NCAA March Madness Starts, and Bracket Time Is Here!

It's that time: NCAA March madness brackets are being filled out all across the country after the nation's top college basketball teams received invitations for this year's post-season tournament and the initial pairings were decided – not without disagreement. 

For the next three weeks, hardcore basketball fans, co-workers, friends, and the mildly curious will be weighing whether to predict the No. 1 seeds – North Carolina, Kansas, Oregon, Virginia – all reach the Final Four, or if such teams like Michigan State, Kentucky, or Villanova will sidetrack them.

Then there are "Cinderella" teams, squads that no one expects to advance but win two or more games to stun predictors. Well known so-called "bracket busters" are part of this year's tournament as well, including Gonzaga, Virginia Commonwealth, and Florida Gulf Coast.

The NCAA selection committee surprised some experts by making Virginia, which finished second to North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and failed to win its conference tournament, as a No. 1 seed, pushing Michigan State, winner of the Big Ten tournament, down to a No. 2 seed.

"To me, I thought it was kind of a joke (Michigan State) not being mentioned as a number one seed," said Maryland coach Mark Turgeon, according to The Sporting News. "You take (Denzel) Valentine's injury, he's out. They kind of lose their rhythm a little bit. Lose a couple games in that stretch. If he never gets hurt, they probably don't lose them."

CBS Sports, though, pointed out that Virginia had more Top 25 and Top 50 wins, along with a better record against the Top 25 than Michigan State. CBS also argued that Virginia played a more difficult schedule.

Michigan, Syracuse and Tulsa were surprise selections in the tournament, according the Washington Post, while West Coast Conference champion Saint Mary's, San Diego State, and St. Bonaventure, were snubbed by the selection committee.

The NCAA tournament begins Tuesday and Wednesday with the traditional "First Four" games played in Dayton, Ohio.

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