By Greg Fuchs
Death, taxes and … March Madness. 3 things you can count on no matter what, and so far this year the men’s NCAA College Basketball Tournament hasn’t disappointed. Through the first 2 rounds of the tournament there has been a plethora of close games and upsets. I think the “one & done” aspect of the tournament is one of the key elements that makes it so special … and keeps us glued to our TV sets.
In the 1st weekend of the tourney 9 of the top 16 ranked teams went down to defeat including one #1 seed (Illinois), two #2 seeds (Iowa & Ohio St.), three #3 seeds (Kansas, Texas & W. Virginia) and three #4 seeds (Virginia, Purdue & Oklahoma St.). Teams such as Abilene Christian, North Texas and Ohio University got to play David to the big boys Goliath. Rooting for the little guy is half the fun of the tournament.
When looking at the teams that made the Sweet Sixteen, 4 of them (Syracuse, UCLA, Oregon St. & Oral Roberts) were double digit seeds. Loyola Marymount of Chicago, another small school, also made it into the final 16.
Missing from the Sweet 16 this year (and from the tournament altogether for a few of the schools) are traditional hoops powerhouses Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville and Michigan St. While the TV networks might be disappointed not to see those teams in the tournament, I don’t think most college basketball fans are. Seeing a lot of non-traditional teams still playing this deep into the tournament is refreshing and allows fans to root for the underdog.
And one of the great things about March Madness is that it is the tournament that keeps on giving. If the bevy of great games this past weekend wasn’t enough, we have 12 more games on tap this weekend. More chances for great games, buzzer beaters and upsets. The excitement never ends. Well, actually it does the weekend after when we have the Final 4 and the championship game, but for this weekend, grab your favorite beverage, your clicker and enjoy! After a year of Covid and no tournament last year, you deserve it!
