How many teams are in the ncaa basketball tournament

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Since 1939, the men’s NCAA Division I basketball tournament, or March Madness, has been held annually at the end of college basketball’s regular season. The single-elimination tournament is one of the most watched sporting events in the United States and generates a ton of betting action across the country.

Below you will find all the stats and info you need to gear up for college basketball’s highly anticipated postseason competition. 

Gonzaga Bulldogs

+500

Kentucky Wildcats

+850

Arizona Wildcats

+900

Auburn Tigers

+900

Purdue Boilermakers

+1050

Baylor Bears

+1200

Duke Blue Devils

+1200

Kansas Jayhawks

+1500

UCLA Bruins

+2200

Illinois Fighting Illini

+2300

When is the 2022 NCAA tournament?

March Madness will begin on Tuesday, March 15 at 4 p. m. ET, with the First Four—or play-in—stage of competition. The official first round, featuring 64 teams, will take place Thursday and Friday, March 17-18, before the round of 32 on Saturday and Sunday, March 19-20.

The Sweet 16 and Elite 8 occur the following weekend, March 24 through March 27. Caesars Superdome in New Orleans will host the Final Four, which includes the national semifinal championship game on the evening of Monday, April 4.

Who can make the NCAA tournament?

In order to qualify for March Madness, a Division I college basketball team must either win its conference tournament or receive an “at-large” bid from the NCAA tournament selection committee.

A total of 68 teams play in the tournament, with 32 of those teams earning an automatic bid by winning their conference tournament. The 36 remaining tournament bids are granted by the selection committee and are revealed on Selection Sunday.

The committee is also in charge of seeding and placing each team in one of four regions of the tournament bracket: the East, West, Midwest and South. Each region will be seeded 1-16.

The selection committee is currently comprised of eight athletic directors and two conference commissioners in Division I men’s and women’s athletics. Members serve a five-year term.

Duncan Robinson (22) of the Michigan Wolverines cuts down the net to celebrate the victory during the NCAA Division I Men's Championship Elite Eight round basketball game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Michigan Wolverines. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire)

How can I watch the NCAA tournament?

truTV and TBS will air the First Four, then split first- and second-round coverage with CBS, TBS, and TNT.  

TBS and CBS will televise the Sweet 16 and Elite, while the Final Four and NCAA National Championship Game can be found exclusively on CBS.

How long are March Madness games?

March Madness will follow the standard rules of a regular-season college basketball game, with two 20-minute halves. The overtime period is five minutes long and may be repeated as many times as necessary to determine a winner.

What is the Final Four?

The Elite Eight will decide the champion of each of the four regions in the NCAA tournament. The winner from the East, West, Midwest and South move on to the Final Four to play in the national semifinal games. 

The Final Four includes both the semifinal round and the championship game on Monday, April 5.

Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Shutterstock)

Where is the Final Four?

Caesars Superdome, home to the New Orleans Saints, will host the Final Four from April 2-4.

What time is the national championship game?

Tipoff of the national championship game is scheduled for 9 p. m. ET Eastern on Monday, April 4.

From 1964 to 1995, the UCLA Bruins accumulated 11 national championship titles, 10 of those under head coach John Wooden.

The University of Kentucky, a longtime elite program in college basketball, earned its first championship in 1948 and most recent in 2012. ACC schools North Carolina and Duke are neck-and-neck for titles, with six and five, respectively, and have each won one in the last five years.

The Indiana Hoosiers also rank high with five championships, but the school hasn't experienced the NCAA's ultimate glory since 1987, with head coach Bob Knight.

The University of Louisville hung championship banners in 1980 and 1986 with head coach Denny Crum, and again in 2013 with Rick Pitino. However, because of NCAA violations, the school had to vacate its 2013 championship and two Final Four appearances. Louisville is the only school in NCAA history to have a men's basketball championship vacated.

UCLA head coach John Wooden's record of 10 national championships may never be touched, but "Coach K" (Mike Krzyzewski) is hot on his track, with five. The Duke basketball coach's teams regularly rank in the AP Top 25 poll and are often considered one of the favorites in the NCAA tournament each year.

A statue of former Purdue Boilermaker player John Wooden is seen outside of Mackey Arena. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire)

Kentucky legend Adolph Rupp led the school to the Promised Land four times (1948, 1949, 1951 and 1958) during his tenure. There is a three-way tie for fourth-most wins, as UConn's Jim Calhoun, Indiana's Bob Knight, and Roy Williams each own three titles. Williams collected his trio of banners with North Carolina in 2005, 2009 and 2017. He also guided the Kansas Jayhawks to a national title game, where they fell to Syracuse in 2003.

Based on current conference membership, the ACC owns the most NCAA titles. North Carolina, Duke, North Carolina State, Louisville, Syracuse and Virginia have each claimed at least one national championship. The Cavaliers most recently won the tournament in 2019.

