sixteen game, which will guarantee some great basketball, and it’s always fun to cheer for an underdog like the Hoosiers. I am by no means telling you to cheer for Indiana to win it all this year but they are a great team to watch and definitely one to look for next year when “The Movement” arrives at Indiana. And if you still need more reason to become a Hoosier fan just look at their roster, they easily have the hottest player in the NCAA Tournament in sophomore Will Sheehey.
- Fashion: Lastly, when in doubt, stick to what we know best and just pick the team with the best uniforms (Baylor, that’s not you).