March Madness: What You Need To Know For NCAA Tournament

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March Madness
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 13: Michigan Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard on the sidelines during the men's Big Ten tournament college basketball game between the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes on March 13, 2021, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, March Madness!

The NCAA tournament begins today and 64 Men’s Basketball teams will be tasked with providing that one shining moment for their college.

Most of the NCAA action will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana and it will be the first time since 2019 that the college basketball tournament will happen after the NCAA canceled the tournament after the effects of the novel coronavirus and the pandemic that followed.

The Division I Men’s Basketball Championship will tip-off with their first four games today with 55 of the 67 games taking place in Indianapolis.

Attendance at each game will depend on the size of the venue. That 25 percent capacity is for all rounds and the Final Four, and it includes all participants, essential staff and family members of each participating team’s student-athletes and coaches, and a reduced number of fans.

Gonzaga and Baylor are early favorites in the tournament.

As Sports Illustrated notes, many have been critical of Gonzaga for their relatively easy schedule and that the Bulldogs have made the most of their opportunities.

For those keeping score at home: Gonzaga currently sits at an overall record of 26-0 and is the only undefeated team within the tournament.

But, you can’t sleep on the Michigan Wolverines who won the regular-season Big Ten title. Guided by head coach Juwan Howard, the retired NBA Champion has the star power of Franz Wagner and Hunter Dickinson and the supporting cast of Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown.

Michigan enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1993. If you’re tardy to the party, Juwan Howard was a member of that Fab 5 team alongside Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Ray Jackson, and Jimmy King.

The cool long shorts, the long black socks, and the Nike Huarache sneakers completed the on-court ensemble.

“We looked different, we sounded different, we were a lot more brash,” Jalen Rose told me on the Scoop B Radio podcast.

“We were giving you guys something that you hadn’t seen before.”

In addition to Michigan and Gonzaga fodder, another coming attraction to the NCAA tournament is the announcers calling the game like Bill Raftery.

Some of the top Bill Raf-isms include: send it in Jerome, lingerie on the deck, the kiss, nylon, nickel-dimer, teardrop, onions and attack the tin.

Raftery talked about them a few years ago. Check out our dialogue below.

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