Jason Lin ’24

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Alas! March is here and college basketball fans all around the country are gearing up for the one of the most exciting events in sports: March Madness. The 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s basketball tournament will begin on Tuesday, March 14 with 68 teams divided into four regions and in a win-or-go-home situation. 

Many fans are eager to see the upsets and Cinderella stories that make March Madness one of the most thrilling months for both avid and casual fans. From posterizing dunks and buzzer beaters, March Madness will always be filled with excitement. 

This year the Final Four will be held in Houston, our fourth time being the host city. Houston last hosted the Final Four in 2016 at NRG stadium, when Villonove took down North Carolina with one of the most iconic buzzer beaters in college basketball history.

Currently, the frontrunner to win the March Madness tournament is the Houston Cougars, who have never won a national despite being runner-up in 1983 and 1984 and making the final four last year. However, the Cougars have a real shot at winning it all this year. They are led by the senior guard Marcus Sasser who is averaging 17 points and 3.3 assists per game. Additionally, they added Jarace Walker, a top recruit in his class who has certainly lived up to the hype by averaging over 10 points and 7 rebounds per game. Overall as a team, Houston plays with tremendous energy and are relentless with their defense and offensive rebounding. 

The UCLA Bruins could also make the final four with point guard Tyler Campbell and Jaime Jaquez Jr as they are returning members who can bring a lot of veteran leadership. They also have five-star freshmen Amari Bailey and Adam Vona, who are young talents. 

With this being said, there are certainly other teams that could take down the Houston Cougars, not just the Bruins. The Alabama Crimson Tide, Purdue Boilermakers, and Kansas Jayhawks come to mind.

We will have to wait to see. Let the madness unfold!