That's Madness!
- Stephen Salazar
- Mar 23
- 4 min read
Ahhh, the madness of March. If you’re a college basketball fan, then you are probably having a great time right now. An abundance of games are played each day on TV, allowing you to watch the magic of a tournament. Cinderella stories, huge wins, and just great games. Year after year, this tournament brings out the best in college basketball players as they chase that dream of hoisting the NCAA Basketball national championship trophy.
This year has been no different. Flipping back and forth through multiple games that are close because you want to see an exciting ending that is sure to happen. Games tied or small leads in the 2nd half. You can feel your heart pumping and, at least for me, you can’t help but shout as a clutch shot is made.
The first round brought plenty of excitement. And when I say excitement, I mean EXCITEMENT. Some of those moments where you are sitting on the edge of your seat, watching the clock tick down with still no idea of who is going to win. In fact, of the 32 games in the first round, 13 games were won by ten or fewer points. Of those 13 games, eight were won by five or fewer.
Duke survived a BIG scare from Siena. Being down 11 at half, Siena looked like they came to play and be that Cinderella story we are so used to seeing. A 16-seed taking it to the number one seed of the East bracket was unthinkable. ESPN analytics had Sienna at a 1 percent chance to win the game before it started. Being up at the half by 11 and being up by 13 at one point still didn’t give Siena a high percentage. The highest predicted chance of winning for Siena was around 37%, which seems a little low. But Duke was able to take control in the second half and came out victorious, winning 71-65.
Another game that was INSANE was Kentucky and Santa Clara. This game came down to a buzzer-beater. And that was just to get it to overtime! The sad part is, I didn’t get to see the last part of regulation live. I was driving to my buddy’s house to work on his Jeep. I had to call him because we needed to grab something, and the store was on the way, so he asked me to stop. I did, and as I left the store, I called him to let him know I was on the way. In the middle of the call, I heard loud yells of excitement and craziness. I asked what happened. Santa Clara’s Allen Graves had just hit a 3-pointer to take the lead
with 2.4 seconds left. Then a small break and then… Another yell. Now Kentucky’s Otega Oweh hit a logo shot 3 to tie the game. I missed all of that because I had to stop at the store. Thanks, friend who shall remain nameless (you know who you are). Anyway, when I got to his house, we sat down and finished watching the game. Kentucky was able to outlast Santa Clara’s upset bid and move on to the next round.
It gets my heart pumping just thinking about it. I went back and watched the replay of the last thirty seconds. Boy, oh boy, it was even better seeing it.
A great moment that happened in this year’s tournament. Nebraska won its first-ever NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament game. Before their win over Troy in the first round, Nebraska had been 0-8 in the big dance. This wasn’t just a win, they DOMINATED. Pryce Sandfort's seven three-pointers and 23 overall points helped lead the Cornhuskers to a 76-47 victory. If that didn’t show that they belong, they added another win in the second round over a good Vanderbilt team.
Husker fans did have to hold their breath for a few seconds at the end of the game, though. Braden Frager drove through the lane to the basket for a layup, which put the Big Red up two points with just over two seconds left. Vandy quickly got the ball in, and Tyler Tanner heaved up a 49-footer for the win. It hit the backboard and rolled around the rim before bouncing out and onto the floor. When I say rolled around the rim, I mean it. The ball had to have hit every inch of the rim.
Nebraska will have the opportunity to reach the Elite Eight as they take on the Iowa team that just handed the number one seed in the south a ticket back to Gainesville. It is a very intriguing matchup, full of excitement. Needless to say, I’ll be tuning in on March 26 to see this game!
One thing that I always tell people about the tournament, or any tournament for that matter. So, I don’t put too much emphasis on the seeding of the tournament. Does it have a purpose, reason, or meaning? Yes. Does it mean more than I think it does? Probably. All I’m saying is that once you get into the tourney, anything can happen. Unless you’re Idaho an
d let me down (Go Vandals!). Then I just got sad. That being said, there were eight upsets in the first round alone. Including two 11 over 6’s and one 12 over 5. In the second round, a number one seed went down. Let’s take a moment of silence for the defending champs. Sorry Florida. So, as I said, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
March Madness continues this Thursday, March 26, and Friday, the 27th. As we near the end of the tournament, things start heating up. I can't wait to see what is to come. Will Texas or Iowa become the next Cinderella story? Will the top seeds dominate the pack and make the games just as predicted? We’ll soon find out!
Let’s buckle up and get ready for some great games. I can’t wait to see the excitement these games will undoubtedly bring.
Let us know who you think will cut down the nets in Indianapolis on April 6th! Join in on the excitement!
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