The Craze of March Madness in the USA

It’s the pinnacle of college basketball in the United States, but March Madness is starting to attract a wider audience around the world. The quality is high and the action on court is frenetic in this elimination contest.

64 teams from the elite division of the college game take part and the event is something of a craze in its native US.

Format Guide

March Madness is played on a straight knockout basis. 64 teams are in with a chance at the start of the tournament and a series of single elimination games will decide their fate.

This is why we’ve seen some huge upsets in March Madness history. Unlike a regular season, there are no second chances here. If you’re not on top of your game, you’re out.

Taking March Madness Around the World

Millions of viewers tune into March Madness in the US. In 2022, an average of 10.7 million people watched the series from start to finish. While the United States remains as the hub of the competition, it’s starting to attract interest from all over the world.

The availability of live college sport via subscription broadcasters and live streaming services have helped to increase the audience. What can those millions of viewers expect from March Madness in 2023?

The Favorites in 2023

With the 2023 edition of March Madness fast approaching, the experts are all having their say as to who will emerge with the trophy. The sports betting industry also gets heavily involved and there are more markets available for this tournament than at any other time in the season.

Current march madness odds indicate that the Houston Cougars are the clear favorites for the outright win. The Arizona Wildcats and Alabama Crimson Tide are likely to provide the closest challenges while other teams in with a chance of claiming the National Championship include Purdue Boilermakers, UCLA Bruins, Uconn Huskies, Kansas Jayhawks and Tennessee Volunteers.

It’s tight at the top, but what will it take for these teams to get over the line?

Houston Cougars

Houston have yet to win March Madness, but they have proved to be one of the strongest college teams in recent years. In 2022, the Cougars emerged as the Conference Regular Season Champions and the Conference Tournament Champions.

All that remains now is the March Madness title, but the team showed they weren’t invincible as they went down to a surprise defeat at the hands of Temple. Hopefully for Houston fans, that loss will make the roster wake up and regroup.

Arizona Wildcats

The Wildcats are among the teams leading the chasing pack, and they’re attracting a lot of interest. They were the NCAA champions in 1997 and have been a constant threat in recent March Madness outings.

Head Coach Tommy Lloyd’s side finished first in PAC-12 so form is good coming into March. The key player for the Wildcats is likely to be forward Azuolas Tubelis who leads his team’s stats in terms of both points and rebounds.

Alabama Crimson Tide

The Crimson Tide were widely tipped to claim March Madness in 2022 after a successful season at Conference level. Ultimately, they fell short and head coach Nate Oats’ side are still waiting for their first NCAA Championship.

Could 2023 be their year? It’s been a solid campaign for Alabama who are set to go into March as the second favorites for success. If the team does go all the way, they will be grateful to forward Brandon Miller who currently leads the point scoring charts.

Look out too for Noah Clowney and Jaden Bradley who lead the way in terms of rebounds and assists.

UCLA Bruins

Unlike many of the teams in the top five this season, the UCLA Bruins have won multiple NCAA Championships. They’ve claimed the title on no fewer than 11 previous occasions, although we have to go back to 1995 to find their most recent success.

UCLA may not have been so strong in recent years, but they are competitive again in 2023. A 17-3 current record shows that form is good, while Jamie Jaquez Jr will be the key player at March Madness. The Guard leads the way in both points and rebounds across this productive Bruins’ season.

Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue made the tournament final in 1969, but they await their first NCAA title. Head Coach Matt Painter is into his 17th season and looking for the ultimate prize in 2023.

A 19-1 record puts them first in the Big Ten while Purdue’s impressive Zach Edey leads the points and rebounds stats.

Those are the top five teams, but their success is by no means guaranteed. Upsets continue to happen and we’re all set for another thrilling March Madness tournament in 2023.

The stats have already shown that the favorites are often unseated, and the unpredictability of this event simply adds to the fun.