The Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments – How Many NCAA Games Have They Played in the Last Four Seasons?
The brackets for the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments were released on Sunday evening, with many teams showing a lot of excitement.
There’s a reason why people love the success story. The NCAA games, also known as Cinderellas, are about that. To find the Cinderellas, experts know to look no further than the No. 12 vs. No. 5 seed face-offs. There have been 53 upsets by 12- seeds in the tournament since 1985.
The University of Connecticut is known as the Short for it. A modern-day powerhouse and the class of this year’s tournaments, with a 1-seed in the men’s bracket (hoping to become the first team since 2007 to repeat as champions) and a 3-seed in the women’s event, which it has won 11 times.
“It’s never been this hard for the committee,” David Worlock, the NCAA Director of Media Coordination, wrote on X. “Not only because of how close so many of these teams are, but because of the abundance of bid thieves which have knocked teams out.”
Could this be the year that talk around the women’s NCAA tournament overtakes the men’s? It’s the more interesting of the two titles, say some analysts.
The buzz around the women’s tournament is a result of the fan frenzy surrounding Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. Earlier this month, the 22-year-old became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division 1 basketball – men’s or women’s.
It’s not only about Clark, but also about the rest of the team. Iowa faces a stiff competition from within its own region, where UCLA, Kansas State and LSU lurk. In fact, Iowa lost to LSU in last year’s title game.
And then there’s South Carolina, which is hoping to continue its undefeated run by capturing its second title in three years. Only nine women’s teams have capped off an undefeated regular seasons with a championship – and that feat has been accomplished by only four universities.
Some analysts are predicting that McNeese could upset the 5th ranked ballclub and go all the way to the Sweet 16.
What is the Big Dance? How to get a kick out of a tournament, or what are some things you don’t know about it?
For others, March can turn conversations at the office or a party into a moment of bewilderment: McWhat State? Caitlin and Angel who? What did that hand gesture mean? What is NET?
If you don’t know a buzzer beater from a bracket buster, let us help. Here’s some terminology and names to know as the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I tournaments tip off:
The epitome of last year’s champion LSU squad is known as the ” Bayou Barbie” and she’s made a cameo in a music video.
The at-large bid and auto bid are used to determine which conferences get to play in the NCAA tournament. Teams that win are automatically granted a berth in the NCAA tournament; there are 32 such “auto bids.” The rest are “at-large bids” given to other teams the tournament selection committee deems worthy.
The Big Dance — The tournament itself, and a federally registered trademark owned by the NCAA. See also: Cinderella — The unexpected belle of the ball, i.e. the lower-seeded teams that succeed despite the odds.
blue blood — A storied program that has played at the highest levels consistently over a long time. Use with caution: It’s a matter of hot debate to say exactly which programs qualify for this designation, but the safe picks include Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA in the men’s game, along with Tennessee and UConn in the women’s.
bracket buster — An upset, but not just any pedestrian upset. A team expected to make a deep run is knocked out by a scuplture that is meant to “break” many brackets.
buzzer beater — A shot that goes through the basket after the buzzer marking the end of a half has sounded. So long as the ball has left the player’s hand before the buzzer rings, the shot counts — it’s a buzzer beater.
The word cut down the nets means win the big game. Winning teams get to literally cut down the basket’s nets (piece by piece, with each player taking home a small bit as a souvenir) after making it to the Final Four or winning the title game.
Source: A 2024 March Madness vocabulary: How to sound like you know what you’re talking about
Unraveling the Sweet Sixteen with Dawn Staley, Keisei Tominaga, and JuJu Watkins
The South Carolina women’s team has a coach named Dawn Staley. It’s no surprise that the best women’s basketball Coach of the Year these days was once a point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers.
DJ Burns Jr., the charming 6-footer with a soft touch on the ball just led his North Carolina State Wolfpack to five victories in five nights to win the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. We always love a big fella playing basketball, especially one who says “we need a massage” in his post-game Q&A.
Florida Gulf Coast — The Eagles are a Cinderella candidate in both the men’s and women’s tournament. The women’s squad has pulled off three rounds of 64 upsets in the past two years, while the men’s squad became the first 15-seed to be to the Sweet Sixteen.
The Duke freshman guard, who is also a model and nail artist, tied the school’s freshman scoring record during his time with the team. He’s a well-known player on TikTok and his social media presence is almost as big as his play.
JuJu Watkins — The freshman phenom who has helped to propel the USC women’s team back to renewed prominence and their first top seed since the 1980s. Already she’s got an iconic hairstyle: a perfectly round bun perched on top of her head.
Keisei Tominaga — The Japanese-born star of the Nebraska men’s team whose skill with the three-point shot has commentators calling him the Japanese Steph Curry. See also: Nebraska Cornhuskers — The only Power 6 men’s team to have never won even one NCAA Tournament game. They’re an 8-seed this year. Tominaga could help make history!
This is the year of the Cinderella pick in the men’s tournament. The Cowboys are top ranked and entered the tournament with a 30-3 record and a potential Round of 32 opponent, Kansas, who has been hobbled by injuries.
Source: A 2024 March Madness vocabulary: How to sound like you know what you’re talking about
KenPom, the NCAA’s Favorite Player Evaluation Tool and March Madness Vocabulary: How to sound like you know what you’re talking about
The evaluation tool is used by the NCAA to rank teams for the tournament. There’s no need to get into details; all you need to know that it is widely complained about. Example use: “Did you know that New Mexico got stuck with an 11-seed even though they’re ranked #22 in NET?”
KenPom is an independent college basketball ratings site that has a wall of inscrutable numbers and abbreviations. Example use: “It’s a joke that Virginia got in. KenPom has them at 69.
The theme song to an ’80s sitcom was “One Shining Moment”, which is the anthem of March Madness. The tournament’s best moments are shown over the finish of the championship game.
Power 6 — The six conferences that have traditionally fielded the highest-level teams: The ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference), the Big 12, the Big Ten, the Big East, the Pac-12 (rest in peace) and the SEC (Southeastern Conference). Any team that comes from any other conference is referred to as a mid-major. San Diego State is one of the mid-majors that are in this year’s tournaments.
Source: A 2024 March Madness vocabulary: How to sound like you know what you’re talking about
The Big Ten Conference’s Tallest Player – Zach Edey, from Purdue to the Boilermakers, for $beta$-Gordon
The tallest player in the 128-year history of the Big Ten conference is a center named Zach Edey who is 7-foot-4 and plays for the Boilermakers. See also: Purdue — A team that is always very good but also somehow always disappoints.