As March approaches, so does madness.

Game-winning shots are what makes March mad. 

“My favorite game I have ever watched during March madness is the 2016 National Championship game. A Villanova player hit a last second three-pointer to beat North Carolina, which very rarely happens,” junior Hayden Stringer said. 

Upsets are also a major part of March madness. 

“I think the biggest upsets ever in March madness is when the No. 1 seeds lost to No. 16 seeds. Last season, No. 1 Purdue lost to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson. A few years before that, No. 1 Virginia lost to No. 16 UMBC. Games like that are so rare that they are really enjoyable to watch,” Stringer said. 

Last season’s champion is back and better than ever.  

“I think UConn is going to win the National Championship. They won last year, and they have a lot of players returning from that roster. They have started off the year strong and have been Top 10 in the country for the entire season,” senior Brendan Bailey said.

One tournament favorite for this season is in Indiana. 

“There are a lot of teams that could win the tournament, but I think Purdue has a good shot. They have the best play in college in Zach Edey as well as many other solid players,” sophomore Nic Grimes said. 

The Women’s tournament also has potential to be one of the best. One specific player has been setting the nation on fire. 

“One play that has stood out this season has been Cailtin Clark. She is a guard for Iowa and she has moved all the way up to second all time in total points in the history of women’s college basketball. I can not wait to watch her in March,” senior Stasia Buckalew said. 

Some students said experience will affect the outcome of the men’s tournament. 

“I think one of the blue blood teams will win the championship. Blue bloods are teams that are consistently good and win championships, such as North Carolina, Kansas, and Kentucky. All three of those schools have had successful seasons so far, so there is a good chance one of them will win it because of their history,” Stringer said.

Some teams that haven’t had recent success have a chance at making the tournament, though. 

“One of my favorite teams to watch this season has been Indiana State. They are currently first in their conference and have a really good chance at making the tournament when they haven’t in over 10 years,” Bailey said.