Your Sportsish Guide to March Madness

Along with the arrival of Spring, this month brings one of the most awaited sporting events of the year: March Madness! The event is as hectic as its name suggests, with 64 teams from the NCAA competing in a single-elimination tournament, crowing the last one standing as the winner—basically, the Hunger Games of basketball.

A team can participate in two ways: 32 teams join by winning their respective conferences, while a committee selects the other 36. The committee also ranks each team on a 1-16 seed scale divided by region–East, West, South, and Midwest–making the higher-seeded teams play the lower ones.

Now, the math might not make sense when you consider there are 68 teams in total, but only 64 will compete. This is because the last four seeded teams from the conference-winning group compete against each other, and the last four seeded from the selected ones, eliminating four of them and securing a spot in the 64 slots that will make up the first round of the bracket. From then on, the single-elimination process means each round will cut the number of teams in half until the last two remaining compete for the title.

The magic of the tournament relies on its unpredictability, as the make-it-or-break-it system means the stakes are high and unexpected results are likely to happen, hence the “Madness” title. The seeding might be an indicator of how the teams are currently playing, but if there’s something these one-of-a-kind tournaments excel at, it’s an underdog success story.

One of the most exciting parts of the tournament is filling out the brackets and predicting a winner before it even starts. The thrill is heightened by unexpected outcomes, hidden talents that may emerge, and plot twists that come with the single-elimination format. The NCAA has stated that the odds of correctly predicting every game result are 1 in 9.2 quintillion (for reference, a quintillion is followed by 18 zeros).

The full list of participating teams was presented on Sunday. The first four games will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday to determine the teams that will officially kick off the tournament.

So now it's time to fill out your brackets! Honestly, any approach you choose to fill out your brackets is valid because finding the perfect strategy is nearly impossible. If you’re like us and want to join in on the fun just because you’re happy to be included, here are some proposed game plans to choose each round’s winners from a completely subjective, sportsish point of view.

By Coolest Mascot

The ultimate representative in every squad is always the mascot. They are a team member as much as they are fans, being the no. 1 hypeman in every game. However, some of them take their role more seriously, while others can rely merely on their cuteness. You can always dive deeper into how each mascot supports their team during game days, but some are already notable because of their cheering stunts. For example, BYU’s Cosmo the Cougar is known as “the craziest mascot in college sports” because he literally jumps through rings of fire to show their team spirit.

Other notable mascots include Albert Gator from the University of Florida, who can now add breakout star to their resumé after appearing in a SportsCenter ad alongside Steve Irwin. Sparty from Michigan State is also known for his ad roles, with Sports Illustrated referring to him as possibly the most famous mascot in the country.

By Notable Alumni

Nothing makes your team choice easier than knowing your favorite celebrity is also a supporter. If you’re a 2000s rom-com lover, you might wanna go with the University of Texas alongside heartthrob Matthew McConaughey. Or perhaps you’re a “Modern Family” fan, and you’d rather join Ty Burell–who plays the fan-favorite Phil Dunphy–and go with the University of Oregon, where he attended briefly before transferring to an arts school. Other notable alums include Paul Rudd from the University of Kansas, Ryan Seacrest from the University of Georgia, and Issa Rae from Stanford.

By Team Colors

Maybe blue suits you better than red, and that’s reason enough to go with Notre Dame and Duke instead of their opponents. Interestingly enough, out of the last 24 teams that have won the tournament, 16 have blue as their team color. It might only be because most schools with strong basketball programs have chosen it, but it might help you identify stronger teams.

By Team Crush

The tournament consists of 67 games, which means you’ll be keeping up with a lot of content if you wanna follow your bracket’s success. Since you’re gonna be watching anyway, it might not hurt to know which players to look out for to help you choose your favored team. Some of our favorite NCAA crushes include:

Hunter Dickinson, Kansas

Hunter is a well-known veteran who is playing his fifth year for the Kansas Jayhawks and averaging 18 points per game.

RJ Davis, North Carolina

The senior averaged 21.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game last season, helping his team reach a top 10 position in the AP preseason Top 25 Poll.

Caleb Love, Arizona

The Wildcats guard is a master at matching the game to his own tempo, paired with an impeccable ability to score. Hopefully, his skills will be critical in helping his team redeem themselves from a round-of-16 (aka the Sweet 16 round) exit during last year’s tournament.

Bryce Hopkins, Providence

The 6-foot-7 wing is coming off an ACL injury, but hopefully, he’ll be back in top form and help his team move forward in the tournament.

Lauren Betts, UCLA

*Lauren Betts - Imagn Images (via The Next Hoops)*

The Bruins star center helped lead the team to their first national championship in 30 years and is back for her senior year to pursue one more title before going pro.

Azzi Fudd, UConn

Some call her prone to injuries, when she should be known by her resilience to keep coming back stronger. Now a graduate, she is looking to help the Huskies achieve the coveted title.

Georgia Amoore, Kentucky

She might be only 5’ 6”, yet her “tall energy” is what truly makes her stand out among the rest. She’s the second player in Kentucky’s program history to score at least seven 3-pointers in only two games in the same season, helping the Wildcats break the single-game school record for three pointers.

Kaylene Smikle, Maryland

*Kaylene Smikle - University of Maryland Athletics*

The junior guard has scored in double figures for 13 straight games during this season and 20-or-more points in seven games, making her a key asset for the Terrapins.

No matter which path you choose to follow with your March Madness, the key is to remember that no one has ever filled out a 100% accurate bracket, so it’s all about joining in and having fun for the love of sports (join the Sportsish men's and women's brackets, and you could possibly win a $500 flight voucher to anywhere!).

Make sure you tune in on Sunday 16th at 6 PM ET to catch the complete list of pairings for the 68 teams so you can complete your predictions.

Good luck and happy bracketing. Let the Madness begin!