Shamrock Shakes are back in stores and the weather is beginning to take a turn for the better. That can only mean it’s time for busted brackets and broken hearts. 

 March Madness is just around the corner so I’m going to create an early guide to the Big Dance. Today, I will go over the dates, the favorites, and the possible Cinderella stories. 

The clock is ticking, as Selection Sunday is under three weeks away. The field of 64 teams is set to be revealed on Sunday, March 14. The first four, which are the play-in games, will tip-off on March 18, while the regular games will proceed on Friday, March 19. 

This tournament appears to feature two top dogs. Rarely do we see two undefeated teams enter the tournament at the same time, but that is very realistic considering Baylor and Gonzaga are a combined 40-0 so far this season. If you want to take the safe route in your bracket, I would certainly consider having both of them in your final 4. 

If you don’t want to take the heavy favorites like many others will in your bracket pool, I would suggest picking Michigan to go far. Michigan has survived the chaos of the Big Ten, and should have a great chance of going all the way. They have a combination of young talent and experience, to go along with a respected coach like Juwan Howard. 

Another trend this year is the dominance of the Big 12 conference. There are currently six teams in the top 25, and it looks like a seventh might be able to sneak into the tournament. Teams such as West Virginia, Texas, and Kansas are all experienced, which could make for some noise in March.

At the local level it seems as if the University of Loyola Ramblers will make another appearance. As you likely remember, the Ramblers made a historic Final 4 run in 2018. While I doubt a run as magical as 2018 will happen, it will be exciting to see the Ramblers back in action and potentially win a game or two. 

Another interesting storyline is the teams on the bubble. Household names such as Indiana, Kentucky, Duke, Syracuse, and Michigan State all have their fair share of work to do before they can consider themselves locks to make it into the field of 64.

As February comes to a close, it’s safe to say that the respective bubble teams are running out of time to prove themselves. The next week or so will be important for these teams. 

Most people’s favorite part of the tournament is first weekend upsets that result in lots of tears and busted brackets. To pull off an upset takes leadership, consistency, and good shooting. Teams that fit this description are Belmont and Wichita State.

Belmont has somehow flown under the radar even with a 24-1 record, while Wichita State has proved that they can pull of the impossible, when they beat #6 Houston by 5 points. Look out for both teams in March. 

Whether your bracket goes well or not, it will be great to see the madness unfold especially after the year long hiatus due to Covid.