“THEY’RE GOING TO THE BIG DANCE!”

It’s that time of year again. Arguably the most invigorating, excited, and shocking time of the sporting year; March Madness.

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Every collegiate basketball team in the country wants a chance to play in the tournament. But only sixty-eight teams make it. For seventy-seven years, the highly anticipated NCAA Division One collegiate basketball tournament has taken place. From the University of Oregon winning in 1939, to Duke claiming the title in last year’s competition, there has been no lack of well – madness.

It seems each and every year there are crazy, mind blowing buzzer beaters, hair pulling upsets, and tug at your heart –Cinderellas. From Leitner, to the ‘Fab 5,’ Cardiac Kemba, Butler’s 2010 run, to last year’s Georgia State head coach Ron Hunter falling out of his chair after his son RJ hit a undoubtedly deep game winning three point shot. From legendary coaches such as Coach K, Dean Smith, Jim Calhoun, Bobby Knight, John Wooden, and many more, the big time household names are rooted and established in this tournament.

But regardless of the names, the teams, the lights and the heroics, there's one thing that sets this tournament apart from any other sporting event; THE ATMOSPHERE.

It's absolutely, without a shade of doubt, no question in my mind the most crazy, insane, anything can happen, unpredictable suspenseful, what the f*** thing ever. Through the course of the the tournament, me, you, and everyone else probably says that last line about a hundred billion times.

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I've never been to a big time game actually part of the tournament itself, but I was at the HTC Center at last year’s Big South Championship game; Coastal Carolina’s tournament hopes on the line contingent upon a win.

I'll be the first to say, That place was ROCKING. I was court side, directly behind the basket. Holding signs up dancing around with the mascot, the whole experience. Couldn't ask for more as a freshman in college.

Clock hits triple zero.

“The Chanticleers are going dancing!"

Everyone storms the court! I lost my friends, lost a shoe, basically got mauled by hundreds of jumping people, but it was one of the wildest moments ever. If being at a conference championship game and seeing your home team win to seed in the tournament was surrounded by that much intensity, I can only imagine what it's like to be at a Final Four game. Half the time just watching it on television is incredibly consuming.

Coastal missed out on this year's dance, but the tournament is still going to have its unpredictable share of excitement.

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And as usual, the Selection Committee messed up; shocking. Kentucky a 4, MSU missing a 1 seed, bubble teams missing it due to strength of schedule. I mean the Dayton Syracuse match-up is cool, and Michigan definitely shot their way into a bid, but we have to complain about the committee.

I guess it won't matter however, as the tournament will hit the ground running with insanity from the very first games on Tuesday. As it should be though; that's what makes college basketball exciting. As much as it can get politicized and bogged down by who makes it and why, popularity, revenue, whatever the case may be, it's going to be fun. It's either going to be Lebron, the Spurs, or the Warriors in the Finals for the NBA, but in college, who the hell knows what's going to happen? There's a reason no one has ever filled out a perfect bracket.

*Oh and quick side note: huge shoutout to the guy or girl at CBS that leaked the real bracket after about only half had been revealed on live TV, saved every the time we lost last night setting the clocks forward. You did a good thing.*