By: Atharava Pandey

National/World Editor 

On Selection Sunday, Mar. 16, the official March Madness bracket came out to the public. March Madness is an NCAA college basketball tournament that has 64 colleges play in a single-elimination format. It is one of the most popular events in American sports. With so many good teams this year, March Madness promises to be a blast for viewers all around the country. 

Duke University is the number one seed on the eastern side of the bracket. Duke lost a lot of talent to the NBA this year, including Jared McCain. However, they have not missed a beat, arguably performing even better than last year. With freshman superstar Cooper Flagg, Duke went 31-3 this year. Although there are injury concerns surrounding Flagg, the medical staff has reported that he will be ready for the tournament, priming  Duke for a championship run.  

Auburn has been the best team in college basketball this season, claiming the number one overall seed in the bracket. Auburn went 28-5 this year in one of the NCAA’s most competitive conferences. They are one of the most elite 3-point defenses in the country and also boast the second-most efficient offense. Auburn will look to make a deep run this year after their disappointing tournament loss to Yale last time around. 

According to most analysts’ predictions, Florida is the favorite to win the entire championship. The Gators went 30-4 this year, having a better overall record than Auburn but a worse conference record. They are the second-most picked team on ESPN’s bracket challenge to go the distance. Florida is above 35 on the efficiency margin, a good predictor of future March Madness champions. The Gators are primed to win it all. 

Houston is considered by many to be the weakest top seed out of the four, yet they still have a good shot at winning it all. Houston had the number one seed in their section last year as well, yet lost their Sweet 16 matchup to Duke. Their offense was ice-cold in that game, missing half of their free throws. Their early exit last year may fuel them to go further this season. 

Although these four teams are the favorites to win it this year, the exciting March Madness format means anything can happen. UConn has won the previous two tournaments and has a historic chance to win three in a row. Although their team is playing significantly worse this year, it would be dangerous to rule them out. There are also teams like Alabama and Tennessee who went far last year and will be contenders. 

The beauty of March Madness is that no team is a definitive favorite. Even the No.16 seed can beat the No. 1 seed on any given day. With the tournament starting on Mar. 20, all 64 teams are preparing for a great tournament. There will be underdog stories and favorites having disappointing tournaments. This year’s March Madness will be one to watch. 

(Sources: ESPN, NY Times, USA Today, Yahoo Today)