7 Basics on March Madness

Last year, my son invited the family to participate in a CBS Sports March Madness bracket group. I had fun clicking through the teams on the site, basing my picks on nothing but whims and emotion. You see, I know next-to-nothing about sports. Not surprisingly, I ended up placing last in our group, and for all I know, I could have placed last among all the participants in the CBS bracket contest.

This year, I told my son that I was going to do some research, so that I could perform better in our group. Of course I had to start at the beginning, with “What is March Madness.” And where’s the best place to go for that? Wikipedia.

Below, I’ve distilled the Wikipedia article, “NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament” into seven basic March Madness things to know. If you’re like me, a sports simpleton, or perhaps you are an alien from outer space trying to learn Earth culture, you’ll find these facts of value. Here we go:

1. March Madness is an NCAA (National College Basketball Association) Division I tournament played each spring involving around 70 teams.

2. It is a single-elimination tournament, meaning if a team loses a game, they cannot win the championship.

3. The order of games is called a bracket, consisting of rounds that determine which team each participant plays and when.

4. A little under half of the teams earn the right to play by winning championship games and the NCAA awards “berths” to fill in the rest during a televised event.

5. The tournament occurs over three weekends in neutral locations. Each weekend eliminates 75% of the teams, resulting in the “Sweet 16” and then the “Final Four,” whose games are usually played in April.

6. The Final Four, involves teams from four regions, east, west, north, south. They play each other for the national championship.

7. The teams that have won the most national championships are: UCLA,  University of Kentucky,  Indiana University,  University of North Carolina, Duke University, and the University of Connecticut.

So there you have it. A quick-and-dirty list of March Madness basics. Wish me luck on this year’s picks!

P.S. If I have anything wrong here, let me know. . .