The Oregon Ducks of the Pac-12 triumphed in the first national championship game in 1939. Since then, the Pac-12 has earned 16 titles among Stanford, Utah, Cal, UCLA and Arizona. UCLA won seven in a row from 1967-1973, then again in 1975, the last season Wooden coached for the Bruins. Wooden also achieved back-to-back titles in 1964 and 1965.

When is Selection Sunday?

Selection Sunday will take place on Sunday, March 13 at 6 p.m. ET,  and will air on CBS.

How does seeding work?

The selection committee will offer 36 at-large bids to the NCAA tournament in addition to 32 automatic bids for those teams that won their conference tournament. 

The committee will look at record, strength of schedule and quality of wins and losses, among other factors, to rank the field of teams from 1 to 68. Theoretically, the top four teams will earn the No. 1 seeds, and the next four on the list will receive the No. 2 seeds, and so on.

The committee strives for balance in each of the East, West, Midwest and South regions. The overall No. 1 seed should play the weakest No. 2 seed, and that pattern should follow down the line from the No. 3 seeds to No. 16 seeds for each region. 

What is the First Four?  

In 2011, the NCAA expanded the men's tournament to 68 teams and added a "First Four" play-in stage that included eight teams. Those eight teams hold the four lowest-seeded automatic bids and four lowest-seeded at-large bids.

The four winners of the First Four games move on to the field of 64 to compete in the first round of the tournament.

From 1985 to 2001, the NCAA tournament followed a 64-team format, until the Mountain West Conference joined Division I. To accomodate an additional automatic bid, which bumped the field to 65, the NCAA created one play-in game before the opening round. Since the arrival of the First Four in 2011, the tournament has maintained the same 68-team format.

The University of Dayton Arena in Ohio is the annual host site of the First Four games.

How many rounds are in the NCAA tournament?

There are six rounds of the NCAA tournament, not including the First Four play-in round.

Sixty-four teams participate in the first round. From there, the field is narrowed down to 32 for the second round of competition.

The third round is referred to as the Sweet 16, or regional semifinal, and the fourth round is best known as the Elite Eight or regional final. 

The fifth round, or national semifinal, is part of the Final Four, as is the sixth round, the national championship game.

Where can I download a March Madness bracket?

You can fill our our official TwinSpires Sports downloadable March Madness bracket by clicking here.

It's been estimated that around 70 million brackets are filled out each year across the country for company or family pools and nationwide contests.

The odds of filling out a perfect bracket are about 1 in 120.6 billion—if you know something about basketball. If you filled out your bracket by flipping a coin or blindly guessing, your odds are much higher.

No one has filled out a perfect bracket—that we know of—in the history of the NCAA tournament.

NCAA Final Four Betting Trends

20 of the last 21 Final Four Champions Have Been East Coast Teams

The only team that could be considered following in this trend for this year’s Final Four is Virginia. With a state that does touch the East Coast, does the basketball world truly count Virginia as an East Coast team? Michigan State is from the Midwest, while Auburn is from the South and Texas Tech is a Southwest team, thus they would not come as close to fitting the mold. If the Cavaliers fit the narrative of East Coast, then the trend could very well continue to prove true.

Favorites Usually Dominate in Final Four Semifinals

If this trend holds, Michigan State will beat Texas Tech and Virginia will beat Auburn. I’ve got Texas Tech upsetting MSU and Auburn upsetting UVA. So, I’ve thrown out this trend!

Underdogs Have Performed Well in the Finals

UNC won as a favorite in 2017. Last year, Villanova won as the favorite. But, before those two chalked it up, Nova beat North Carolina as a dog in 2016, Duke upset Wisconsin as a slight dog in 2015, and Connecticut upset Kentucky as a major underdog in 2014.

Will any of the three trends listed above hold? Or, will Auburn and Texas Tech prove best? Get your popcorn ready and watch one of the greatest sports events in the U.S., the annual NCAA College Basketball Final Four!

NCAA Final Four Notable Games

1975 National Championship – UCLA 92, Kentucky 85

The great John Wooden won his final championship. It was the Wizard of Westwood’s 10th title.

1979 National Championship – Michigan State 75, Indiana State 64

Magic and Bird started one of the most important rivalries in NBA history while still in college.

1983 National Championship – NC State 54, Houston 52

NC State upset Phi Slamma Jamma with a last-second shot, handing Jimmy Valvano the NCAA Final Four trophy. Valvano would end up starting the Jimmy V. Foundation, one of the most important cancer research non-profit organizations in the world.

1985 National Championship – Villanova 66, Georgetown 64

Villanova beats Georgetown in one of the biggest upsets in Final Four history.

