Embrace the Madness of March

Trying to predict March Madness has become a national pastime, but the NCAA tournament can be extremely frustrating. Favorites lose, sleepers rise and Cinderella teams bury your perfect bracket. And all that happens before the seventh game of the first round is finished. This is probably because you suck at picking, so don’t blame the upsets.

During the 2017-18 men’s college basketball regular season, no unquestioned “best” team emerged. While Virginia and Villanova are closest to flaunting that billing, both programs have an unspectacular history in March Madness. That perception, along with recent losses by Xavier, Michigan State, and Duke, is a significant reason why the Big Dance lacks an obvious favorite. Some may consider it frustrating. That’s understandable.

Even 24-plus hours after the bracket was released, you still might not have a clue which program you’ll select to cut down the nets in San Antonio on April 2. We get that, too. It totally makes sense, but maybe you should get off your lazy ass and do some research. In an interview with Bill Raftery, he said, “You know I think of all the years, this is the one year that there are so many teams that have an opportunity.” For that exact reason, however, we’re choosing to love it. Every No. 1 seed this year has an especially challenging second-round matchup.

Similar to Virginia and Villanova, Kansas has endured a few sooner-than-expected exits over the last half-decade. The Jayhawks, along with Xavier, are going to meet a respectable ACC, Big East, Big 12 or SEC program to round out their first weekend. I can’t wait to watch Kansas lose. Plus, Arizona (4), Gonzaga (4) and West Virginia (5) are regarded more highly than their position and seeding in the bracket would suggest. Those are all potential Sweet 16 matchups for No. 1 seeds, and they’re certainly not ideal. I am all for it, LET THE MADNESS REIGN DOWN!

As for the No. 2 seeds, Duke has earned this position in five of the last 10 tournaments yet only reached the Elite Eight ONCE. I am personally laughing because fuck Duke. Purdue fans know better than to trust their Boilermakers and North Carolina lost 10 games this season. Relative unfamiliarity with Cincinnati can create doubt for anyone who hasn’t seen the Bearcats play. Third-seeded Michigan and Michigan State are two of the hottest teams in the nation coming into the tourney. They could take down any No. 1 or 2 seed within a blink of an eye (but please not Michigan because go Bucks).

We’re also expecting mayhem past the top seeds. Both Auburn (4) and Wichita State (4) have challenging mid-major opponents on Friday. I am ALL IN with the mid-majors here. Clemson (5) is missing a standout forward, and Ohio State (5) is caught in a mini-slump. As an Ohio State fan, I can say this is very true.  There’s a legitimate possibility that sixth-seeded Florida, Houston, and Miami all lose in the first round. Yet they’re also all talented enough to dispatch a formidable No. 11 before knocking off the No. 3 seed and reaching the Sweet 16. Missouri, Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma, who are all seeded between eight and 10, have a likely NBA lottery pick on their roster. One-and-dones typically don’t have much-sustained success in the NCAA tourney, but top-three seeds certainly aren’t looking forward to possibly taking on Michael Porter Jr., Collin Sexton, Mo Bamba or Trae Young during the opening weekend because all those guys can go off at any time. Except Trae Young because he’s garbage and fuck the committee for giving Oklahoma a bid just because they have a fetish for Young.

Butler, Providence, Loyola-Chicago, St. Bonnie’s and New Mexico State are merely a few of the double-digit seeds with multi-win potential in their arsenal. How can you possibly know what’s going to happen? The funny thing is you don’t. I don’t. Nobody does. (If you do know, which I highly doubt, I’ll pay you for advising). This year, rather than getting demoralized when it’s clear your bracket won’t be a winner, embrace the chaos from the beginning.