It’s the best time of the year for college basketball fans as the season has ended and it’s time to go dancing as they say. The NCAA Tournament is the biggest part of the season as fans place their bets and fill out their brackets for pride, money, or the office champion trophy. This is the tournament where heroes and legends are born.
In the men’s bracket, the number one player in the nation is Zion Williamson of Duke University who looks to keep the Blue Devils going and help Coach K win his 6th National Championship. Coach K has led the Blue Devils to 13 NCAA tournaments during his head coach tenure dating back to 1980.
Their rivals live 12 miles southwest of them in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and are favorites as well. The North Carolina Tar Heels will be in the Midwest division on the other side of the bracket and out of Duke’s East division. They kick off their tourney against underdog Iona on Friday.
The four number one seeded teams of the men’s bracket are Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, and Gonzaga. Defending men’s champions Villanova is the 6th ranked seed in the south division under Virginia.
In the women’s bracket, for the first time since 2006, the University of Connecticut Huskies are not a number one seed in the tournament. The Huskies have made the tournament every single year since 1989. They have won 11 NCAA Championships in 20 Final Four appearances, winning 3 in a row from 2013-2016. Led by famous head coach Geno Auriemma, the Huskies will look to punch a ticket to yet another final four.
The four number one seeded teams of the women’s bracket are Baylor, Louisville, Mississippi St., and defending NCAA Champions the “Fighting Irish” of Notre Dame.
Both tournaments start this weekend spanning across multiple television channels and radio stations. The Men’s Final Four will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6th and 8th. The Women’s Final Four will be held in Tampa Bay, Florida at the Amalie Arena on April 5th and 7th. Happy Bracket filling, and may the odds be ever in your favor!