Sloan Jambor '26, Sports Editor
Will the one seeds go down in the first round, or is another 16-seed going to end up in the championship? The truth is that March Madness is an unpredictable tournament that leaves its viewers on the edge of their seats during each and every game. Any team could end up in the championship as long as they perform to their best ability during the tournament, no matter what their in-season record may be. With that being said, many people have their predictions of who is going to take home the title, and what upsets are going to shake the bracket.
Every year, around 60-100 million people create their very own March Madness brackets; out of those numbers, nobody has ever constructed a perfect bracket. There is always one team that ruins somebody's bracket and causes an immense amount of shock. In the past, Gonzaga, a very successful team that is always highly ranked, has continuously fumbled their season. On the other hand, underdogs St. Peter's Peacocks ended up in the Elite Eight during the 2022 season. Even though a few upsets tend to occur, most people do not predict them. According to News8, "Houston was chosen the most often to be the champion, according to the NCAA." Houston was supposed to be one of the best in the league, but they got eliminated prior to the championship. They continued with, "When it came to a top winner, only 2.08 percent of brackets chose the Huskies to take the championship home." The University of Connecticut (UCONN) is also ranked first in their region, but many have leaned away from the team taking home the title even though they have remained in the entirety of the tournament.
With tournament play, nobody ever knows what to expect out of their favorite teams; they could have a game of their life, or they could lose to a lesser known team and end their season. Within the first week of the tournament, there were already games that shook the crowds. People in the state of Kentucky, who were sent into a fit after the Kentucky Wildcats ended their remarkable season, lost their three-seed team to a local 14-seed: the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. Sophomore Gavin Anderson said, "I was surprised when Jack Gohlke turned up and dropped 30. I love to see a Michigan team succeed." The underdogs came out on top after most brackets had them eliminated after the first round.
With the tournament coming to a close, the outcome is truly unpredictable. The Final Four currently consists of UCONN against Alabama, and NC State matched with Purdue. Four competitive teams have fought their way through the tournament and finally will definitely be one to tune in for. So, how was your bracket this year? Did you predict all of the upsets and wins for the 2024 March Madness tournament?
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