The college basketball season is upon us. We’re only two weeks into the season and college basketball fanatics are already talking about March Madness: about what seed each team will get on Selection Sunday on March 13th, even who will be the next Cinderella team to have their one shining moment to the Final Four. The one thing college basketball fans are overly excited for is being able to be a part of the atmosphere in which March Madness brings in, which fans couldn’t experience last year with the COVID-19 virus still a big national threat to public safety.
The March Madness we love will be in full effect. A standard selection process and a multiple city event, the return of fans, bands, and cheerleaders. New Orleans is exhilarated in hosting the Final Four and National Championship.
The projected #1 seeds:
The overall outright #1 seed in the West Region is Gonzaga with junior Drew Timme, the captain at the helm for this Bulldog’s squad and the best big guy and player in the country this year and in the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga will be another tough out this year, especially with the coaching mindset and charisma of Mark Few, now 22 years strong. In the Midwest Region, #1 seed Kansas bringing back four starters in senior guard Ochai Agbaji and senior forward David McCormack, redshirt sophomore Jalen Wilson, and junior Christian Braun. Coach Bill Self is hoping that the chemistry between these four transpires to success this year and into the tournament. East Region #1 seed Michigan is looking to have another deep run in the tourney with the powerhouse recruiting of coach Juwan Howard. Then the final #1 seed in the South Region, UCLA, a team who had a Cinderella run last year starting in the First Four and almost beating Gonzaga in the Final Four as an 11 seed. UCLA is now a legit national championship contender with junior guards Johnny Juzang, Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez Jr., as well as the inside presents of senior Cody Riley. Coach Mick Cronin has definitely got a national championship worthy team.
The number #1 seeds getting a lot of the love early, but the 2 seeds and 3 seeds are others that have a legitimate shot to win it all. The two seeds are Baylor, Villanova, Purdue, and Texas. Then for the three seeds: Memphis, Duke, Kentucky, and Illinois.
For the two seeds the team to look out for is Purdue with their two headed monster inside with senior Trevion Williams and sophomore point guard Jaden Ivey. The Boilermakers are expected to have a legit chance at winning the Big Ten this year. A Team to look out for among the number three seeds is Memphis. The last time Memphis was this good was when John Calipari was the coach and took the Tigers to a National Championship showdown with Kansas in 2008. Recruiting was the gold that made Memphis shine bright in those days with Calipari recruiting Derrick Rose. Now it’s Penny Hardaway’s turn at the helm for the Tigers and his stature and recruiting is putting Memphis back on the map as a contender and not a pretender. He has recruited, freshman Jalen Duren from Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, and freshman Emoni Bates from Ypsilanti, Michigan, and has Memphis ranked #11 in the country so far this season.
The stage is set, and the season is upon us, and we shall see who will have their one shining moment of cutting down the nets in New Orleans on April 4th.