1991 National Championship – Duke 72, Kansas 65

Coach Mike Krzyzewski wins his first of five national championships by beating Roy Williams- coached Kansas. The Blue Devils upset heavily favored UNLV in the semifinals. Today, Williams coaches North Carolina, which means Coach K and Williams have continued the rivalry that started in 1991.

2022 College Basketball Championship Regions and Dates

• Regions: South, East, West, Midwest
• Inaugural Game: March 17, 1939
• Current Number of Teams Participating: 68
• 2022 NCAA National Championship Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
• 2022 NCAA National Championship Date: Monday, April 4, 2022

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Top Questions

What is March Madness?

March Madness is an informal term that refers to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments that begin each March and consist of fields of 64 (for the women’s) and 68 (for the men’s) teams.

How are March Madness teams selected?

In March Madness, the single-elimination tournaments begin each March and consist of fields of women’s and men’s teams that qualify either by winning their conference title or by being chosen as an at-large entry by the National Collegiate Athletic Association's selection committee.

When was the first March Madness tournament?

The first men’s tournament of what eventually became known as March Madness was held in 1939. The NCAA tournament gradually began to draw top teams and more television revenue over the next two decades. The first women’s tournament was a 32-team event held in 1982.

March Madness, informal term that refers to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments and the attendant fan interest in—and media coverage of—the events. The single-elimination tournaments begin each March and consist of fields of 64 (for the women’s tournament) and 68 (for the men’s) teams that qualify either by winning their conference title or by being chosen as an at-large entry by the NCAA’s selection committee.

The first men’s tournament was held in 1939, but it was overshadowed for most of the first two decades of its existence by the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), which was considered more prestigious and usually featured the best teams in the country. The NCAA tournament gradually began to draw the top teams and more television revenue, and, by the time the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), began its record run of seven consecutive titles in 1967, the tournament was firmly established as the premier college basketball postseason championship series in the United States. The size of the tournament field increased incrementally from 8 teams in 1939 to 64 teams in 1985. A 65th team and corresponding “play-in game” were added in 2001, when a new conference with an automatically qualifying champion was created and the NCAA did not want to lower the number of high-profile at-large schools it could invite to the tournament. In 2011 the NCAA added three additional opening-round games to the field, bringing the field to 68 teams. The first women’s tournament was a 32-team event held in 1982, and it expanded to its current field of 64 in 1994.

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The men’s tournament format (not including the play-in games) consists of four subsets known as regions, each of which contains 16 teams that are seeded number 1 to number 16 by the selection committee and then matched up according to seed, with the number 1 seed playing number 16, number 2 playing number 15, and so on. (The selection committee generally comprises university athletic directors and conference commissioners.) Two of the four first-round games pit the four lowest-seeded teams (often the champions of the smallest conferences in the NCAA) against each other to determine two of the 16 seeds, while the other two first-round games feature the final four at-large teams, which are traditionally 11 or 12 seeds. The second- and third-round games take place later in the first week of the tournament at eight geographically dispersed sites, and the 16 teams that move on to the second week (having won both their second- and third-round games) are referred to as the “Sweet Sixteen.” These remaining teams then proceed to four regional sites and are further winnowed to an “Elite Eight” and a “Final Four,” the last of which advances to yet another location for the national semifinals and finals in the third week of the competion. The sizable field often produces pairings of large schools from highly regarded conferences with smaller automatic qualifiers that may result in first-round upsets, which can then lead to underdog teams (known as “Cinderellas”) advancing far in the tournament.

It is a common practice for fans to fill out tournament brackets with their predictions before the event begins and to enter their brackets into office pools (or on the Internet) with friends and coworkers. Studies have shown that American workers become less productive during March Madness, as large numbers of basketball fans frequently monitor the status of their brackets or discuss the tournament (or even watch the games) while on the job.

Winners of the men’s and women’s NCAA Division 1 basketball tournaments are provided in the tables.

Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship—men

year	winner	runner-up	score
*Louisville's title was vacated in 2018 because of rules violations committed between 2011 and 2015.
**Tournament canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
1939	Oregon	Ohio State	46–43
1940	Indiana	Kansas	60–42
1941	Wisconsin	Washington State	39–34
1942	Stanford	Dartmouth	53–38
1943	Wyoming	Georgetown	46–34
1944	Utah	Dartmouth	42–40
1945	Oklahoma A&M	New York	49–45
1946	Oklahoma A&M	North Carolina	43–40
1947	Holy Cross	Oklahoma	58–47
1948	Kentucky	Baylor	58–42
1949	Kentucky	Oklahoma State	46–36
1950	CCNY	Bradley	71–68
1951	Kentucky	Kansas State	68–58
1952	Kansas	St. John's (N.Y.)	80–63
1953	Indiana	Kansas	69–68
1954	La Salle	Bradley	92–76
1955	San Francisco	La Salle	77–63
1956	San Francisco	Iowa	83–71
1957	North Carolina	Kansas	54–53
1958	Kentucky	Seattle	84–72
1959	California (Berkeley)	West Virginia	71–70
1960	Ohio State	California (Berkeley)	75–55
1961	Cincinnati	Ohio State	70–65
1962	Cincinnati	Ohio State	71–59
1963	Loyola (Ill. )	Cincinnati	60–58
1964	UCLA	Duke	98–83
1965	UCLA	Michigan	91–80
1966	Texas Western	Kentucky	72–65
1967	UCLA	Dayton	79–64
1968	UCLA	North Carolina	78–55
1969	UCLA	Purdue	92–72
1970	UCLA	Jacksonville	80–69
1971	UCLA	Villanova	68–62
1972	UCLA	Florida State	81–76
1973	UCLA	Memphis State	87–66
1974	North Carolina State	Marquette	76–64
1975	UCLA	Kentucky	92–85
1976	Indiana	Michigan	86–68
1977	Marquette	North Carolina	67–59
1978	Kentucky	Duke	94–88
1979	Michigan State	Indiana State	75–64
1980	Louisville	UCLA	59–54
1981	Indiana	North Carolina	63–50
1982	North Carolina	Georgetown	63–62
1983	North Carolina State	Houston	54–52
1984	Georgetown	Houston	84–75
1985	Villanova	Georgetown	66–64
1986	Louisville	Duke	72–69
1987	Indiana	Syracuse	74–73
1988	Kansas	Oklahoma	83–79
1989	Michigan	Seton Hall	80–79
1990	UNLV	Duke	103–73
1991	Duke	Kansas	72–65
1992	Duke	Michigan	71–51
1993	North Carolina	Michigan	77–71
1994	Arkansas	Duke	76–72
1995	UCLA	Arkansas	89–78
1996	Kentucky	Syracuse	76–67
1997	Arizona	Kentucky	84–79
1998	Kentucky	Utah	78–69
1999	Connecticut	Duke	77–74
2000	Michigan State	Florida	89–76
2001	Duke	Arizona	82–72
2002	Maryland	Indiana	64–52
2003	Syracuse	Kansas	81–78
2004	Connecticut	Georgia Tech	82–73
2005	North Carolina	Illinois	75–70
2006	Florida	UCLA	73–57
2007	Florida	Ohio State	84–75
2008	Kansas	Memphis	75–68
2009	North Carolina	Michigan State	89–72
2010	Duke	Butler	61–59
2011	Connecticut	Butler	53–41
2012	Kentucky	Kansas	67–59
2013	Louisville*	Michigan	82–76
2014	Connecticut	Kentucky	60–54
2015	Duke	Wisconsin	68–63
2016	Villanova	North Carolina	77–74
2017	North Carolina	Gonzaga	71–65
2018	Villanova	Michigan	79–62
2019	Virginia	Texas Tech	85–77
2020	not held**
2021	Baylor	Gonzaga	86–70
2022	Kansas	North Carolina	72–69

Adam Augustyn

Everything you need to know about the "March Madness" - sportsiView - Blogs

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In the United States, playoffs, tournaments, and title games often go beyond mere athletic competition and form a cult following.

After the Super Bowl, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament or "March Madness" or "The Big Dance" is the most anticipated sporting event of the year. Of course, other sports (baseball) and leagues (NBA) can argue with this opinion, but it is shared by many, and in this article I argue this position.

The ABC of Madness

I'll start with the ABC of Madness. I think it makes sense to immediately deal with the terminology in order to create equal conditions for all readers. If you are following this tournament for the first time or have not really figured out how the tournament works yet, this article and especially this section is especially for you. If you know everything and are interested in the details of this year's tournament, feel free to skip this section and go to the part of the text that interests you.

Let's start!

The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament is a tournament for the best men's college basketball teams in Division I. There are similar tournaments for the second and third divisions and women's college basketball.

"March Madness" is the most famous nickname of the tournament, which refers to the huge number of games that were played over two weeks, a bunch of upsets and to the sincere emotions of the players for whom this tournament is the best chance to show themselves and continue their careers, while for others this is the last chance to play their favorite game before the start of “adulthood”.

The Big Dance is another well-known nickname for the tournament.

"Upset" is a phenomenon that occurs in any competition, most often in sports or politics. Upset is the outcome of the competition when the underdog (outsider) wins the fight against the favorite.

"Underdog" (eng. "Underdog") - an outsider.

"Bracket" - the approved schedule of tournament games. The grid does not change after each round, there are no further draws or “re-seeding” of teams.

"Regionals" - the general tournament can be divided into regional tournaments that are played in different regions of the United States: East, West, South and Midwest.

