Op/Ed: March Madness Tournament Picks

On March 19th, 2024, March Madness will kick off its games with the First Four, and go into the Round of 64 on March 21st. The Championship game will be held on Monday, April 8th at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the Arizona Cardinals play and the CFB Fiesta Bowl is held. 
by Ty Cameron and Drew Caraway

(Picture by Kayla Wolf-USA Today sports)

Ty’s Opinion
I believe that the March Madness for 2024 will have its ups and downs, but overall it will be a solid tournament. March Madness has had some really great tournaments in the past including a few recent ones. This year's tournament will submit itself around the top 20 of all time. The reason I say this is because of the teams that will be participating in the March Madness tournament. 

My pick for this year’s winner is the Tennessee Volunteers. As of March 12th, they are projected to be the #1 Seed in the Western Bracket. They are my hometown team, so it’s hard to root against them. They also have Naismith Player of the Year candidate, Dalton Knecht, leading the way. I have had problems with Tennessee in the past, but this year I am hoping for them to get their act together, go all the way, and bring this title home.

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Drew’s Opinion
I think this year’s March Madness will be one of the best and most competitive since its start in 1939. In my opinion, the best tournament was 2022 when the Kansas Jayhawks won the Tournament, St. Peter's had an incredible Cinderella story, and North Carolina knocked off Coach K in his farewell tour, ending his hopes of winning a last National Championship. 

​The UConn Huskies will win the National Championship. I think it’s clear that they are one of the two best teams, and I think they’re #1. Star Freshman Stephon Castle is an electric spark. He brings energy and is a guy you can count on when you need a bucket, rebound or steal. Tristen Newton is the Starting Point Guard, and he is incredible. He leads the team in PPG, RPG, and APG (ESPN). 

However, I would not count out three teams:

• Mississippi State Bulldogs
• Nebraska Cornhuskers
• #25 Texas Tech Red Raiders

They carry an elite firepower of either offense or defense that could compete with the UConn type teams like Houston, Purdue, Creighton, and so on and so forth.

I also have two bold takes for this tournament:

1. A 12-seed or higher will make the Elite 8
2. Only 5 teams from the AP Top 25 Poll will advance past the Sweet 16 (UConn, Houston, North Carolina, Tennessee, Creighton)

However, my pick is still, confidently, the University of Connecticut Huskies.


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Selection Sunday is March 17th and viewers can tune in on CBS and ESPN. The show will start at 6 P.M. Tune in to find out who will play for the covenant NABC National Championship Trophy. 

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