A March Madness primer: A totally unbiased guide to this year’s NCAA Tournaments

Imagine a three-week-long national holiday where workplace productivity plummets, grown adults weep over 19-year-olds missing free throws, and everyone suddenly becomes an expert on geography and school mascots they’ve never heard of.

That, in a nutshell, is March Madness.

Formally known as the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, it’s a high-stakes, single-elimination gauntlet to crown the women’s and men’s champions of college basketball.

March Madness is a hot topic among the 1021 Creative Americas Editorial team, as is typical for sports fans this time of year. Given this excitement, and the fact that each member has prior experience in sports media, we decided to put together a March Madness primer. We'll share the insights of editorial director Andrew Bangs, editorial manager Marques Edge, and senior editor Marc Hertz as we dive into college basketball.

Any predictions?

Marc: That the University of Michigan lets me down in a particularly painful fashion somewhere along the way. Thanks for ruining my expectations forever, Chris Webber!!

Bangs: Michigan never would’ve been there without Chris Webber, though! Arizona is my pick to win it all, and it's not just my strong bias talking: they possess intangibles like chemistry and belief that are unmatched. On the women’s side, I’d love to see UCLA and their 6’7” center Lauren Betts go far. She’s the Victor Wembanyama of women’s hoops.

Marques: My San Diego State Aztecs didn’t make the tournament, but my alma mater, Santa Clara, did. They’ll face a tough first-round clash with perennial powerhouse Kentucky. I’m betting on a No. 1 seed to take both the men’s and women’s championships. The men’s No. 1 seeds are Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida — but I’m also keeping an eye on Houston, UConn, and Michigan State.

Women’s No. 1 seeds Connecticut, UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas look tough, though challengers like Iowa and LSU are always threats. There’s a not insignificant chance that UConn could do the double, winning men’s and women’s titles this season ...

What teams and players should we watch for?

Marc: Other than Michigan and Yaxel Lendeborg? I always think Gonzaga is a good pick to do well in the tournament. Player-wise, it wouldn’t surprise me if Cameron Boozer is the player of the tournament.

Marques: Top teams to watch include dominant regular-season contenders Michigan, Arizona, and Houston, plus recent tournament standouts Florida and UConn. Key players are AJ Dybantsa (BYU), a projected top NBA draft pick; Cameron Boozer (Duke), son of Carlos Boozer and a top young talent; and surging freshman Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas).

Bangs: I watched a bunch of Arizona games in the Big 12 this season, so I got an eyeful of Iowa State. They have a magical shooter — Milan Momcilovic — who is exactly the kind of player who could light up the tournament.

What are your favorite March Madness memories?

Marques: One of my favorite March Madness memories is Lamont Butler hitting that game-winning shot as time expired in the 2023 Final Four, sending San Diego State to the NCAA Championship game against UConn. The sheer drama of that moment was unforgettable. A close second is the 1993 upset, when my alma mater, Santa Clara University, as a No. 15 seed, defeated No. 2 Arizona 64–61. Just making the tournament was special, but to actually make history as one of the lowest seeds to beat a powerhouse was incredible.

Bangs: I was on the other side of that Santa Clara upset, so thank you, Marques, for invoking one of the most painful sports memories of my youth! My favorite is, of course, when the University of Arizona won the National Championship in 1997, with a lovable cast of goofballs (and future NBA players).

Marc: My favorite memory is of the Michigan Wolverines winning in 1989 (yes, I’m old enough to remember that) with Glen Rice reaching mythical status among U of M fans, averaging more than 30 points a game during the tournament, including 31 in the championship game.

What’s up with the brackets? Why is the bracket graphic part of the appeal?

Marques: Brackets define March Madness, fixing the championship path and fueling fan speculation about matchups and storylines. The seeding system, pairing high-seed powerhouses against low-seed underdogs, creates the David-versus-Goliath dynamic that fuels excitement around potential upsets.

