One of the biggest sporting events of the year in the United States is underway, as March Madness is captivating American . The tournament is one of the biggest betting occasions of the year, and got underway on March 15.The competition will last until April 4 and the finals are being staged at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Below, you will be able to learn all about the past winners of the event, and learn more about some of the outstanding contenders this year.March Madness is the most prestigious , and features the top 68 college basketball teams at Division I level. The tournament sees the sides compete through rounds of the competition, before the outright champions are crowned. The make-up of teams involved is in part decided by the NCAA Selection Committee.
Meanwhile, all 32 champions from the Division I conferences receive automatic bidsTeams are then drawn into four regions and teams that lost their respective fixtures are automatically eliminated This is the busiest day of the competition, and has been dubbed ‘Selection Sunday’ Regional fixtures are then played before a regional final is staged to determine the champion of that specific region The four remaining teams then compete in the Final Four The two semi-finals are both played on the Sunday, before the final to determine the champions is played on the following day
A number of high-profile schools have won the NCAA Championship throughout their history However, UCLA is the most successful overall, as they have won the top prize on eleven occasions
Their most recent success came back in 1995 Kentucky is the second most successful school, as they won their eighth title in 2012
North Carolina has been extremely successful since 2000, as they have won three of their nine titlesDuke has also won three titles since 2000, and has won five overall
Baylor was crowned champions for the first time in their history last year However, they will not be winning the competition for the second time in their history as they were eliminated in the second round of the East Region by North Carolina, despite being top seedsThe competition is already reaching a vital stage, as the regional semi-finals are set for March 24 The regional final will then take place on March 26, according to Austin Reynolds, staff writer at
There haven’t been any big shocks in the West Region to this point, as all top four of the seeds have safely made it through to the regional semi-finals Gonzaga is the team to beat in the region, but has looked unshakable under pressure
The top seeds eased to a 93-72 win in the first round They then avoided a nervy game against Memphis, before winning 82-78Second seeds Duke are in the other half of the draw, and have looked solid in their opening rounds
They beat Cal State in the first round, before beating Michigan State in the second Texas Tech will come up against Duke in the regional semi-final, while Arkansas will oppose GonzagaThe East Region looks a wide-open affair at this stage of the competition, with the top two seeds already having been eliminated
Baylor were knocked out by eighth seeds North Carolina in the second round, and will now come up against UCLA in the regional semi-finals on March 25
UCLA has looked composed throughout March Madness to this point, and eased to a 72-56 win in the second roundIn the other half of the draw, the second seeds Kentucky were eliminated by 15th seeds Saint Peter’s in the first round, before the outsiders reached the regional semi-finals with a victory against Murray State They will come up against Purdue in the semi-finalArizona has looked extremely strong throughout March Madness
The top seeds in the south have eased through both of their opening rounds, and beat ninth seeds TCU in the second round
They will come up against fifth seeds Houston in the Semi-finals after they beat fourth seeds Illinois in the second roundMichigan is an outsider doing well in the competition, as the eleventh seeds knocked out third seeds Tennessee in the previous round
However, they will have a big test on their hands in the semi-final, as they come up against second seeds VillanovaTop seeds Kansas have looked very good throughout March Madness to this stage, and could be the side to beat after easing into the semi-finals with a 79-72 win against Creighton They come up against the fourth seeds Providence in the semi-finals, as they beat Richmond in the second roundThe other half of the draw is wide open, as eleventh seed Iowa State comes up against tenth seed Miami
Miami knocked out second seeds Auburn in the second round, while Iowa State beat third seeds Wisconsin in the previous round However, both sides will face a big challenge to overcome Kansas, who look like the champions in waiting