"Seeding" - rating of teams in the tournament. Seeding takes place in such a way that the favorites do not run into each other at the beginning of the tournament. Each team gets into one of 16 pots (1 best, 16 worst).

"Bracketology" is the "science" of correctly predicting the results of a tournament when the bracket is filled.

"Bracket buster" is a big upset that destroys the grid of most fans.

"Cinderella" (eng. "Cinderella") - an underdog who gets to the quarterfinals or beyond. Every tournament usually has at least one.

"Selection Sunday" - a special commission announces 68 teams that will enter the bracket. Eight of them will play the preliminary games ("First Four"), and the four winners will advance to the main tournament, which includes 64 teams. The first four is the official start of the tournament. Matches are played on Wednesday, the day before the start of the main part of the tournament.

“Selection Committee” (eng. “Selection Committee”) is the name of a special commission that selects 68 teams that will enter the draw.

"Automatic bid" - there are 32 conferences in the first division of college basketball, each of the winners of the conference tournament is provided with an automatic invitation to the main tournament.

"At-large bid" - 36 teams that are not champions of their conferences and receive a personal invitation from the tournament's election committee to play in it. These are the top 36 teams, in addition to those who received an automatic invitation.

"Bubble teams" are teams that are on the verge of entering the tournament and their fate depends on the decision of the electoral committee whether to grant them a general invitation or not.

"Sweet 16" (eng. "Sweet Sixteen") - round 1/8 Madness.

"Magnificent (elite) eight" (eng. "Elite 8") - Madness quarter-finals. I suggest the “magnificent eight” option, which sounds more natural for a Russian-speaking person.

"Final Four" (eng. "Final Four") - the semi-finals of Madness.

"Cut down the nets" is a tradition where the team that wins the tournament cuts the nets from the ring as a souvenir. The tradition began in 1947. After winning the Southern Conference tournament, NC State coach "Wolfpack" asked the students to lift him onto their shoulders to cut the net off the hoop as a memento. Since then, the teams that win the tournament repeat his act and cut the grid.

Big Six Conference Championships

In college basketball, there is the concept of a conference-member of the "Big Six" (eng. "Power 6"). These are the most powerful and most successful conferences in college basketball.

Members:

BIG 10

BIG 12

ACC

SEC

PAC

Big East

Big East usually from one of the first two conferences. And the vast majority of the teams that receive general invitations are also from one of the Six conferences.

How did the tournament become what it is

Why is the tournament so popular?

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“Americans are incredibly loyal to their colleges and universities. It does not matter whether a person just entered the university or graduated 30 years ago, he is, without any doubt, an avid fan of his university team, considers it the best and the only one that deserves the championship title.

This is an exciting competition. Compared to the professional championship, college basketball has fewer playoff matches, a sharper fight, and the final tournament is much faster. Even if their favorite teams don't make it to the finals, Americans still watch every game. Why? It's simple: unlike professional athletes, students do not play for money, but defend the honor of their schools and just love basketball. ”[1]

A perfect explanation of the reasons for the popularity of the tournament. I will add a couple of nuances and explanations from myself.

“Why? It's simple: unlike professional athletes, students don't play for money, but defend the honor of their educational institutions and just love basketball." In addition, for many, this tournament is the only chance for talented guys from less prestigious teams or the conference to prove themselves in the run-up to the NBA draft. Therefore, "Madness", in function, in many respects reminds me of the Youth Ice Hockey World Championship (MChM). The best example of this phenomenon is Kenneth Farid of the Morehead State who are speaking at the Ohio Valley Conference.

The tournament is also of great importance for those players for whom a career in big-time sports will not go beyond the student level. The vast majority of NCAA boys and girls don't go pro. For many athletes, this is the last chance to play the real game before they become accountants, analysts or insurers and continue to play sports in amateur leagues.

Equally important are the fans' regional preferences. In many regions of the United States, there are no professional teams, and local residents become attached to local student teams. It is noteworthy that some of these fans do not even have higher education. For example, the Alabama and Auburn college football teams are hugely popular in a state where there are no professional teams, and American football is the most popular sport by a wide margin. The opposite is true of the limited interest in college sports in big cities like New York.

NIT vs. The Madness

Many people will be surprised to learn that the Madness hasn't always been the premier college basketball tournament. In the middle of the last century, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was much more prestigious than the NCAA tournament. For those who are more or less familiar with college basketball, yes, this is the same NIT that now has a reputation as a repechage tournament. In the 1950s, the NCAA basketball tournament began to gain prestige after the NCAA began requiring conference champions to play in their own tournament.

NCAA vs. NBA

College basketball (in the US) is considered by many to be more popular than the NBA due to the reasons given earlier. This is confirmed by television ratings.

