Summary

March Madness, the single-elimination collegiate basketball tournament, has already seen chaos before the first tip-off with wild conference championships and unexpected snubs on Selection Sunday. Notable Cinderella stories emerged, including NC State, Oregon, Duquesne, UAB, and a massive upset by Drake over Indiana State, while teams like Oklahoma, Seton Hall, and Pittsburgh were surprisingly snubbed. UConn is the top overall seed, facing a tough path, alongside North Carolina, Purdue, and Houston as the other 1-seeds. Key matchups to watch include Tennessee vs. Saint Peter's, Wisconsin vs. James Madison, and Gonzaga vs. potential upset-minded McNeese State. With the stage set, fans eagerly await the thrilling dance of March Madness.

For those who read...

Ladies and gentlemen, March Madness is officially upon us, and chaos has already begun before the first tip-off.

After a day of wild conference championships and unexpected snubs from Selection Sunday, the 68-team single-elimination collegiate basketball tournament will begin tomorrow, March 19th.

This past Sunday started with big conference champion Cinderella stories from the NC State Wolfpack in the ACC, Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12, Duquesne Dukes in the Atlantic 10, UAB Blazers in the AAC, and a massive upset from the Drake Bulldogs over Larry Bird's alma mater, the Indiana State Sycamores, in a game that ultimately ended the Sycamores' tournament hopes. These bid thieves dashed the March Madness hopes and dreams of many teams that still feel snubbed.

The Oklahoma Sooners, who entered January as a top 10 ranked team, ultimately did not make the cut for the tournament, ending their season with 20 wins and an early exit in the Big 12 tournament.

Continuing the list of snubbed teams, many basketball fans are extremely upset with Seton Hall getting snubbed from the tournament after they made a strong case with wins over the defending champion and top 1 seed in the tournament, the UConn Huskies, as well as the 2nd-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles.

Lastly, the Pittsburgh Panthers also claim to have been snubbed from the tournament after 22 wins and a monumental rivalry win against Duke. However, the March Madness selection committee pointed to Pittsburgh's non-conference strength of schedule as a key reason for them missing the tournament.

As previously mentioned, UConn is the top overall seed and placed in the East region, even though many experts are claiming they have the toughest 1-seed route to the Final Four. Following them as the other 1-seeds are the North Carolina Tar Heels out of the West, the Purdue Boilermakers out of the Midwest, and the Houston Cougars out of the South. Purdue hopes to avoid a repeat of last year after being the second-ever team to lose to a 16-seeded team.

As we head into the week, there are a few key matchups that everyone will be following.

The second-seeded Tennessee Volunteers will have to face last year's Cinderella story in the 15th-seeded Saint Peter's Peacocks, as they hope to continue their underdog season from the previous year. Back in the South, the 5th-seeded Wisconsin Badgers take on the 12th-seeded James Madison Dukes, who have an impressive 31-3 record this season. Although, all eyes will be on the 5th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs' matchup against the 12th-ranked McNeese State Cowboys, who many experts are saying could be a potential upset.

The stage is now set, so get your popcorn and betting apps out because it's time to dance our way into March Madness.

Here are this year's 6 biggest NCAA men's tournament snubs | Yahoo Sports

2024 NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch: Who’s playing waiting game on Selection Sunday? | The Athletic 

March Madness Live | NCAA