March has arrived, and that means plenty of things: warmer weather is approaching, Saint Patrick’s Day and most importantly, March Madness. For some people, this just means the start of stressing over Spring cleaning or midterms. For most of us, the colloquial term describes the sporting universe and its love for college basketball. The terms we all know too well – bracketology, Cinderella teams, buzzer beaters – get thrown around in daily conversation as the constant anticipation for the next game arises. This month of basketball is not only an exciting time for sports fans: it’s sacred. Here are my picks for a range of different categories, including overrated bracket busters and Cinderella sleepers.
Respected but Underrated
UCLA: UCLA has more NCAA D1 basketball titles than any other school in the country, but they don’t lack complete dominance due to a title draught dating back to 1995. However, if freshman guard Lonzo Ball can continue his hot streak, watch out for UCLA making a possible Final Four run.
Oregon: Another #3 seed, the Ducks might not have the respect compared to teams like Kansas and Villanova. However, Oregon’s strong offense and ability to win in big games can take them far this March.
Overrated Bracket Busters
Louisville: Louisville is a solid team no doubt, not to mention their path to going deep in the tournament isn’t as hard as other #2 seeds throughout the bracket. However, they’ve lost three of their last five and could be upset by a talented Michigan squad.
Virginia: Virginia as a #5 seed? Their excellent defense won’t be enough to take them past the second round, where they’ll be outmatched by the SEC’s second best team in the University of Florida
Cinderella Picks
Middle Tennessee State: They were a Cinderella team in 2016 and they could easily do it again in 2017. Expect to see an upset win over Minnesota early on and possibly a Sweet 16 appearance.
Marquette: The Golden Eagles of Marquette have one of the best three point percentages in the country. A second round matchup against Duke will be one for the ages.
The Real Deal
Kansas: The Jayhawks have been lights out this season, beating other powerhouse schools such as Duke and Kentucky. Kansas has a legitimate chance of cutting down the nets this year in Glendale.
Arizona: With the advantage of the possibility of playing a Final Four in their home state, the Wildcats of Arizona have the potential to make 2017 their year.
Which teams will surprise us with their second half dominance? Which powerhouses will drop early in the tournament? We will soon find out. That’s the madness of March



















