March Madness: College basketball’s ONE BILLION DOLLAR BONANZA!
11 March 2025
For those unfamiliar with a massive month in the USA, March Madness refers to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 men's basketball tournament. It’s a knock-out tournament to determine the men's college basketball national champion at this level of the game. Only 68 of more than 350 teams play in Division 1, so it’s an elite group. But during March Madness, all bets are off as the event is famous for its upsets of favoured teams.
Greg Wrubell, the voice of the BYU Cougars, offered his analysis of this year’s tournament to Todd Harris, and explained why this tournament is so incredibly captivating.
“The three weeks are some of the best weeks in the American sporting calendar. And that first weekend of games when all 68 teams are in action, it is truly like a national four day holiday games morning till night. This is when people become, even if they were just casual or not fans of the game become hyper fans. And the spectre of a Cinderella team is always there to be used. The phrase Cinderella story that I tend to find that team or teams that nobody saw coming, that could win a game or two or 3 or 4 and put themselves in rarefied air. There's really nothing like it. The NCAA tournament encompasses so many teams. And that's where somebody that no one saw coming can do some pretty special things.”
Even so, Greg reckons that there are already some standout names.
“I feel like this year there's a couple of teams that have kind of separated themselves in Duke and Auburn, right now. And then, you know, Tennessee and Houston are seen as the other two number one seeds. I think Duke and Auburn have to be considered prohibitive favorites, I think, to meet in the championship game. But then I think there is a great deal of dispute over who might occupy those 3 to 8 spots in terms of the next six best seeds. But certainly the way Duke's playing basketball right now is, is pretty phenomenal. They're blowing everybody out and look very much worthy of a number one seed.”
He continues, “I've got a funny feeling about Michigan State. They're probably not a one seed. But I just I just see something with that team this year and then, you know, Houston is seen as a popular number one seed pick right now. I don't know if I trust Houston shooting all the way through an NCAA tournament. I think there's going to be some someone's going to rise up that no one really sees coming. Maybe it's a team like Texas A&M.”
As a commentator for BYU – not just on basketball but also women’s soccer, baseball and football – he’d love his boys to do well.
“BYU has only been to one Elite Eight, and it was back in 1981. Their most recent Sweet 16 was in 2011. So it's been a while since BYU has made a run. I'd love for it to happen now.”