I personally prefer college basketball to professional basketball. Yes, there are problems at the student level: bribes to players, players play for one season - a tactic that has been called “one and done” (one [season] and tied up), and others.

But even if these problems are taken into account, the quality of the rivalry (mind you, not the class of the game) between the student and professional game is heaven and earth.

The last NBA game I watched was Game 7 of the Cavaliers and Warriors that I mentioned earlier. Follow the NBA regular season? No need, thanks. I'd rather paint the wall and watch it dry. Defense has long been forgotten in the NBA. Although it is the fault of the players, if the wrong look at the opponent is already a foul. Team game? What can be a team game in the era of "ISO" (an attack when a player one-on-one tries to beat another player). And to whom did this basketball surrender strongly? LeBron decided that his future career in show business was more important, and for the younger generation, “likes” were more important than titles. Even the stars in college basketball have to work hard to collect likes to get into the NBA first.

Grid (Gridology)

How is a grid constructed?

In addition to the 32 teams that receive an automatic invitation, the electoral committee must identify 36 teams that are worthy of a general invitation. Then you need to seed each of the teams in one of 16 pots, where the first is the best, and the sixteenth is the worst. And in the end, all these teams must be distributed among the regions in such a way that each of the regional grids is competitive.

Upsets

Perhaps the most interesting part of Madness is the upsets. The best example is last year's Virginia Cavaliers upset by the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. This was the first time in tournament history that a pot 16 team beat a pot 1 team in the first round. Every year a Cinderella appears, which not only kills the overwhelming majority of the fans' bracket, but also progresses quite far in the tournament. The most notable examples are the Butler Bulldogs and the Virginia Rams Commonwealth University.

Big money

Madness is not only big sport, but also big money.

Baracketology

It is worth noting that former US President Barack Obama is a big fan of the tournament and during his two terms as the country's commander in chief, the "presidential bracket" has become a tradition.

This year

This is how the current year grid looks like.

Who to follow?

I want to immediately thank Alexander Gorokhov, the founder of the blog Dilettante's Notes. He made a gorgeous list, to which I added my players and my comments. Upvote it and subscribe.

Jarrett Kalver ( “ TEXAS ” , attacking defender, STRUCTION)

Statistics of the season: 18.5 points, 6.3 selection, 3.6 programs, 1 .3 3PTM, 1.3 steals

Suggested draft range: The first five

The best potential franchise: “ Atlanta HOX ”

Type among NBA players: Caris Leveris

Jarrett Kalver was able to turn from a potential ordinary role -player, on his shoulders of the pulling Tekhas “Tekhas with their bombarding talents.

He managed to attract the attention of NBA scouts, who initially did not see anything special in him. He redesigned his running style, and now, thanks to stride length and faster runs, 19The 8cm guard is a more mature player than he was in his freshman year. At the same time, he became a better finisher, realizing almost 6 percent better than the previous year - 58.8% of all shots.

His shooting has evolved this season, allowing him to add more than 97 three-pointers to his stats and to his overall arsenal of mid to long range shots.

Culver doesn't have to lead Texas far in the tournament to get a coveted 2019 Draft green room call.of the year. He has already become one of the most gifted players in the country in both halves of the floor, and is potentially at least a top 5 pick in this draft.

Arrett ( “ DUK ” , attacking defender/light forward, freshman)

Season statistics: 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.9 3-pointers

Predicted draft range: top three

The best potential franchise: “ New York NIX ” / “ Phoenix Sans ”

Type among NBA players: Michael Radd

18-year-old Er Jay, Killed team of team practically does not slow down its momentum during the season, starting with the first game against Kentucky and 33 points against them.

He has exactly the mentality of an alpha player, the very X-factor on the floor that the teams tanking now so badly need. And during this NCAA tournament, he will definitely have a chance to show it, given Barrett's history of winning in high school and at the FIBA ​​and Nike Hoop Summit international competitions.

Barrett has an untrained instinct to create shooting opportunities for himself in every match by constantly improvising and involving partners. He may not be the best shooter or assist, but his 1.9 3-pointers and 4.1 assists per game reflect underrated passing and chance-creating skills.

Barrett's biggest questions concern his timing and ability to create easy shots for himself as the game slows down. According to Synergy Sports, Barrett ranks only 53rd among the players on these indicators.

Still, competitiveness, PR and his own will should keep Barrett in the top five picks in this draft.

JA Morant ( “ Murray Steit ” , playing, STRUCTION)

Statistics of the season: 24. 6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 10.0 gear, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 6 3-pointers

Predicted draft range: Top four

Best potential franchise: « Dallas Mavericks »

NBA player type: Dearon Fox

Ja Morant, arguably the most exciting breakout star in the country, will be the focus of attention at the NCAA Tournament as for fans who have only seen the high lights as the season progresses, and to NBA scouts hoping to reaffirm the significance of Jah's regular season results and potential.

