March Madness: Road to the Final Four

Throughout the month of March, college basketball fans have been tuned in to watch NCAA March Madness, the culminating tournament for men’s college basketball. On Saturday, April 2, the Final Four will take place in Houston, Texas. Our hometown Villanova Wildcats will tip off against the Oklahoma Sooners at 6:09 EST, with the North Carolina Tar Heels taking on the Syracuse Orange at 8:49 EST. Here’s what you need to know going into this pivotal weekend.

The Round of 64 featured many upsets, with the most significant being the Michigan State Spartans falling to Middle Tennessee State. Other improbable upsets in this round include Hawaii over California, Yale over Baylor, Stephen F. Austin over West Virginia, and Arkansas Little Rock over Purdue.

The Round of 32 was calm for the most part, except for a couple of unbelievable upsets. The Wisconsin Badgers took down the Xavier Musketeers, whom were favored to make a deep run in the tournament. In addition, the Gonzaga Bulldogs knocked out the Utah Utes to take out yet another high seed early.

The Sweet 16 was very predictable, with only two teams not having a 1 or 2 seed reaching the Elite Eight, those teams being Notre Dame and Syracuse.

The Elite Eight was quite the opposite, with three #1 teams sent home. Villanova denied Kansas’ Final Four bid in a thrilling nail biter. The Oklahoma Sooners, led by star point guard Buddy Hield, comfortably beat the Oregon Ducks by double digits. The North Carolina Tar Heels came out the winner against Notre Dame, being the only #1 seed left in the Final Four. The biggest shocker was the Syracuse Orange over the University of Virginia. The Orange went on a 25-4 run in the second half, and held on after its remarkable comeback to win.

With only four teams remaining, the statistical favorite is North Carolina, with an estimated 38% chance of winning the coveted title. They are favored at 70% against the Orange, while Villanova only has a 54-46 edge over the Oklahoma Sooners. Be sure to tune in this weekend, as the madness continues into April!