- Reuters
- 9 Hours ago
March Madness 2024: Exciting start to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
- Web Desk
- Mar 22, 2024
NEW YORK: The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, famously referred to as March Madness, began with a series of games featuring intense competition and big upsets.
In terms of intense competition, the Long Beach State team started off the tournament with the dismissal of their coach Dan Monson.
Despite putting up a valiant fight, the team faced defeat against the formidable number two team Arizona. Long Beach State’s Athletic Director Bobby Smitheran also attracted attention for his decision to dismiss the team’s coach right before the tournament.
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Meanwhile, other shocking victories included Michigan State’s win against Mississippi State. In the Final Four round of the tournament, teams such as Wagner’s victory over Howard, Colorado State’s win against Virginia, Grambling’s success against Montana State, and Colorado’s triumph over Boise State caused minor upsets.
Teams UConn, North Carolina, Houston, and Purdue also secured the top spots in their respective regions
In a first, artificial intelligence (AI) is extensively being used in the March Madness tournament. AI played a significant role in match predictions, with many basketball fans turning to AI algorithms for assistance. However, the unpredictability of teams remained a challenge in predicting accurate outcomes.
AI platforms like Kaggle is hosting “Machine Learning Madness” where participants can utilise machine learning algorithms to refine their match predictions.
In terms of tournament venues, stadiums across United States from Brooklyn, New York, to Spokane, Washington will be used to host the games. Various universities across the United States will also host the tournament on their campuses. Notably, iconic venues, Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the TD Garden in Boston, will also be famously utilised.
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The tournament is divided into various stages, including the Round of 32, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, and will ultimately conclude with the National Championship Game on April 8.
68 teams are participating in the March Madness tournament, vying for the championship title.
The tournament duration will span from March 19 to April 8, with games broadcasted on famous American networks such as Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), Turner Network Television (TNT), Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), and truTV.