The NFL has the playoffs, golf has the Masters, soccer has the World Cup, and college basketball has March Madness. Famed for its upsets, drama, and glory, this year is looking to be no different. How do the basketball players at Vista del Lago High School predict the tournament will go?
Who will win it all?
Vista students overwhelmingly chose the Kansas Jayhawks, led by star center Hunter Dickinson and KJ Adams, as the most likely to take it all. The Jayhawks have won March Madness a total of four times and are looking to win another this year.
“They’re just the best team,” said freshman basketball player Cael Rens.
Many students share a similar opinion about the Kansas Jayhawks. “They’re just the best team to ever touch this earth,” said starting freshman basketball player Max Higgins.
Another team that can win it all is the Kentucky Wildcats. The Wildcats currently sit fourth in the Southeastern Conference. They won March Madness a total of eight times and are led by freshman point guard Rob Dillingham, freshman shooting guard Justin Edwards, senior shooting guard Antonio Reaves, and freshman small forward Reed Sheppard.
Another top-voted team is the University of Arizona, which has three star players, Caleb Love, Keshad Johnson, and Oumar Ballo.
The Arizona Wildcats haven’t won a championship in over 20 years and are hungry for one more, especially with being ranked number one in the Pac-12.
Underdog
As for the underdogs, St. Marys was highly selected as Vista’s pick.
St. Mary’s rose in the ranks this year through their power three players—Augustas Marčiulionis, Aiden Maheny, and Mitchell Saxen—who all average over 11 points this season.
The St.Mary’s Gaels recently beat Gonzaga, one of the best teams in college basketball, and have only lost seven games this season. St. Mary’s certainly seems to be on the rise.
Best player of the tournament
The students’ selection of the best player in March Madness was highly debated, but the most common answers were Zach Edey, RJ Davis, and Rob Dillingham.
First up is RJ Davis: the senior at North Carolina averaged 21 points, along with four rebounds and three assists per game. When he was in high school, he was a McDonald’s All-American and was named Mr. New York in basketball.
“[Davis is] a good playmaker, and he can shoot really well,” said varsity basketball starter Miles Ignacio.
Another best-player pick is Rob Dillingham. As a freshman at Kentucky, he averages 15 points and four assists per game. He was recently named The SEC Sixth Man of the Year and named to the All-SEC Second Team.
“[Dillingham] a really good player, he’s pretty shifty, and he’s got a nice jump shot,” said freshmen basketball player Travis Miller.
“Real flashy player, good shooter. I really like him,” said Ignacio.
Finally, there is Zach Edey. The center from Purdue is averaging the most points in all of college basketball with 24 points per game, along with the third most rebounds per game with almost 12 per game. He won the National College Player of the Year award last year, along with being named the Big Ten Player of the Year this season.
“He’s very tall and can do it all, he’s a great defender, grabs rebounds, he can score at will,” said Higgins.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy another exciting year of March Madness.
