ANTHONY GETTINO
Sports Editor
Every year during the month of March, there’s always some amount of chaos during the NCAA Tournament. There are Cinderella stories, David vs. Goliath showdowns and dominant performances that will go down in history.
There is one thing that stays the same; someone will be cutting down the nets as the National Champions.
As it stands now, only four teams remain: Duke, North Carolina, Villanova and Kansas. Each has a storied history and are in the top tier of teams year in and year out. But how did we get to this point?
That’s where the tournament gets its name of March Madness.
Obviously the first thing that comes to mind is St. Peters — the first 15 seed in the tournament to reach the Elite Eight. Beating Kentucky, one of the favorites in the first round before defeating Murray State and Purdue.
St. Peters shot the ball really well and had some of the best defensive showings of any team throughout the tournament. We were given constant entertainment with their postgame quotes and the internet frenzy that came from such an underdog like the Peacocks. Their run was ended by North Carolina one game short of the final weekend however.
That was the story of the tournament. There weren’t any high ranking teams that looked safe throughout the tournament. Before their elimination in the Sweet 16, Gonzaga was given a run for their money in the second round. Arizona was on the ropes throughout their time in the tournament before falling to Houston in the Sweet 16 as well. Baylor went out in the second round after their 25 point comeback came up short in overtime. These are the one seeds of the tournament. The only one seed left is Kansas, who most people had as a two or three seed through the season.
One of the biggest remaining storylines of the tournament is Duke and Coach Krzyzewski. This season has been considered Coach Krzyzewski’s farewell tour, as he announced before the season began that he would retire. He has had an elite team this season and is just two wins shy of going out on top. During this tournament, he was able to claim his record breaking 13th Final Four appearance, and he will now get to coach in the first North Carolina vs. Duke game in NCAA tournament history for his chance at the title game.
When asked what their favorite moment of the tournament has been so far, junior sociology major Anthony Ruiz said, “St. Peters. It has to be. They made history and are just the right type of underdog for anyone to be able to root for.”
As for how the rest of the tournament will go, it’s hard to say. Each of these teams has fought hard to get to this point and all have a chance of winning. Out of the four left, North Carolina is the weakest of the bunch by a good margin. Duke and Kansas have been talked about as favorites all year long, with Villanova not far out of the conversation as well. This seems like Duke’s to lose, though. In my prediction, Coach K will have his storybook ending by cutting down the nets and taking home the title over Villanova in the championship game.