March Madness lived up to its name this year, delivering shocking upsets, unforgettable games and plenty of debate among fans in the student body, with Michigan ultimately winning the national championship against UConn. From bracket-busting losses to surprising runs, the tournament kept students watching the games through every class.

“It was great. There were a lot of upsets,” said Nate Pitts. “I really think that it really defined the word madness.”

The unpredictability of the tournament was one of its biggest storylines. Lower-seeded teams consistently defeated higher-ranked opponents, making it nearly impossible for anyone to maintain a perfect bracket. Many people were excited to see their teams go on a run in the tournament.

“Non-biased as a Tennessee fan, it was Tennessee beating the 2nd seed and the 3rd seed. It was insane,” Pitts said.

While some teams exceeded expectations, others fell short in ways no one predicted. These types of losses are what make perfect March Madness brackets almost impossible to make.

“Florida, losing to a nine-seed Iowa. No one expected it. No one had that pick,” Pitts said.

Close matchups and intense atmospheres also helped define the tournament.

“I had a really enjoyable time,” said Grant Molnar. “The first weekend of the tournament, really, a bunch of good upsets, like High Point over Wisconsin, and a bunch of great games.”

The High Point versus Wisconsin game was one of the favorites of this tournament. Games like this kept students on the edge of their seats and created memorable moments throughout the tournament. However, not every part of the tournament was enjoyable for everyone. Molnar shared his frustration with the championship game.

“First of all, the refs made it almost unbearable to watch. Terrible performance by the refs,” Molnar said. He also added that he didn’t enjoy the teams playing, “I don’t like watching Michigan or UConn.”

Brackets were another major topic of discussion, as many students saw their predictions fall apart.

“It started great until about the Elite 8, where everything went downhill,” Pitts said.

Molnar had a similar experience and said, “It was going very well until Duke lost, then Houston lost, then Iowa State lost and it just went downhill from there.”

Despite the chaos, some players and teams stood out.

Molnar noted, “I’d say UConn exceeded my expectations… I didn’t think they were that good a team.”