Final Four Frenzy
The NCAA Tournament is called “March Madness” because it drives fans to just that– madness. Every year, people root for their favorite teams, bet their odds on the #1 seeds and then are disappointed when their March Madness brackets are totaled by upset after upset. The 2017 tournament is no exception, and the Final Four, set to play April 1, have busted fans’ brackets across the nation.
A total of 0.003% of brackets nationwide have predicted the final four matchups. Oregon, UNC, Gonzaga and South Carolina have all climbed their way to the top, one upset at a time. South Carolina claimed their slot after big victories top seeded Duke, Baylor and Florida.
Gonzaga’s road to the Final Four has finally paid off over the past two years. In 2015, they lost to Duke in a close Elite Eight game, and fell short three points to Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen last year. Seeded at #1 in the West Conference, Gonzaga is favored to triumph over the South Carolina Gamecocks in their matchup Saturday, April 1, tipping off at 5:09 PM.
The other teams battling against each other this upcoming weekend are the North Carolina Tar Heels and Oregon Ducks. This is Oregon’s first trip to the tournament semi-finals in 77 years, after defeating tournament favorite Kansas in the Elite Eight, upsetting the Jayhawks 74-60. The returning Tar Heels are favored to clinch the championship out of the remaining teams, after their close 75-73 victory over #2 seeded Kentucky, a
game that left the audience in the stands, including junior Paul Schneider, on the edge of their seats.
“The last ten seconds might’ve been the craziest end I’ve ever seen to a basketball game. I was disappointed that Kentucky lost but it was a really good game,” said Schneider.
With a surprising Final Four set to play for the championship title in the next two weeks, further upsets are far from impossible. The beauty of the NCAA Tournament is that any team may clinch the title, and this year’s teams are all completely capable of a championship.
Jordyn is a senior who is in the Ambassadors, Pro-life, and Book Clubs, CRU, class cabinet, is the official Badge Maker of the iSquad and a varsity...