NCAA's 'Big Dance' still exciting,
surprising
by Cody Barron, staff writer
On March 15, the battle begins to crown a new national
champion in Division I men’s college basketball. The NCAA
Tournament, or the Big Dance, is one of the most exciting
events is sports today. The tournament technically begins
on March 13 when two teams will dual to claim the final 16th
seed in the tournament. The winner of this game will get a
date with one of the four number-one seeds in the
tournament.
Last year’s tournament champion, the
University of Florida, has spent the majority of the season
at number one and is probably the favorite to take the crown
again this year. The Gators also won the national
championship in football this past season.
The unique thing about this tournament
is the fact that every team has an equal shot to win the
title. College football has received much criticism about
its post-season system, the Bowl Championship Series. In
the BCS, not every team has a shot to win the national title
because of the way the system works. It is this that makes
the basketball tournament so exciting.
Many people who are not necessarily
fans of college basketball will tune in to try and catch
this year’s surprise team in action. It seems like every
year, a team out there that no one knows makes a name for
itself by taking out one or more of the powerhouse teams.
Last year, George Mason University, an 11 seed, advanced to
the Final Four. On their way, the Patriots took out four
teams that were all seeded higher, including the University
of Connecticut, the number one seed in that portion of the
bracket. Also, who can forget the Gonzaga University
Bulldogs? The Bulldogs have established themselves as a
national championship contender every season after a few
amazing tournament runs during the late 1990s.
This year, the Dance promises to be
just as exciting as past tournaments. According to ESPN
college basketball analyst Joe Lunardi, Florida, the
University of North Carolina, the University of Wisconsin
and the Ohio State University should claim the top spots in
this year’s tournament. As of right now, a number one seed
has never lost an opening-round game, posting a record of
88-0.
But this could be the year that history
is made. We will also get the chance to see this year’s
“Cinderella Team”.
