Sophomore Amay Sharma 

What is March Madness? 

March Madness is a thing that occurs every year, it’s a basketball collegiate playoff tournament to determine which team is overall better, offensively and defensively. 

How long have you followed March Madness?

Probably since elementary school when we were filling out those March Madness brackets. 

What’s your favorite team?

As far as this year is concerned, Purdue. 

What’s unique to March Madness when compared to the National Basketball Association (NBA) or National Football League (NFL)?

I think what makes March Madness unique is the aspect that it’s a collegiate sport but it’s so world-renowned that you have these different types of challenges like making the best bracket. You have a lot of competitive aspects and you try hard to figure out which team’s going to win. Things like the Warren Buffett bracket challenge also make March Madness more interesting. 

Why do you enjoy March Madness?

I enjoy March Madness for a couple of reasons, one being that I play basketball for fun, but also the March Madness brackets and watching the games with my friends. 

How do you make your bracket? 

This year, while making my bracket, I looked at patterns and trends. So, for the last 17 years, there hasn’t been a duplicate team that’s won twice in a row so the University of Connecticut (UConn) won’t win this year. They have to have good defense and offense ranges. There’s a list of rankings that have the top 10 most defensive (teams) and top 40 most offensive (teams) that have been winning since the 1900s. I use that list to determine six-ten different teams I think could go far. 

When making brackets, do you lean towards favoritism or make it strategically?

Obviously you have those big teams out there like Duke University, Gonzaga University, Arizona University and Alabama University; those teams will usually make it far, but you have to consider how they’re doing in the season and how they’re competing amongst these other big teams. I think it’s important to look at it strategically, but also I have favorite teams; I had Gonzaga winning brackets for a while. 

What can we do to expand women’s March Madness viewership?

I think marketing could be the big thing because I feel like the men’s collegiate basketball is promoted way more than the women’s, so if [women’s] was promoted more or challenges were made for them it would help viewership. 

Who do you think is going to win March Madness this year? 

Purdue, hands down. Their defense has been extraordinary this season and they’re on the top 10 defensive and offensive teams list and they haven’t won in a while, so they have great chances this year. 

Social Studies Teacher William Ellery

What is March Madness? 

It’s the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball tournament. 

How long have you followed March Madness?

45 years. 

What’s your favorite team?

Indiana University, I’m an IU graduate so definitely them. 

Why do you enjoy March Madness?

I’m a basketball fan, I’ve been a basketball coach. I grew up playing basketball, my kids play basketball, so I’ve liked the competitive nature of Indiana basketball forever. 

What’s unique to March Madness when compared to the NBA or NFL?

That it’s a one and done type of thing. You can have the best season and lose like Purdue did last year as the number one seed to a sixteen seed, so it’s the nature of it, everything rides on one try. 

How do you make your bracket? 

Mine’s fully based on who I think is going to win. I am capable of setting aside who I want to win in favor of who I think is going to win. So for me it’s just a gut feeling most times. 

When making brackets, do you lean towards favoritism or make it strategically?

I think that those of us who have been at schools that have sometimes broken your heart enough, you kind of assume they’re not going to do well, so you peg them to not do well. I go purely off of match-ups, depending on what (a team’s) strength is when going against another team. 

Do you watch Women’s March Madness?

Yes, not quite as much as men’s, but yes we do. 

What can we do to expand women’s March Madness viewership?

I took my wife and kids down to IU’s NCAA women’s tournament game down in Bloomington and it was as raucous as you would expect a men’s game to be. But it’s growing. I think the only way you can really expand it is to continue to have a good product and have stars. So they have probably the biggest star in women’s basketball (Iowa’s Caitlin Clark) that has ever come through who’s playing this year and I would wager that as many people in America know her as they do men’s college basketball players. I think the product getting better and better is what’s going to grow the audience, you can’t artificially do it. If you try to manufacture that, people won’t watch it. 

Who do you think is going to win March Madness this year? 

UConn. UConn’s got the pedigree and they don’t tend to wilt under pressure. 

Sophomore Addison Smith 

What is March Madness? 

March Madness is pretty much a tournament between college basketball teams. 

How long have you followed March Madness?

I kind of just grew up with my dad watching it a lot so I guess I’ve been watching it forever. 

What’s your favorite team?

IU

Why do you enjoy March Madness?

I think college basketball is one of my favorite sports to watch in general. Also, it’s kind of nice to just bond with my family over basketball and enjoy it with friends too. 

What’s unique to March Madness when compared to the NBA or NFL?

I think for one, it’s not national teams, it’s more like college, so I think it’s nice to watch college players play. 

What’s your favorite part about March Madness?

I think my favorite part is probably just kind of the whole bracket game and watching teams before March Madness and how they work together and debating with people over who they think is going to win. 

How do you make your bracket? 

I usually first put teams that I want to win, I do a little favoritism. Then, kind of based on how they did that season and then rank it from there. I check offense and defense statistics a little bit to see how high they should go on the bracket but mainly it’s just how many games they’ve won or who they lost against, that kind of stuff. 

When making brackets, do you lean towards favoritism or make it strategically?

I do put IU way farther than they should go because they are not the best team but from there I mostly rank off of skill. 

Do you watch Women’s March Madness?

Sometimes, yeah.

What can we do to expand women’s March Madness viewership?

I feel like it’s kind of just publicity. I feel like it’s not really mentioned as much and when you think of college basketball you think more men’s than women’s and I think showing more of the women on television would help. 

Who do you think is going to win March Madness this year? 

I want to say IU but it’s not even certain they’re gonna be in the bracket. I don’t know who else would win but I’m rooting for IU.