Yardbarker
x
Why you should watch this year's NCAA Tournament
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Why you should watch this year's NCAA Tournament

Let’s be honest: You probably don’t need more reasons to watch the NCAA Tournament. If you’re like most of the rest of the country, you’re going to watch whether you’re at work or home, and you’re going to hide your behavior from your boss — unless you’re your own boss, in which case, lucky you!

In any event, let’s take a look at a few good reasons to partake in the Madness.

Duke will probably, maybe, hopefully lose 

You either root for Duke (and the Lakers, Cowboys and Yankees), or you root against Duke. There is no middle ground. Mike Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils are chock-full of one-and-done talents, led by the extremely fun Marvin Bagley III, and if that’s where the story stopped, you might almost find yourself compelled to root for them. Enter Grayson Allen. Allen has somehow managed to become progressively more infuriating with every passing year in Durham, to the point now where he incites Christian Laettner-esque levels of anger.

Allen can really play, too, but no one cares about that. All that matters is that he trips, he hip checks and he compels people to spew forth buckets of profanity whenever he does just about anything.

Trae Young 

Sure, he’s fallen off lately, and Oklahoma’s record has reflected that closely, as the Sooners are 2-8 in their last 10 games. However, Young is still the kind of guy built to steal a game or two in the NCAA Tournament. If the Sooners had more talent around him, they’d be a much higher seed and a trendy pick to make a deep run. As it is, it will be Young against the world from moment one, and while it might fizzle out, there’s always the chance that he steals the show for at least one weekend.

Kentucky’s kids might have it figured out 

One of the most interesting subplots of every college basketball season is whether or not John Calipari’s usual cast of one-and-dones gels at the right time and becomes a force to be reckoned with. This year, the Wildcats lost four in a row at one point but started to click after that and went on to win the SEC Tournament. They’re a five seed, but anyone who has watched them knows they’re near the very top of the heap when it comes to talent.

Scandals 

Admit it — there’s a part of you that wants to see a high-profile coach have a victorious postgame press conference interrupted by federal investigators, isn’t there? So far, while plenty of big names have been implicated and several glamor programs potentially in trouble, there hasn’t been a major reckoning, complete with public humiliation and shaming. The possibility that something in that realm could happen on the biggest stage is, at the very least, spectacular reality television.

It’s the NCAA Tournament 

Really, what other reason do you need? It’s the best event in sports, and the first Thursday and Friday of the tournament are nothing less than holidays for many sports fans around the country. So settle in and enjoy.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.