By the midpoint of second semester, a typical student may not be looking forward to much besides getting through five more days before a long spring break. However, for college basketball fans, there is plenty of reason to be excited in upcoming weeks.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 marks the first day that games begin for the famous annual college basketball tournament, otherwise known as 2014 NCAA March Madness. Featuring a wide array of strong competitors from the locally-known St. Louis Billikens to the undefeated Wichita State Shockers, over 64 colleges and universities across the country will compete within their region and work their way up to the NCAA Basketball Championship title on April 7, 2014.
“I enjoy the competition and watching nonstop college basketball,” said senior Jaylen Henderson. “I expect Florida to win it all, but I like the chance for a low wager team to shock the world too.”
One tradition that many students particularly enjoy is creating some sort of bracket to predict a winner. Websites for Sports Illustrated, ESPN and CBS all offer brackets that can either be submitted to an online pool or written in a printable bracket.
When constructing such brackets, students may consider several factors such as division rivalries, matchup locations, and potential upsets. Some challengers may even bet money within small groups to win a larger cash prize in return, usually requiring more meticulous balancing of winners and upsets.
“You got to be in it to win it,” said junior Michael Jacobson. “The upsets make March Madness incredible and there’s plenty of excitement every year when you’re filling out a new bracket.”
If you haven’t filled out a bracket yet or feel the spirit to complete another, you still have a chance to become involved with the March Madness spirit. PattonvilleTODAY will be hosting a bracket competition, in which all Pattonville students can submit one complete bracket to win a basketball-themed prized.
All entries must be turned in to room B110 before the end of school on Wednesday, March 19. In order to participate, visit CBS or PrintYourBrackets and submit either a printed or written entry for a chance to win. Scoring will be computed following these rules, and the winner will be notified by the end of the tournament.
