It’s time for March Gladness. Hard to believe that it was a year ago all this virus stuff hit the fan…(Pardon my pun.) Fans have put up with a lot this past year. Nevertheless, there is much to be glad about. OK, So what are you glad about?
I’m glad that we have brackets to fill out. Even if my bracket crumbles after the first round, and I’m not saying that it will, it provides a sense of normalcy I haven’t felt for a long time. It is something to get excited about. There was a sense of loss dealt with as it was yanked away last year with no warning.
Will Cinderella show up? Will she be wearing a mask? I don’t care so long as they lace them up and hit the hardwood!
Let’s enjoy this…Be Glad it’s back…!
Click here for the printable bracket
As of this writing, teams that I’m following are kind of a split bill. Being in Virginia, the Virginia Cavaliers (Charlottesville) and the Virginia Tech Hokies (Blacksburg) are both in. The Liberty Flames (Lynchburg) and the James Madison Dukes (Harrisonburg) are probably in.
My hometown Syracuse Orangemen and Milwaukee Marquette Warriors are out….yawn (alas – maybe next year).
Here’s the schedule:
- Selection Sunday — 6 p.m. ET March 14
- First Four — 4 p.m. start on Thursday, March 18
- First round — 12 p.m. start on Friday, March 19, and Saturday, March 20
- Second round — 12 p.m. start on Sunday, March 21, and Monday, March 22
- Sweet 16 — 2 p.m. start on Saturday, March 27, and 1 p.m. start on Sunday, March 28
- Elite Eight — 7 p.m. start on Monday, March 29, and 6 p.m. start on Tuesday, March 30
- Final Four — 5 p.m. start on Saturday, April 3
- NCAA championship game — 9 p.m. Monday, April 5
Looks like a big year for the big 10. Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa, my Wisconsin Badgers, and Purdue look to be in. Maryland, Rutgers, Minnesota, and Indiana may also make it in. That would be 10 of the 14 teams that makes up the conference….if that happens!
It may be even a bigger year for the ACC. As of this writing it’s hard to tell if the Duke Blue Devils make the tournament.
If they do, you can bet the North Carolina Tar Heels will say we belong in too. If that happens, The ACC may place seven teams in the tournament this year period – Florida State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Clemson and North Carolina and Duke.
As Gomer would say….Shazaam!
Some questions come to mind.
(Again) is Gonzaga really THAT good? Do you really want to play the Duke Blue Devils in the tournament this year? Is Alabama basketball poised to join Bama football as champions in the same season? Has Baylor really been tested?
Here’s the list of NCAA Division 1 National Champions
For new viewers of this list, UCLA’s 10 championships in 12 years and 7 in a row is not a typo. Yes…That really happened! (Whoomp, there it is.)
| Year | Winner (Seed) | Runner-Up (Seed) | Score |
| 2020 | ??? | ??? | 0-0 |
| 2019 | Virginia (1) | Texas Tech (3) | 85-77 (OT) |
| 2018 | Villanova (1) | Michigan (3) | 74–54 |
| 2017 | North Carolina (1) | Gonzaga (1) | 71-65 |
| 2016 | Villanova (2) | North Carolina (1) | 77-74 |
| 2015 | Duke (1) | Wisconsin (1) | 68-63 |
| 2014 | Connecticut (7) | Kentucky (8) | 60-54 |
