Donte Ingram celebrates after hitting the game winning shot at the buzzer against Miami. Photo by Tony Gutierrez, AP.

Final Four teams show that March Madness is unpredictable

By Justin Murphy Last updated May 21, 2019 752 0

The 2018 NCAA Tournament has provided nothing short of madness. March Madness is always one of the more fun times of the year as you never know what might happen in the brackets. This year, we have seen a No. 16 seed (UMBC) topple a No. 1 seed (Virginia). We have also seen a lot of upsets this year, thus crushing the brackets of thousands of people in the United States.

After a crazy few weeks, we are finally nearing the end of the tournament with the Final Four facing off March 31. The Final Four teams comprise of South bracket No. 1 seed Loyola Chicago; West bracket No. 3 seed Michigan; Midwest bracket No. 1 seed Kansas; and East bracket No. 1 seed Villanova.

The most interesting team is Loyola Chicago, which started the tournament as a No. 11 seed and has proved that they were underrated. After upsetting Miami in the first round on a buzzer-beater, they upset Tennessee after a last-second basket.

Their journey through the tournament has been spirited by Sister Jean, the adopted mascot for the Ramblers. The 98-year-old woman has given the team something to fight for as if being a No. 11 seed wasn’t enough motivation.

Michigan entered the tournament determined to prove that they are the best team in the Big 10. Their journey was a fun-filled experience that was topped with a Jordan Poole 3-pointer as time expired against Houston to win the game. From there, the team dominated Texas A&M and then slid past Florida State.

Kansas and Villanova are both out to show that they are deserving of their No. 1 seed rank. Both teams have star players that have driven them through the tournament. For Kansas’ Malik Newman, shooting guard, has proven his worth as a draft prospect, scoring 32 points in their bracket final against Duke. Great 3-point shooting has improved his tournament play.

Villanova’s Mikal Bridges, small forward, has shown his worth as a first-round draft pick. His play has been topped by great defense and great 3-point shooting as well.

In the Final Four, Loyola Chicago will play Michigan and Kansas will battle Villanova in a contest of one seeds. The winners of each of these games will play on April 2 for the championship. With the end of the NCAA season coming up, March Madness has proven that it will always be must-watch television. I am personally pulling for Loyola Chicago to complete their Cinderella story, however, I believe that Kansas will pull out of the tournament on top.