His ability to tackle fast breaks speaks for itself, but he deserves the highest praise primarily for his vision and playmaking skills. He is an outstanding attacking specialist, able to destroy even the deepest defenses, create chances for teammates and shoot equally well with both hands.

His scoring ability is also undeniable as he scores more possession points than any other player in the country. Morant is able to put a lot of pressure on the opponent's defense and find ingenious ways to finish attacks both in front of the basket and under it.

Scouts will be watching his jump shot during the tournament, probably more than anyone else. The throw remains his biggest issue, which could keep him from moving to the NBA. He's shooting 33.6 percent from threes, though his 1.6 shots per game is a marked improvement from last year's 0.8.

Kobi White ( “ North Carolina ” , playing/attacking defender, freshman)

Statistics of the season: 16.3 points, 4.2 programs, 2.4 three -year

Predicted Draft Range: Lottery

Best Potential Franchise: Memphis Grizzlies

Season stats: 18. 9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 7.6 assists

drafted range Lottery

Best Potential Franchise: Early to Tell

NBA Player Type: Ray Felton

Aside from his height, it turns out that Winston has a lot to offer. He is deceptively fast, I would even say he changes speeds flawlessly, he understands the game well and makes very few mistakes at the moment.

He doesn't stand out in any way, but he is a stable player, keeps his composure in difficult moments, which was especially expressed in the last minutes of the BIG 10 tournament final, and therefore I think that he will become a useful player at a professional level.

Ignas Brazdeekis (Michigan, Light forward , Fighter)

Statistics of the season: 15.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 0.9 programs

9000 9000 9000

003 Predicted Draft Range:

Best Potential Franchise: Early to Tell

NBA Player Type: Gordon Hayward

He is Michigan's most scoring player this season, which was very evident against Michigan State. At one point, he alone had more points than all the Spartans combined in the final of the BIG 10 tournament and it was he who scored the first 9Wolverines points in that game.

He also makes few mistakes, as evidenced by his low loss rate (8.9 percent). He also has good athleticism and self-confidence.

It should be noted that in order to achieve more, Ignas needs to play more passes and switch to the role of a passer when the game does not go well or the opponent starts to pinch him. In the finals of the BIG 10 tournament, Spartans changed their defense scheme against Ignas and he seemed to disappear after a fiery start to the match.

And maybe you've heard of him...

Zion Williamson (Duke, PF/C, freshman)

Season stats: 22.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.2 interceptions, 1.8 blocks

Predictable draft range: No. 1 without options

Best potential franchise: “ Phoenix Sans ” / “ New York NIKS ”

Potential appsets.

A match between teams from (5) - (12) pots usually results in the most upsets. This year I think it is (5)-(12) that will give the first upset: (12) Murray State Racers will beat (5) Marquette Golden Eagles. The Racers lost 4 games all year, two of which were against Alabama and Auburn SEC teams. Auburn generally became the champion of the SEC tournament. In addition, Ja Morant will play the consensus second pick in the upcoming draft against the Golden Eagles. It is also worth noting that Marchette lost 5 of their last 6 games before the tournament.

The potential for the biggest upset is in the game (14) Yale - (3) Louisiana State. I personally think that under normal circumstances, Louisiana State would have struggled but definitely beat an Ivy League team. But after the suspension of coach Will Wade for his part in a corruption scandal aimed at bribing players, I'm not so sure of their victory. The suspension of the Louisiana State coach was evident in their loss in the SEC tournament. In the meantime, Yale is playing very solidly, as shown by the game with the favorite of the Ivy League tournament, Harvard.

Last game I watch: (13) Vermont - (4) Florida State. This game depends a lot on Florida State and how much they want to play. Last year, Florida State reached a perfect eight and was 4 points behind the last four. 8 players from last year's team are playing for Florida State this year. Plus, this team took out the tournament favorite ACC "Virginia" in the semifinals of the tournament. Against them is a rival that many consider to be one of the best teams outside of the big six. I still think Florida State will win, but I wouldn't be surprised if Vermont won.

My net!

I remind you that the first four have already played, and the first round begins with Minnesota and Louisville) at 19.15 Moscow time. Happy viewing everyone!

Photo: Gettyimages.ru/ Streeter Lecka, Stephen Dunn/ALLSPORT, Patrick Smith, John Weast, Michael Hickey, Jonathan Daniel, Dylan Buell

Foul between the lines.

Agents and sponsors chasing the most promising athletes has threatened college sports in North America

Collegiate teams are of great importance to the sports industry in the US and Canada, especially in basketball. They train staff for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and draw huge attention to their own competitions. March Madness, the finals of the men's college championship, is successfully competing in ratings with NBA games. Naturally, this is of interest to sportswear brands, financial institutions, automotive concerns and other potential advertisers.

