We’ve all heard about it. Many of us have probably even done it. But do any of us really know what we’re doing? Filling out a College Basketball bracket can be difficult. It can be challenging. We all think we know what we’re doing (even when we don’t) and for a whole month, people who seemingly never cared about College Basketball before, become experts overnight. Although filling out your bracket and getting competitive with co-workers or family members is a seemingly new phenomenon, the basketball tournament itself certainly is not.
Played throughout March, it is most commonly known as March Madness, and has become one of the most famous sporting events played in the United States. In its 78th year, the tournament has had many exciting moments, with each year brining a new flare to the tournament.
On this day in 1957, the championship game was played, with the game going into triple-overtime. The North Carolina Tar Heels played the Kansas Jayhawks, with the Tar Heels coming out on top 54-53, winning their first National Championship title. Having just played in another triple-overtime game against Michigan State to make it to the National Championship game, North Carolina came into the game with an impressive 31-0 record. The game generated an attendance of 108,891 – an impressive showing even by today’s standards.
The 1957 National Championship game saw the largest media crowd ever for a men's basketball game at the time, with over eleven television stations, 73 radio stations, and 63 news writers represented. Despite his team losing the game, Kansas’ sophomore superstar, Wilt Chamberlain was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He would soon move on to play professionally for the Harlem Globetrotters. The North Carolina Tar Heels would go on to win 4 more Championship Titles, with their most recent win being in 2009, and coming in second in the 2016 tournament. Both Kansas and North Carolina are heavy favourites to win this year’s title.
So, the question is: who do you have in your bracket?
1957 Championship Team – North Carolina Tar Heels