As a self-proclaimed basketball expert, whose interest only extends to the collegiate arena, March is my favorite month of the year. March Madness, the month-long celebration centered around the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, features 68 college teams that come together to shoot some hoops and see who is the last man standing. In a world of buzzer-beaters, upsets, and bracket-busters, the 67 games of this tournament generate chaos and excitement that can only be described as mad. Here’s a recap if you missed any of this March’s madness:
St. Peters knocks out Kentucky on Day 1:
I must admit, this unexpected Kentucky loss cut deep, as I had randomly selected these Wildcats to go all the way to win my bracket. While a 16-seed team has only ever triumphed over a number 1 seed once in the tournament’s history since 1985 (2018, UVA vs. UMBC), St. Peters came close with this stunning upset. The number 15 seed Peacocks shocked the nation by knocking out number 2 seed Kentucky on the first day of the tournament, crushing the spirits of Kentucky fans. St. Peter’s carried their Cinderella story to the Elite Eight round, where they eventually met their doom in a matchup against UNC.
The Carolina rivalry made it to NOLA:
One of the most popular and deep-rooted rivalries in all of college sports made for an interesting season leading up to the tournament, with Duke crushing UNC on the road and then UNC returning the favor for Coach K’s final home game. The stars aligned for these enemies to meet up again in the Final Four for a tie-breaker game that either would end Coach K’s career in a loss or continue it into the final. In a nail-biting game with a dozen ties and even more lead changes, UNC scored the additional four points that landed them bragging rights in North Carolina forevermore. This game certainly put a sour taste in Coach K’s mouth for the rest of his retirement.
Last year’s March Madness winners got their heels stuck in tar:
While it is unusual for the prior winner of the NCAA Tournament to win the gold again a second year in a row, it isn’t entirely usual for them to lose in the round of 32 to an 8-seed, either. While the Baylor Bears fought hard against UNC and survived into overtime, those extra 5 minutes were of no avail, with a 93-86 ending that eliminated them from the tournament.
Expect the unexpected:
When it comes to March Madness, you have to learn to expect the unexpected. The fast-paced showdown between Indiana and Saint Mary’s came to a screeching halt when the ball got stuck between the backboard and shot clock, far out of reach from even the tallest basketball players with a mop stick. But two Indiana cheerleaders quickly deemed the “Hoops Heroes,” quickly came to the rescue and performed a lift stunt to hoist the ball out of its jam and resume the game.
A Seesaw of a final game:
We usually expect the final matchup to be between two teams on equal footing, both having knocked out all their competitors to make it to the last round. While this may have been true in this year’s national championship, the fluctuation in the score during the game certainly did not reflect it. Each team during these two hours suffered drastic scoring droughts. Although Kansas came out with their guns blazing, starting the game with a 7-0 lead, UNC overcame their slow start to lead 40-25 at the half. Kansas then pulled off the biggest comeback in the championship’s history—outscoring UNC by one possession to secure the 2022 national title.
I hope this catches you up on all the madness you may have missed from this year. I can’t wait for next March!