March Madness Measures

March+Madness+Measures

Adilene Hernandez, Yearbook Editor-in-Chief

March Madness is back! This year, things will look a bit different. Due to Covid-19, teams are not allowed to travel to different states and play their regularly scheduled games. This year, all of the men’s games will be played in Indiana, with most in Indianapolis. They will play in different arenas there and the National Championship game will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium. The women are set to play in San Antonio, Texas. The tournaments will start in March and end in April. The men’s will start on Thursday, March 18, and the women’s on Sunday, March 21.

The Full Men’s Schedule for March Madness 2021:

Selection Sunday – March 14

First Four – March 18

Round 1 – March 19-20

Round 2 – March 21-22

Sweet Sixteen – March 27-28

Elite Eight – March 29-30

Final Four – April 3

National Championship – April 5

According to the NCAA, a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend the upcoming games. There will be a 25 percent capacity rate for men’s games and a 17 percent for women’s. Everyone is expected to do testing, wear masks, and social distance. The number one priority for this event is to maintain the safety and well-being of every individual attending the games.

Although this year’s March Madness will look different, we can still expect the same level of intense competition. This year, there are two men’s basketball teams that stand out the most. They are Gonzaga and Baylor. Gonzaga has been ranked the #1 seed for a while and as of March 13, 2021 they are undefeated with a wining streak of 26-0 overall. “I think Gonzaga is going to win because Corey Kispert and Jalen Suggs are good leaders and great players,” said junior Emmanuel Esquibias. I agree that Gonzaga has a well rounded team with great experience. Baylor on the other hand is putting up some tough competition since they have a wining streak of 22-2 overall. They have been very consistent and have a lot of talent especially those on the bench. Yet anything can happen during March Madness. “I really think that Oklahoma State is gonna come in out of nowhere this year and take it all! Especially with there stud freshman Cade Cunningham who has been carrying them all season,” said senior Oscar Morgan. March is truly a month full of madness, happiness, and sadness.