Madness

****** TCU vs Houston in the Big 12 Quarterfinals is going on in the background during this

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Madness ensues in March.

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Storylines, heroes, villains and upsets fill our TV screens and entertain us for a few glorious weeks out of the year. Exciting matchups of longtime rivals and first-time opponents play out before our eyes.

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March has it all.

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Everyone relates to filling out their bracket with friends, families, or coworkers before the NCAA tournament starts. I have never been particularly good at filling out my bracket, often finishing in the lower echelon of my group. However, filling out that bracket mentally prepares me for what’s to come.

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During the NCAA tournament, I check my phone periodically throughout the day for score updates to see if my teams won (usually not the case). Hopefully, my Tar Heels will make their way to another Final Four, but we’ll see.

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As a student in middle school at St. Peter’s Catholic School, our teacher used to put the tournament games on the Smart Board for students to watch during recess. I remember vividly watching 14-seed Mercer put a hurting on Jabari Parker and the Dukies. That was a sweet one.

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I remember a few distinct Carolina teams throughout the years of watching the Big Dance. Some losses hurt more than others. The 2016 team with Marcus Paige, Kennedy Meeks, Brice Johnson, and a bunch of other legendary Tar Heels had a memorable run to the Final Four in Houston. Marcus Paige was my favorite player, and I loved watching him shine in the postseason. Truthfully, it felt like he was going to have a storybook ending. We played some tough opponents throughout the tournament, but we were able to handle each of them respectively.

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Then we played Villanova.

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After being down a few possessions with only a couple of minutes left to go, Marcus willed us back and brought us to within one possession. Down 3 with 13 seconds left, we inbounded the ball and ran it up the court, handing it to Marcus on the right side of the three-point arc. In a dazzling moment of pure awesomeness, he double-clutched his shot to avoid a defender in mid-air and sank one of the greatest shots in NCAA Tournament history.

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The celebration in my house lasted for 5 seconds. On the other end of the court, Kris Jenkins hit the game-winning three to give Villanova the championship.

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Eighth-grade Tanner was not happy at school the next day.

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There have been better memories when it comes to Carolina and the Big Dance. The following season, UNC’s Redeem Team came back and won the NCAA championship in Phoenix, led by the likes of Joel Berry, Justin Jackson, and Theo Pinson.

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Another tournament that sticks out to me is the 2022 Final Four. Along with four of my friends, we drove 13 hours (probably longer) to New Orleans to watch a scrappy, scorching 8-seeded UNC, face our longtime rivals, the Duke Blue Devils.

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Cinema.

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Truthfully, the game didn’t seem real. Why was I there? How the heck did Duke and Carolina meet each other in the Final Four?

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I sat near the top of the Caesars Superdome with my friend Cooper (now housemate) completely surrounded by Duke fans. The game was full of friendly chirping, cheers and complaints from both sides. Both teams fought their tails off, and it went right down to the wire.

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I witnessed a 28-point Caleb Love basketball masterclass. His performance against Duke ended with one of the most iconic shots in Carolina history. He pulled up from 3 with 25 seconds left to deliver a dagger to the heart of Duke fans everywhere, effectively ending the game.

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I shed a couple of tears even.

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We did our best to recreate Franklin Street in NOLA. After the game, UNC fans rushed through the tunnels connected to the stadium and hugged, high-fived, and celebrated Coach K’s last game ever. I actually high-fived Antawn Jamison, which I thought was pretty cool. I was also passed by a not-so-happy JJ Reddick. Understandable JJ.

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Regardless of the outcome of the following game, I got to witness a historical tournament matchup and made some pretty cool memories while doing it.

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Not too bad.

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I hope Carolina does well this postseason. We just beat a freakishly athletic FSU team in the ACC tournament today by 20, but what comes next is yet to be seen.

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Whatever happens, bring on the Madness.

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*****UNC has now made it to the ACC Tournament Championship against…*checks notes, NC State? This will be interesting. Will Carolina squash the Wolfpack’s chances at a bid to the Big Dance? Only time will tell. Tonight’s game will be a fun one.

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P.S. Watching Duke lose early on is always a treat. Makes me sleep better at night.