Madness is an understatement when describing the events that take place during the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament every March. Each year, qualified teams from around the country join into an annual tournament that combines powerhouse basketball programs with unknown Cinderella stories, and only one team can come out on top. To be the NCAA Men’s tournament champion, you have to win every game starting with the Round of 64, Round of 32, Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final Four, and the National Championship.

Along with the craziness that has been nicknamed “March Madness”, each person has their own method/strategy of choosing the teams to advance.

“I simply choose the games based on my knowledge of college basketball,” junior Chad Book said. “When I’m not sure which team to pick, I look at the seed, or rank, of each team and pick based upon that tactic.”

One of the best and most exciting parts of March Madness are the wagers that are placed on various games or brackets. Some bets are made on a single game, and others are decided on who, at the end of the tournament, has the most accurate bracket.

“Of course I make bets,” freshman Chase Book said. “The system that I use is a points system, each person gets a point for choosing a game correctly, but an upset counts for extra points. I mainly bet on Michigan State and make a lot of money.”

Along with the wagers that are made throughout the tournament, everyone has their favorite part about the nationwide event.

“I love to watch all of the games, but specifically the upsets,” junior Taylor Frederick said. “For example, a 14-seed upsetting a 3-seed is a fun game to watch. In addition, I enjoy seeing the players of each team display so much heart and passion, putting it all on the line.”

Everyone has their favorite school they hope will propel during the tournament and eventually take home the championship trophy.

“This year, along with everybody else, I think the Kentucky Wildcats will win the tournament,” junior Caleb Holt said. “If Kentucky is able to accomplish this feat, they would complete a perfect season of 40 wins to 0 losses.”

The tournament itself is a growing nationwide event that more and more people are tuning in to watch.

“The possibility of making money from choosing your own bracket plays into March Madness being so popular,” Chase Book said. “The crazed fans supporting their teams helps the players perform well, and, of course, all of the Cinderella stories.”