The Beginning of March Madness: ACC Tournament

The+Beginning+of+March+Madness%3A+ACC+Tournament

If you’ve ever walked in Buffalo Wild Wings on cool March night and heard lots of screaming and yelling, most of which sounds a lot “Carolina! Carolina!” “Duke! Duke!” or “State! State!” then you’ve probably witnessed the madness that is basketball season in North Carolina. This year, “March Madness” officially began with the ACC Tournament which started on Tuesday, March 6th and ran through Friday March 9th. The ACC, or Atlantic Coast Conference, is the first step east coast teams must take in securing their places in the National Tournament, the NCAA Tournament (National Collegiate Athletic Association).

 

Probably a lesser known fact about the origins of the ACC Tournament, started in 1954, is that its beginning is due largely to Everett Case and Frank McGuire, Case even being called the “Father of the ACC Tournament.” These two men relentlessly promoted basketball and the culture surrounding it, even going so far as to help create rivalries between teams. When first started, members of the original ACC Tournament included Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest. But, just as the times have changed, so have the teams making up the ACC. Nowadays, the ACC is made up Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. Last year, the Duke Blue Devils won the 2017 ACC Championship coached by the famous Mike Krzyzewski, but it was the North Carolina Tar Heels, coached by Roy Williams, who brought home the national glory, winning the NCAA Championship against Gonzaga.

My bracket which was created on Tuesday 3/6/18 early in the morning

As North Carolinians, it’s almost in our blood to love basketball. It’s funny to think that a game that was started on a cold, Massachusetts December night in 1891 has become such a huge part of our culture. There’s multiple little league basketball teams, including leagues at the YMCA and Upward events hosted by local churches. The sport is important not only because it helps to keep people, young and old, physically fit, but also because it instills lifetime lessons such as teamwork, sportsmanship, and perseverance. While such values are important, one of the most important aspects of basketball, or just sports in general, that is often overlooked is the how the game brings everyone together. Carolina basketball unites the state, even if just for a few weeks under the common bond of love for the sport. While each person may have their own team they’re rooting for this year (go pack!), everyone can join together over the fact that, obviously, North Carolina has the best basketball teams.

 

To see who some of our students and faculty hope win it all this year, see the pictures below!

 

Reid Gross, 2nd grade, hopes that Duke will win!

 

 

Carter Smith, 3rd grade, hopes that NC State will win!

 

 

Landry Miller, 4th grade, hopes that Michigan will win!

 

 

Riley Proctor, 4th grade, hopes that NC State will win!

 

 

Ms. Knox, one of the Upper School English teachers, hopes that UNC will win!