In this year’s National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Basketball March Madness tournament, teams from all around the country will get the chance to compete for the championship and for bragging rights. Sixty-four teams will get the chance to participate and play in the March Madness tournament where top-seeded teams will face low-seeded opponents. This tournament is a highly anticipated event in most people’s sports calendar. It builds in intensity as teams are eliminated and the championship game nears, and it never ceases to be a wide spectacle for all to watch. With so many teams in this tournament, who knows what will happen.

With many watching the tournament there are multiple predictions. One anonymous  Oxnard High School freshman said, “I think that the championship game will be between the University of Gonzaga and Duke University.” Both teams have been putting up the numbers and win this season and have proved themselves to be the favorites of the tournament. English teacher and Karate specialist, Mr. Marcell Brickey predicts Duke and the University of Kentucky will duel it out in the championship game. Many other teams such as North Carolina, UC Irvine, and even Yale are apart of the bracket.

Lots of people look for the best teams to win the championship, but what many don’t know is that there are teams under the radar that put up good numbers and have the talent to compete. These “Cinderella Stories” come in many forms. This tournament is a huge deal for all college athletes. It’s a platform for these student-athletes to make a name for themselves and to possibly be scouted by top National Basketball Association (NBA) teams. “It’s the most inclusive sports post-season in the world,” said OHS junior Emery Barajas. Barajas had also mentioned that this tournament can arguably be bigger than the NBA Finals.

The March Madness tournament will be held in multiple cities across the U.S. Matches begin on March 18th and the set date for the championship game is April 6 or 8, depending on any setbacks. With sixty-four teams competing, competition is fierce and very talented. By April we will see who is still dancing, holding the trophy they truly deserved.