March Madness 2019: Everything You Need to Know about March Madness

There is no doubting that March is an exciting time for basketball fans. The 18/19 NBA season is gearing up for an exciting conclusion to the regular season, while college teams are also about to compete in the annual NCAA Division I Men's Basketball tournament. More popularly known as 'March Madness', the tournament brings together the nation's best college teams for three weeks of breathless action.

March Madness has surged in popularity in recent years, although the competition's complex format can still make it a tough follow. So, as we quickly approach this year's edition of college's biggest tournament, here is everything you need to know.

---

March Madness History

The Villanova Wildcats were crowned 2018 National Champion

While the NCAA tournament can trace its roots way back to the early 1900s, the term March Madness was first introduced in 1939. The term was first coined by Illinois high school official, Henry V. Porter, and during the first official March Madness, the Oregon Ducks defeated Ohio State, making the Ducks the first winners in history. In the following decades, the tournament went through a period of sustained expansion, growing from just 8 teams in 1939 to 64 in 1985.

The competition has also been boosted in recent years due to the NBA's one-and-done rule, which has resulted in basketball's most promising players competing in the tournament ahead of the NBA Draft. The UCLA Bruins are the most successful team in the history of the competition with 11 wins, although Villanova are the current defending champions, having defeated Michigan in last year's final.

---

March Madness Bracket

Official March Madness bracket (Credit - NCAA.com)

While March Madness officially begins with 68 teams, the field is quickly narrowed as four teams exit the tournament in the opening round of the tournament. This leaves 64 teams, that are separated into four different tournament branches, with each branch containing teams ranked 1 through 16.

Just like in the NBA playoffs, the highest seeded team will face off with the lowest team (eg. 1st seed vs 16th seed), and this method usually leads to the nation's best teams facing off in the later rounds. This year's March Madness bracket will be revealed on March 17, with the first games beginning two days later on Tuesday, March 19.

---

March Madness: Sweet 16 and Elite 8

This is where the tournament starts to heat up (Picture Credit - ESPN Charlotte)

While the first and second rounds of the March Madness tournament are often entertaining, the competition really kicks into gear at the Sweet 16 stage. By this stage of the tournament, most of the weaker teams have been eliminated, and the due to the quality now on show, games tend to be a lot closer.

Winners of Sweet 16 match-ups then advance to the Elite 8, which is the final regional stage of the tournament. This stage of the tournament consists of the final eight teams, and due to the narrowed field, Elite 8 usually offers match-ups between long-term rivals. On average, at least three of the four number 1 seeds successfully make it to this stage of the tournament, although it has historically been the round where the favourites have been prone to upsets.

---

How many teams in March Madness?

Last year's winning Villanova team

The tournament has continually increased in size over the last few decades, although this year's number of competing teams remains at 68. The last expansion came back in 2011, although rumours continue to surface that the March Madness field will once again be expanded in the coming years.

---

March Madness Important Dates:

The tournament will once again attract big crowds

2019's March Madness tournament runs from March 17 to April 8, and you can find a breakdown of the key dates below:

Selection Sunday - March 17

First Four - March 19/20

1st/2nd Rounds - March 21/24

South Regional - March 28/30

West Regional - March 28/30

East Regional - March 29/31

Midwest Regional - March 29/31

Final Four, National Championship - April 6/8

March Madness: Notable Names

All eyes will be on Zion Williamson if he returns from injury

Zion Williamson enters the tournament as the most talked about teenage basketball player since LeBron James. While LeBron never played college basketball, Williamson has successfully used the platform to launch himself into the national spotlight, and the 18-year-old can already count former president Barack Obama among his fans.

The 6 ft 7 inch forward has been described as a once in a lifetime talent, and Williamson is widely expected to be selected with the number one pick in the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft. Nevertheless, Williamson's participation is not assured due to ongoing injury issues, and this could create an opening for other players to steal the show.

Among them is Williamson's Duke teammate, RJ Barrett, who is widely viewed as one the most promising guards in the country. De'Andre Hunter of Virginia is another name to watch out for, as the 20-year-old is widely projected to be a top 5 draft pick later this year.

March Madness Where to watch

Early coverage of the tournament will be split between a number of major networks including CBS, Tru TV, TNT, TBS. The Final Four of the tournament will air exclusively on CBS, and with a valid membership (pay TV provider), fans can also stream games via NCAA's official app.