Printing brackets, Cinderella stories, buzzer beaters, screaming fans, and inevitable heartbreak. Whether they are fans of top teams like Duke, Kentucky, or Michigan, or less flashy teams like Cincinnati. At least a few Ross students will experience these during March Madness.

March Madness is the annual end of season tournament for the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I men’s basketball teams. The top 68 teams get selected into a six round bracket. Games will be played starting on March 19th and the Championship game will be held at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 8.

These four teams are proving that they can make a deep run into the tournament, and maybe even take home the national championship.

The Michigan Wolverines are led by Guard Jordan Poole, they have a 24-4 record and they are ranked 9th in the nation. The team also averages 70.3 points per game (PPG) while holding their opponents to only 58.4 PPG.

Poole, who is shooting 79% from the field only averages 13.2 points a game. Showing how well Michigan has played as a team this season.

Sophomore Casey Cuozzo shared his thoughts on how the Kentucky Wildcats will do this tournament. Cuozzo said, “I believe that my team will go to the final four and hopefully to the National Championship. I believe this because my team is ranked [fourth] in the nation at the moment, and they have a legacy of getting the job done and just flat out winning, They also have one of the best coaches in the nation in John Calipari.”

The Duke Blue Devils are led by freshman Zion Williamson, even though Williamson has been out due to injury the last couple of games. He is expected to be back in time for conference and tournament play.

The 6’7” 285 lb forward from North Carolina is projected to go number one overall in the upcoming NBA draft.

Cuozzo said, “I believe that even though Duke is one of the most hyped up teams in the country right now, I am predicting that they will be knocked out in the sweet 16 this year.”

Cuozzo said when asked on what his plans were for the tournament, “ I plan to watch as much of the tournament games as possible and create the perfect bracket that everyone dreams of every year, even though the chances of that are little to none.”

Junior Brett Eads said when asked on how his Cincinnati Bearcats will do, “Obviously I want to say UC will win it all, but I have to be realistic. I think they will be a 5 or 6 seed and make it to the sweet 16.”

Eads also said, “They’re a very underrated team this year because they lost players like Jacob Evans and Gary Clark but they have a lot of talent on the roster, and a true star in Jarron Cumberland that they can turn to if they need a shot, as well as a really deep roster.”

Eads admits there are some negatives to his team, “The problem with UC teams in the past has been offense, but this team is loaded on the offensive end and is still a top 10 defense in the country.”

So, as the Selection Show comes around the corner and soon there will be games on every minute of the day. Be sure to fill out your brackets, and root your teams on at the big dance.