| 2013 | Louisville (1) | Michigan (4) | 82-76 |
| 2012 | Kentucky (1) | Kansas (2) | 67-59 |
| 2011 | Connecticut (3) | Butler (8) | 53-41 |
| 2010 | Duke (1) | Butler (5) | 61-59 |
| 2009 | North Carolina (1) | Michigan State (2) | 89-72 |
| 2008 | Kansas (1) | Memphis (1) | 75-68 (OT) |
| 2007 | Florida (1) | Ohio State (1) | 84-75 |
| 2006 | Florida (3) | UCLA (1) | 73-57 |
| 2005 | North Carolina (1) | Illinois (1) | 75-70 |
| 2004 | Connecticut (2) | Georgia Tech (3) | 82-73 |
| 2003 | Syracuse (3) | Kansas (2) | 81-78 |
| 2002 | Maryland (1) | Indiana (5) | 64-52 |
| 2001 | Duke (1) | Arizona (2) | 82-72 |
| 2000 | Michigan State (1) | Florida (5) | 89-76 |
| 1999 | Connecticut (1) | Duke (1) | 77-74 |
| 1998 | Kentucky (2) | Utah (3) | 78-69 |
| 1997 | Arizona (4) | Kentucky (1) | 84-79 (OT) |
| 1996 | Kentucky (1) | Syracuse (4) | 76-67 |
| 1995 | UCLA (1) | Arkansas (2) | 89-78 |
| 1994 | Arkansas (1) | Duke (2) | 76-72 |
| 1993 | North Carolina (1) | Michigan (1) | 77-71 |
| 1992 | Duke (1) | Michigan (6) | 71-51 |
| 1991 | Duke (2) | Kansas (3) | 72-65 |
| 1990 | UNLV (1) | Duke (3) | 103-73 |
| 1989 | Michigan (3) | Seton Hall (3) | 80-79 (OT) |
| 1988 | Kansas (6) | Oklahoma (1) | 83-79 |
| 1987 | Indiana (1) | Syracuse (2) | 74-73 |
| 1986 | Louisville (2) | Duke (1) | 72-69 |
| 1985 | Villanova (8) | Georgetown (1) | 66-64 |
| 1984 | Georgetown (1) | Houston (2) | 84-75 |
| 1983 | NC State (6) | Houston (1) | 54-52 |
| 1982 | North Carolina (1) | Georgetown (1) | 63-62 |
| 1981 | Indiana (3) | North Carolina (2) | 63-50 |
| 1980 | Louisville (2) | UCLA (8) | 59-54 |
| 1979 | Michigan St. (2) | Indiana St. (1) | 75-64 |
| 1978 | Kentucky | Duke | 94-88 |
| 1977 | Marquette | North Carolina | 67-59 |
| 1976 | Indiana | Michigan | 86-68 |
| 1975 | UCLA | Kentucky | 92-85 |
| 1974 | NC State | Marquette | 76-64 |
| 1973 | UCLA | Memphis | 87-66 |
| 1972 | UCLA | Florida St. | 81-76 |
| 1971 | UCLA | Villanova | 68-62 |
| 1970 | UCLA | Jacksonville | 80-69 |
| 1969 | UCLA | Purdue | 92-72 |
| 1968 | UCLA | North Carolina | 78-55 |
| 1967 | UCLA | Dayton | 79-64 |
| 1966 | UTEP | Kentucky | 72-65 |
| 1965 | UCLA | Michigan | 91-80 |
| 1964 | UCLA | Duke | 98-83 |
| 1963 | Loyola | Cincinnati | 60-58 (OT) |
| 1962 | Cincinnati | Ohio St. | 71-59 |
| 1961 | Cincinnati | Ohio St. | 70-65 (OT) |
| 1960 | Ohio St. | California | 75-55 |
| 1959 | California | West Virginia | 71-70 |
| 1958 | Kentucky | Seattle | 84-72 |
| 1957 | North Carolina | Kansas | 54-53 (3 OT) |
| 1956 | San Francisco | Iowa | 83-71 |
| 1955 | San Francisco | La Salle | 76-73 |
| 1954 | La Salle | Bradley | 92-76 |
| 1953 | Indiana | Kansas | 69-68 |
| 1952 | Kansas | St. John’s | 80-63 |
| 1951 | Kentucky | Kansas St. | 68-58 |
| 1950 | CCNY | Bradley | 71-68 |
| 1949 | Kentucky | Oklahoma St. | 46-36 |
| 1948 | Kentucky | Baylor | 58-42 |
| 1947 | Holy Cross | Oklahoma | 58-47 |
| 1946 | Oklahoma State | North Carolina | 43-40 |
| 1945 | Oklahoma State | NYU | 49-45 |
| 1944 | Utah | Dartmouth | 42-40 (OT) |
| 1943 | Wyoming | Georgetown | 46-34 |
| 1942 | Stanford | Dartmouth | 53-38 |
| 1941 | Wisconsin | Washington St. | 39-34 |
| 1940 | Indiana | Kansas | 60-42 |
| 1939 | Oregon | Ohio St. | 46-33 |
