March Madness is always something to look forward to each spring. Since 1939, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has become one of the most iconic annual sporting events in history, acting as a holiday for sports fans nationwide. The first tournament featured just eight teams, with Oregon taking home the title. Over the years, the tournament has grown significantly, expanding to sixty-eight teams and making it one of the most unpredictable and thrilling events in sports.
One of the most exciting aspects of March Madness is making a bracket. The bracket, a chart that outlines every matchup from the first round to the championship, offers fans a chance to predict the tournament, with the goal of being perfect. The first ever men’s bracket was introduced at a bar in Staten Island, New York in 1977. What started as a small tradition has since exploded into a national obsession, with tens of millions of fans trying to predict the outcome of every game. Despite millions of attempts, there has never been a perfect bracket. In fact, the odds are near impossible, with the actual percentage being one in 9.2 quintillion.
This year’s tournament was historic in several ways, but one of the most talked about developments was the dominance of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The SEC, known mainly as a football powerhouse, has emerged as possibly the best conference in college basketball. In a record-setting season, the SEC was able to put 14 of its 16 teams in the tournament. The SEC also claimed half of the tournament’s top seeds: Florida and Auburn.
Kane Casani ‘27, a dedicated sports fan, shared his thoughts on the conference’s evolution:”Yeah, I think there has for sure been a shift. I remember Bama used to be one of the best in college football and this year they didn’t even make the twelve team playoff. The SEC has for sure evolved. I mean, if you look at the stats, there were 14 SEC teams in March Madness, and half of the Final Four teams were from the SEC. I don’t think this powerhouse will slow down anytime soon.”
The brackets, while nearly impossible to predict perfectly, remain a key part of the March Madness fun each year.Gavin Miller ’27, a diehard hoops enthusiast, reflected on the “perfect bracket” phenomena, saying,“I think it will happen eventually. For one point in time, I was first in the Loyola March Madness bracket. I think it will for sure happen in due time.”
Gavin was among the few students who correctly predicted #10 seed Arkansas upsetting #2 seeded Saint John’s in the second round. He also picked Florida to win it all–an impressive call that paid off when the Gators cut down the nets after narrowly beating Houston.
Florida’s championship run didn’t come as a complete shock to everyone, but one player’s journey certainly stood out: Walter Clayton Jr. Originally a standout in football, Clayton Jr. received many offers from top programs such as Notre Dame, Georgia, and Florida. Instead, he chose to follow his passion for basketball and committed to Iona University.
At Iona, Clayton averaged 16.8 points, 1.8 steals, 3.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in his second season. His impressive performance earned him the respect of Florida coach Todd Golden, and he received an offer to transfer to the championship-hopeful Florida Gators. Over two seasons with the Gators, he averaged around 18 points per game and played a crucial role in leading Florida to their first national title in 18 years.
March Madness continues to grow, evolve and surprise fans every year. With rising stars like Walter Clayton Jr., powerhouse conferences like the SEC making noise and fans everywhere still chasing that perfect bracket, one thing’s for sure–the Madness is far from over.