March Madness: An Almost Cinderella Story

Katherine Schutzman and Ryleigh Bernhardt
June 8, 2022

This year’s March Madness, an annual college basketball tournament, had many people on the edge of their seats. The men’s tournament starts with 68 teams who are gradually eliminated after a loss until there is one team standing. 32 teams are automatically entered into the tournament upon winning their conference championships. The remaining half of the teams in the tournament are chosen by a selection committee and are revealed on Selection Sunday, the Sunday before March Madness begins.

March 15-27: The Cinderella Team

Unexpectedly, St. Peter’s, a small private university located in New Jersey, had their own “Cinderella Story”. St. Peter’s made it to the Elite Eight, where the eight final teams in the tournament competed against each other. St Peter’s is the No. 15 seed and has only participated in March Madness a total of four times.. St. Peter’s lost against UNC, but many were shocked that a Cinderella team made it that far. A 15 seed has never made it to the Elite Eight before, and St. Peter’s isn’t notorious for making it very far.  Many are happier with teams such as Duke or Kansas rising to the top, while few are proud of the victories of smaller teams like St. Peter’s.  

March 27: Elite Eight Winners

As we made our way into the Final Four, we had Duke vs. UNC and Kansas vs. Villanova. This was Duke’s first time in the final four since 2015, so many were excited to see how far they could go. Duke and UNC have been rivals for a long time and they are one of the greatest rivalries in college basketball. Almost every year, one of these teams are contenders to win this championship. While some are upset that the Cinderella team St. Peter’s couldn’t make it all the way, others are excited to see who wins from these high-scoring teams.

April 2: Final Four Winners

In the final four, we have Duke vs. UNC and Kansas vs. Villanova. The winners of the Final Four were UNC and Kansas. Caleb Love, a player on UNC, made a three-pointer in the last 24 seconds pushing UNC up by four points. The UNC vs. Duke was what everyone was waiting for, and it did not disappoint. While many were not surprised with Kansas winning, it was still intriguing to most, especially with Villanova being a highly competitive team. 

April 4: March Madness Victory

The 2022 NCAA March Madness champions were the Kansas Jayhawks, beating UNC with a score of 72-69. Many fans were surprised when Kansas came back with a 15 point comeback after UNC was in the lead. This was the largest ever comeback since Chicago’s 15-point comeback against Cincinnati in the 1963 title game. 

 Now at the conclusion of the college basketball season, many fans are already anticipating top contenders in the 2023 March Madness tournament to include Duke, North Carolina, and Kansas. This year’s memorable matches will set the stage for an exciting tournament next March.