Contenders or Pretenders: March Madness Breakdown

March Madness is the biggest college basketball tournament of the year that hosts 64 teams total from the west and east coast of America to decide the NCAA College Basketball World Champion. This year had been as competitive as any other year despite many fans across media citing the lack of college superstars like Zion Williamson or the John Walls of the past.
Teams like UConn, Tennessee, and Houston are at the top of the leaderboards in experts’ eyes. Purdue is also among the top teams in the country looking to redeem themselves for their first-round blunders in years past. There are also some popular sleeper picks this year like Auburn, Iowa State, and Marquette.
As for who we believe is going to appear in the final four, out of the east, I have the agreed-upon favorite to win the tournament, UConn. UConn has been dominant all year and has proven to be one of the best, if not the best team in the country along with Houston. Couple this with an Eastern bracket that shouldn’t give them many problems outside of a possible Iowa State or Auburn matchup, and you have an easy route to the Final Four.
Out of the West, I have Arizona. While North Carolina IS number 1, they have been quite unconvincing this season. Meanwhile, Arizona has been dominating with their offense year, averaging 87.9 the entire season, ranking 3rd in the country. the rigorous PAC-12 conference. Out of the South, Unsurprisingly, I have Houston. Houston has been the best team in the country the entire year. Their being in the final four or even winning the championship shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone.
Out of the Midwest, I have Tennessee, who should have an easier road than most teams in the tournament. Houston is the obvious pick to win the whole thing with the best defense in the country, but I have my faith in Arizona to win it all. I feel like their offense will ultimately override all other teams’ efforts to win it all.
Outside of the big team, I do expect some upsets as well. I expect James Madison to make waves in the tournament. I’m also rooting for the Crimson Tide to make rounds and surprise some teams this March Madness. Overall, this March Madness should be extremely exciting to see.