By: Nyah Namisnak
Two former high school basketball players go in depth on their love and passion for the sport of basketball and why March Madness brings the sport to life. March Madness is an event that occurs every spring and brings athletes and fans together to enjoy the sport of basketball.
Sam Matthews, a junior baseball player at Marietta College, located in Ohio, goes into detail on his love for basketball season, especially March Madness. Sam grew up in Ohio playing basketball from a toddler to a senior in high school, while exploring baseball, which is his current field of athletics.
He said “Basketball, specifically March Madness, is so entertaining and gives me the chills reminiscing on my past years of past basketball years.”
March Madness is an NCAA Division One Men’s Basketball Tournament that is split into four different regions: The East, West, Midwest, and South with 16 teams in each region. In total, there are 64 teams in the tournament.
Although March Madness is centered around basketball, there is so much more that goes into the event. Because of COVID-19, there is one location, Indianapolis, instead of the games being held in multiple cities and states. Indianapolis was chosen because of its central location and facility options to hold basketball games.
Sam enjoys making brackets with his friends, but mostly is entertained by the constant flow of basketball throughout the day. Brackets, in March Madness, are forms that can be printed out or completed on-line to predict the outcome of each game. The entire bracket is filled out to the last game. Whoever has the most accurate outcome, wins. Some people are more serious than others, placing money bets on a team, while others play just for fun. He likes being able to connect with his friends more, as they talk about brackets and who is projected to win. He loves that there is always a game to watch, no matter the time of day, during March Madness.
Although Sam has not been able to attend a game during his baseball season this year, some individuals have.
Reagan Jones got the full effect this past weekend. Reagan is a sophomore at Purdue University with a love for basketball. She played basketball all through high school and loved every second of it.
She said, “I for sure wasn’t the best on the team, but I had a lot of fun running up and down that court.”
Reagan attended multiple games this weekend, with Purdue and North Texas being her favorite game of the night. She normally does not get to attend these games due to the multiple locations, but with March Madness happening right in the heart of Indy, it was too hard not to pass up. Tickets were bought in family pods, so everyone was properly distanced throughout the games. While it is safer, the atmosphere was very different.
For example, in a place like the Lucas Oil Stadium, sound does not carry as well as in the coliseum, making it seem like there are not as many people attending the game. She enjoyed the games in the Coliseum because the sound traveled better, . The COVID protocols for fans were manageable in Reagan’s eyes, as wearing her mask, social distancing, and frequent hand washing was not a problem for her throughout the game.
Even though Reagan is not so interested in making brackets with her friends, she enjoys watching the games throughout the day and the fan rush of basketball in the month of March. It is not like any other month of the year; it is a month where people come together to enjoy the art of basketball. What makes it different, is that there can be competitions, bets, and even friendship reunions because the love of basketball brings people together.
March Madness is a fan experience that is happening right in our hometown of Indianapolis. According to Reagan Jones and Sam Matthews, it is the best part of the month of March and is something that they love filling their time with. Basketball is more than just a game for some, and Jones and Matthews can attest to that. Watching and playing sports is a fun-filled experience that everyone should take advantage of this month, as it is not too far from our very own Marian University.
