Here is a list of reasons March Madness is the best sporting event in America
Hanna Jump is one of the top female college basketball players in the NCAA tournament. How wonderful is that?
She’s a Stanford guard, leads the Pac-12 with 94 three-pointers, and the psychology major was named Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year with a 3.75 GPA. Jump is one of many reasons to get in the mood for March Madness when the fun begins this week. Here are some others in random order.
BRBB: Indiana University’s Big Red Basketball Band.
ZACH EDEY: Purdue’s 7-foot-4, 300-pound star is the most dominant force in the game right now. He averages 21.9 points per game, 12.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.
TOP SEEDS (Men): Alabama, Houston, Kansas, Purdue. (Women): South Carolina, Indiana, Virginia Tech, Stanford
16 SEEDS: Sixteenth seedlings are 1-143 all-time in the men’s tournament. The only winner was the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, who beat No. 1 seed Virginia in 2018. In the women’s tournament in 1998, Harvard was the first seeded 16th, toppling a No. 1 beating Stanford.
DEANDRE WILLIAMS: At 26, the Memphis forward is the tournament’s oldest player.
COACH L: UM’s Jim Larranaga proved in 2006 that anything is possible in March. He led George Mason to the Final Four with wins over Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State and UConn. Last March, he led the Hurricanes to their first Elite Eight in school history after two Sweet 16 runs. They’re ready to get back on a deep run but Norchad Omier is limping from a sprained ankle and may not be able to play.
CAVINDER TWINS: Hurricanes twin guards Haley and Hanna Cavinder have 4 million TikTok followers, but they’re not just social media influencers. They are fierce competitors.
KAMIE ETHRIDGE: The Washington State women’s coach has inherited a program that hasn’t appeared in the NCAA tournament for three decades. The Cougars just booked their third straight trip with a 23-10 record and a Cinderella run to the Pac-12 championship as the No. 7 seed, the lowest ever to win the crown.
SHANIA TWAIN: PS The Washington State Women’s National Team’s anthem all season has been country star Shania Twain’s “Man, I Feel Like a Woman.” The singer saw a video of the players singing and immediately became a fan.
CELEBRITY FANS: Notable alumni from lower-line teams include Ben Affleck (Vermont Catamounts), George Clooney (North Kentucky Norse) and Kamala Harris (Howard Bison).
POTENTIAL BRACKET-BUSTERS FOR MEN: Oral Roberts, Drake, College of Charleston, VCU, Louisiana, Furman, State of Kent, State of Arizona, State of Mississippi.
FGCU WOMEN: For the fourth straight year, FGCU women (32-3) lead Division I with 47 percent of their shots coming from three-point ranges. The Eagles are the only four-player team shooting over 40 percent from beyond.
JACKRABBITS: Looking for another angry choice in the women’s class? Look at the state of South Dakota. The Summit League champions are 28-5, have won by averaging 28 points and have the nation’s third-longest active winning streak at 21 games.
DICK VITALE: Even while he was dealing with cancer and vocal cord issues, Dickie V tweeted about PTPers and diaper dandies. The 83-year-old broadcasting legend is back at work and as excited as ever.
BUZZER BEATERS: Lorenzo Charles for NC State 1983. Christian Laettner for Duke 1990, 1992. Bryce Drew for Valparaiso 1998. Kris Jenkins for Villanova 2016.
HOUSTON: The Cougars have had 27 or more wins in five of the last six years under coach Kelvin Sampson. Marcus Sasser averaged 17.1 PPG. Jarace Walker is a likely lottery pick. J’Wan Roberts is one of five Houston players to average 10 points or more per game.
CAITLIN CLARK: The two-time Big Ten player of the year from Iowa is sure to become the national player of the year. Last season, she became the first player in Division I history to lead the country in both points and assists per game. That year, she recorded an NCAA-best 8.3 assists per game and averaged 27 points.
OFFICE POOLS: No one’s brackets are blown… yet.
CREEPY MASCOTS: Friar Dom of Providence and the Purdue Boilermaker (separated at birth)
RECORD BREAKER: Most points in a single game – Austin Carr (Notre Dame) 61 points in 1970 vs. Ohio. Lorri Bauman (Drake) 50 points in 1982 against Maryland
SHAKA SMART: The Marquette coach lost three of last season’s top four scorers and was ranked ninth in the Big East’s preseason poll. They won the league regular season title.
GAELS: From Iona, not to be confused with Gaels of Saint Mary’s.
ISLANDERS: Ever wonder why the Texas A&M Corpus Christi mascot is the Islanders? Because the campus is on a 396 hectare island.
PALADINES: The Furman Paladins are based in Greenville, South Carolina. Her notable alumni include singer Amy Grant, University of Florida soccer coach Billy Napier, and former US soccer player Clint Dempsey.
MEN’S STANDOUTS: Brandon Miller (Alabama), Jarace Walker (Houston), Keyonte George (Baylor), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Drew Timme (Gonzaga), Jaime Jaquez (UCLA), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), Kyle Filipowski (Duke), Tyler Kolek (Marquette), Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), Azuoloas Tubeis (Arizona)
WOMEN’S STANDOUTS: Aliyah Boston (South Carolina), Rickea Jackson (Tennessee), Azzi Fudd (UConn), Mackenzie Holmes (IU), Angel Reese (LSU), Cam Brink (Stanford), Diamond Miller (Maryland), Ta’Niya Watson (FSU), Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech).
Stakes: An estimated 68 million Americans are expected to bet $15.5 billion on the NCAA men’s tournament, according to a poll by the American Gaming Association (AGA).
A SHINING MOMENT: The Ladder. Scissors. Luther Vandross. video montage. It never gets old.