March is here, the madness has begun

Villanova displays their 2015-2016 championship trophy.

Photo/Maggie Aldrich

Villanova displays their 2015-2016 championship trophy.

March is different for everyone- some look forward to St. Patrick’s day, others to the beginning of the spring season. Yet for basketball lovers, the month is dedicated to March Madness.

Division one March Madness is a basketball tournament between 68 teams which determines some of the best college teams in the country. This years competition began March 14 for the First Four and  will continue to the beginning of April for the Final Four followed by the national championship.

Ryan Arcidiacono, a Neshaminy alumni and previous starting point guard for Villanova, led the team in 2016 during their first championship game win since 1985. Not only was he the second leading scorer with 16 points, but he also was the assist to the buzzer-beater-game-winning shot of Kris Jenkins. Contributing a total of 498 points, 169 assists and 54 steals last season, Arcidiacono was a major part of the team’s success during the 2015-2016 season.

“It was a dream come true to see Ry be a key player to a championship team,” Chris Arcidiacono, brother of Ryan and current junior captain of the boy’s basketball team, said.

According to ESPN, experts couldn’t make an agreement on predicting a championship winner this year. A total of 25 votes were spread out: Duke University, the University of North Carolina, Villanova University and Gonzaga University all tied with the most votes followed by the University of Arizona and University of Kansas, then the University of  Michigan, University of Kentucky and University of California, Los Angeles.

“I believe that Villanova has a great shot again this year as well as Kansas. Both teams play team basketball and have great players,” Mark Tingle, head coach of the boy’s basketball team, said.

Villanova finished their season with an overall record of 32-4, the most successful in the Big East. They suffered a 65-62 loss against Wisconsin in the second round, ending their playoff run.