The month of March is upon us and you know what that means, shamrocks, green clothes, and college basketball. This year, the tournament is filled with dozens of NBA caliber players and some of the best teams assembled in the past decade. On March 14th, the annual tradition of creating a tournament bracket and hoping to remain perfect will sweep the nation and jam countless printers worldwide. With so many networks reporting on what they believe to be the clear winner or the unsuspecting underdog, it can get a little confusing. We’ve broken down the top seed contenders and some unlikely predictions for this year’s March Madness Tournament.

The standings for college basketball are always nothing short of unpredictable. AP polls had the usual top schools like Kentucky and Duke rounding out the tops seeds, with the defending champions Villanova Wildcats shortly trailing behind. But, the two regular powerhouses shocked the world by Kentucky dropping to the eighth seed and Duke falling out of the top ten.

The saying in sports goes “when one giant falls, another rises.” And that’s exactly happened with the newest rankings in the AP poll. Kansas took the top spot with their standout forward Josh Jackson and that fast-paced offense with Villanova respectively at number two. This year’s top five are all tested and balance out very well. Gonzaga, UCLA and Oregon finish the top spots and prove to match up perfectly. They are the smart choices for any bracket.

The art of making the perfect bracket is tough one to learn, but impossible to master. Many try year and year out but none remain. The thing about the bracket that makes it so universally fun and attractive is that anyone can create one. From the hardcore sports reporter to the soccer mom at the office, anyone can try to create perfection. When asked about the March Madness brackets, Jake Teti a local student at Portsmouth High School, stated, “Yeah I make one every year. Sometimes I make multiple ones for different schools.  I’ve never gotten a perfect one but I’ve predicted the champion last year.” He is one of the many that are moderate fans of the college season but are rabid fans of the bracket and march madness itself.

Over 75 years ago March Madness was born. The tournament consisted of a fraction of the teams that play now and had the pace of snails of crutches. With brand deals out through the ceiling, March Madness has separated itself from just a normal college basketball tournament to a TV phenomenon with millions of viewers. The extravaganza begins Tuesday, March 14th and won’t end until mid April. Mark your calendars, pop some popcorn and grab your school’s jersey because the madness is just beginning.