Marc: When I think of college basketball, it’s one of the first things that comes to mind. The visual element of the bracket graphic makes it easy to understand for even the most casual of fans, and who hasn’t been involved in a bracket challenge at least once in their life, seen it, and therefore subconsciously related it to March Madness?

Bangs: Filling out brackets is inherently fun, even if you aren’t familiar with teams like Hofstra and Kennesaw State. Figuring out where these colleges are located is almost like a mini-geography lesson. Side note: I’m picking Akron (from Ohio) to beat Texas Tech in the first round.

What’s your take on NIL (“Name, Image, Likeness”) and the transfer portal?

Marc: With players now able to profit financially off their name, image, and likeness, and having the ability to enter the transfer portal and suit up with another team the following season, it’s a boon for college athletics and (most of) the athletes who participate, but also a likely furtherance of the divide between the haves and have-nots.

Bangs: I won’t disagree with that, but the system is still new and yet to mature. Also, it’s hard to argue with the results: both men’s and women’s college hoops have seen a marked improvement in the quality of play in the past few years. There’s an astonishing amount of talent across the board: I genuinely believe that Duke or Arizona could give the Washington Wizards a good game. Same with the women’s side: UConn could hold their own against, say, the Las Vegas Aces.

Marques: I think the rise of NIL and the transfer portal has definitely changed my relationship to the NCAA Tournament. It seems that talented players at smaller programs are being lured to major schools because larger programs simply have deeper resources, and talent is increasingly concentrated there. That makes those Cinderella runs less likely … although the unpredictability of March Madness means that crazy things will still happen.

Have these changes affected your fandom?

Marques: My fandom has become more focused on my local teams, like San Diego State, and my alma mater, Santa Clara University. I used to follow the college game more broadly, but with players moving more frequently due to changes like NIL and the transfer portal, it’s become harder to build familiarity with teams and their players.

Marc: My fandom tends to be very specific: how’s Michigan doing? That said, the transfer portal and athletes being able to leave early make it harder to feel the attachment I used to feel to the game. And, yes, I’m old. Of course, the transfer portal (and presumably NIL) has helped Michigan get to where they are now, so I can’t exactly be 100 percent against it.

Bangs: After a few years wandering in the wilderness, I’m back! Somewhere between the Caitlin Clark/Angel Reese rivalry and the recent dominance of the Arizona Wildcats, I’ve found myself reinvested in college sports. Ultimately, I just like the athletes and the drama of it all. I LOVE this year’s Arizona team: they have a fun mix of characters and personalities. The kids are alright.

The madness begins for the men’s tournament today, March 19, running through to the championship game on Monday, April 6, while the women’s tournament begins on Friday, March 20, with the championship game on Sunday, April 5. Who are your tournament favorites and the upsets to look for?

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About the writers

Andrew Bangs, Former Editorial Director - Americas

Background: 1021 Creative has been my professional home for the better part of a decade, but in a previous life, I was the editor of a basketball magazine. I’ve had the privilege of interviewing some notable basketball players: Clyde Drexler, Baron Davis, and Jamal Crawford were some of my favorites.

Marques Edge, Editorial Manager - Americas

Background: 1021 Creative has been my professional home over the past year, but my foundation has always been rooted in sports media. Across a 20+ year career, including stops at ESPN and FOX Sports, I’ve held editorial roles leading coverage around major moments like the NCAA Basketball Tournament. While I won’t claim to have cracked the perfect bracket, I’ve followed the game long enough to know insight only gets you so far this time of year.

Marc Hertz, Senior Editor - Americas

Background: I’ve been with 1021 Creative for more than a decade, and while I haven’t won a bracket in recent memory, I’ve convinced myself that it’s much more luck than skill. Years ago, I worked with ESPN and was also a sports editor at an early dot-com, and I’ve followed sports since childhood, with a particular bent toward Detroit and Michigan teams.