The 2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament begins tomorrow with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. For the first time in six years, Charlotte will be co-hosts of the tournament, as Spectrum Center will host games on March 21 and March 23 for the first two rounds. From the thrilling upsets to the electric atmospheres, March Madness has become a national, annual tradition that makes the month of March so mad.

Favorites

UConn

According to fans, one of the favorite teams is UConn, with a DraftKings ranking of +450. The UConn Huskies have won 9 out of the last 10 games and are looking good for the upcoming tournament as they try to defend their title. The team recently defeated Providence to secure the Big East Conference regular-season title. They have a team of super athletes such as Adama Sanogo, who is one of the best post players as of right now. Also, they have Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson, two highly-ranked guards in the Big East. UConn plays 16th-ranked Stetson in the first round.

Houston

Second on the DraftKings list of favorites are the Houston Cougars with a ranking of +500. Ranking 1st in the Big 12, the Cougars are a big favorite for fans, and they back this claim up with their impressive record of 30-3.  Houston had an impressive win against one of the best teams in the nation, Kansas, to win the Big 12 regular season title. The team’s leading scorers, L.J. Cryer, Jamal Shead and Emanuel Sharp are planning on fighting hard and playing to win. Although Houston is one of the favorites to win the tournament, they were recently upset by Iowa State during their last game before the NCAA tournament. Houston’s first-round opponent in the south region is 16th-ranked Longwood.

Purdue

The third-ranked favorite is the Purdue Boilermakers with a score of +750. The Boilermakers are number one in the Big 10 and have earned the number one seed in the mid-west region of the NCAA tournament. Purdue overtime has shown to be a team that plays together as a cohesive unit. Purdue gets top-tier players to play for them, such as their forward, Zach Edey, who won the John R. Wooden Award last year, the award that goes to the Nation’s best college basketball player. This year, he averages 24.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, and ranks first in the nation for field goals made and third for rebounding. Despite Purdue’s dominant season, it was knocked out of the Big Ten tournament early due to a shocking loss to Wisconsin. The Boilermakers are awaiting the winner between Grambling and Montana State.

Arizona

The 4th in line are the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona clinched the Pac-12 regular season championship after a dominating win over UCLA. Led by star player Caleb Love, Arizona finished with an impressive 25-9 record. However, the Wildcats were dramatically upset in the Pac-12 tournament championship by Oregon. Arizona is ranked second in the west portion of the bracket and plays Long Beach State, the 15 seed, in its first game.

North Carolina

The Tarheels earned the number one seed in the west region. Although Carolina finished the season with a 27-7 record, it lost in the ACC tournament championship game to NC State, the final match before the NCAA tournament. Stars RJ Davis and Armando Bacot look to replicate their 2022 tournament success, and carry UNC on another magical run as the team attempts to rebound from last season’s disaster. The Tar Heels will play the winner of Howard vs Wagner in the first round.

Sleepers

Illinois 

The Fighting Illinois, ranked third in the east region, have the potential to make an unexpected, impressive run in this year’s tournament. With a 25-8 record, the team’s selflessness and star players, Marcus Domask and Terrence Shannon Jr., are factors that make Illinois a strong team. The Illini also won the Big Ten tournament championship after defeating Wisconsin. The team’s electric offense makes it an attractive sleeper pick for brackets, but the team’s weakness is its worrisome defense, which ranks 225th in the nation. Illinois faces off against 14th-ranked Morehead State in its first-round matchup.

Gonzaga

Gonzaga has consistently been a dark horse in the tournament for the past few years, and has even made it to six of the last eight Sweet 16s. Although the Bulldogs are not the powerhouse they used to be, its impressive offense that averages 85 points per game is a reason why the team should not be overlooked as a candidate to surprise the country. Gonzaga is ranked fifth in the mid-west region and plays McNeese in the first round.

Alabama 

The Crimson Tide had a rocky end to its season as it lost three out of its last five games. However, Alabama has an extremely reliable and deep roster, as it has four players who average double-digit points and average over a 38% conversion rate from three. The team’s shaky defense may be overpowered by its virtually unstoppable offense, as it averages the most points in the country (90.8 points per game), and is second in the nation in offense efficiency. A four seed in the west, Alabama’s first-round opponent is Charleston, the 13 seed.

CCS Bracket Challenge

Coaches Heath McKay and Alex Miller started their first ever “Miller and McKay March Madness Bracket Challenge.” Students and staff members have the opportunity to fill out brackets for March Madness and compete against friends and faculty to see who best predicted the games of the tournament. Brackets must be filled out by Wednesday, March 20, and the winner will get a special prize. Click this link for more information.