NCAA basketball players are considered amateurs and do not receive a salary - the most successful of them have only a scholarship to cover tuition costs. Under these conditions, contracts with personal sponsors can turn your head. Agents should help calmly understand the financial and legal intricacies without harming your career, but it was their work that brought student sports to a huge scandal.

National Collegiate Athletic Association. Unites 1281 organizations that conduct sports competitions in colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Under the auspices of the NCAA are championships in 24 sports. More than 450 thousand athletes participate in these tournaments. In 2014, NCAA revenue reached $1 billion. At least 80% of the association's money comes from the top division of the men's basketball championship.

Non-amateur transactions

In late September, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested eight NCAA coaches and two athletic equipment managers. All of them appear in the case, which the bureau has been working on for a year and a half. The FBI has identified several cases of coaches and agents using bribes to persuade players to transfer to a particular university. They themselves received rewards for this from the managers of these universities, striving to assemble a stronger squad, in fact, outbidding basketball players, or from sponsoring companies looking for the most promising career development options for their potential clients in terms of moving to the NBA. Students were offered to change not so much the university as the team. This allows the participants in the transaction to earn, but is contrary to the principles of amateur sports.

Former NCAA player, current basketball agent Kevin Tarka commented to the CBC on this situation: “I wouldn't say shocked. Changes in recruitment in recent years are evident. Unfortunately, the influence of outfitters has increased dramatically. But the intervention of the FBI surprised. This is a completely different level in contrast to the internal investigation of the NCAA. Everything starts from the bottom. Athletes are being pulled in all directions: family, friends, shoe companies, coaches, amateur athletes union, scouts, agents... When huge sums are involved, it's hard to spot a foul somewhere between the lines. Someone is bound to break the rules to try and make money.” .

Heavy choice

The hunt for the best basketball players is understandable. Such players with sports success can bring millions to their university (most of the huge NCAA profits are distributed among league members), and if they get into the NBA, they will provide good advertising to sponsors and a decent commission to agents.

The problem is that the majority of basketball students enter the NBA draft after their first year. And they have to make a difficult choice: either try to prove themselves in the best league in the world, or postpone this issue until graduation. In the first case (if a contract with an agent is signed), there will be no opportunity to return to the university, in the second, there is a risk of losing three years of a career (and a high salary) in a weaker tournament. Even those who are objectively not ready for the NBA often cannot resist the temptation. For them, the first professional contract is the last, but at the age of 17 it is difficult to soberly assess their strength. Especially when your advisor is very interested in getting a commission. As a result, both the players and the NCAA level suffer.

“We need to find ways to pay the players the official salary. Otherwise, the NCAA will put itself in danger of destruction, - sure Kevin Tarka . – It is necessary that the guys understand their true market value. Let the account be available to them only after graduation, but it should be their money. Coaches in the NCAA earn several million dollars, while athletes receive only "free training." Absurd. However, it is necessary to weaken the interest of the NBA. And let the players hire agents to keep them informed, but don't take away their right to training if they can't sign a professional contract!"

Gray Cardinals

In the report released by the FBI, the names of athletes and universities are hidden. Pseudonyms are used - "Player 1", "Player 2", "University 3", "University 4" and so on. For example, it is indicated that the coaches received from adidas (more precisely, from "Company 1") and agents $ 22 thousand for the transfer of one player to the "University 6" team. University 6 is described as similar to the University of Louisville, where Hall of Famer Rick Pitino was fired after the report was published.

There are two main defendants. No one is as closely connected to the black market agents, shoe companies, financial advisors, and recruiters in the NCAA as they are. These are Adidas International Sports Marketing Director for Basketball James Gatto and an employee of the same company, Merle Coad, who previously headed the youth basketball program of another equipment manufacturer (described as similar to Nike). For two decades they remained in the shadows and turned all the deals without too much noise. Both have happy families and crystal clear reputations. The information that surfaced shocked their entourage. Charges of bribery and money laundering threaten terms of up to 40 years. Collaboration with the investigation may knock them down, but in this case, Code and Gatto will have to show something really significant, which will surely result in new arrests among coaches, managers and other industry workers.

“He was in charge of budgeting, recruiting, college coach relations, ,” says a person who worked with Code. – He controlled everything and nothing could happen without his knowledge. That is why everyone is in fear right now.” .

“Coaches who worked with equipment manufacturers are sleeping in a cold sweat. I imagine myself in the place of James and Merle and understand that their families are dearer to them than even their closest clients. If in such a situation I knew something that would reduce my term, I would certainly tell it. It's not about the war with North Korea, we're talking about college basketball."0471, ESPN analyst Sam Fraccilla , who used to work as a coach at a New Mexico college, assessed what was happening.