Buzzer-beaters, unlikely heroes and unthinkable upsets: 2017 March Madness is here. The NCAA tournament is the most glorious time of the year.
Here's the tip-off time and live stream link for tonight's national championship game between No. 1 seeds Gonzaga and North Carolina.
Take this information on the go with the app. You can also set game start reminders, see which games are most exciting and DirecTV users can even change channels from directly within the app
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To get you in the March Madness mood, let's look back at some iconic tournament moments and storylines. The 2016 NCAA tournament was spectacular, ending with "The Shot."
Northern Iowa's Paul Jesperson hit one of the craziest buzzer-beaters you'll ever see vs. Texas:
Last year's "One Shining Moment."
The best NCAA tournament players of all time:
The best teams that didn't win a national title:
Buy your tickets now for 2017 March Madness. We can’t wait for the festivities. To get prepped for the NCAA tournament, here are some tips to keep in mind when filling out your bracket.
In recent years, more and more people are choosing 16-1 upsets. Why so? After all, since the field reached at least 64 in 1985, the 16 seed is 0-128 against the No. 1 seed. It is the only seed without a win in the tournament.
Perhaps we’re just more aware that, one of these years, the number is going to come up for a No. 16 seed and, when it does, we’d like to say we called it. (Without admitting, of course, how many times we didn't call it.)
| 2016 Matchups | Picked |
|---|---|
| Kansas vs. Austin Peay | 1.45% |
| Oregon vs. Holy Cross | 1.98% |
| UNC vs. FGCU | 2.69% |
| UVA vs. Hampton | 2.85% |
| 2015 Matchups | Picked |
|---|---|
| Villanova vs Lafayette | 3.05% |
| Wisconsin vs Coastal Carolina | 1.67% |
| Kentucky vs Hampton | 1.29% |
| Duke vs Robert Morris | 1.27% |
| 2014 Matchups | Picked |
|---|---|
| Wichita State vs Cal Poly | 1.67% |
| Virginia vs Coastal Carolina | 1.58% |
| Arizona vs Weber State | 1.34% |
| Florida vs Albany | 1.21% |
| 2013 Matchups | Picked |
|---|---|
| Gonzaga vs Southern | 1.47% |
| Kansas vs W Kentucky | 1.46% |
| Indiana vs James Madison | 0.90% |
| Louisville vs NC A&T | 0.58% |
| 2012 Matchups | Picked |
|---|---|
| Syracuse vs UNC-Asheville | 1.64% |
| Michigan State vs Long Island | 1.46% |
| Kentucky vs W Kentucky | 0.55% |
| North Carolina vs Vermont | 0.55% |
| 2011 Matchups | Picked |
|---|---|
| Kansas vs Boston | 0.91% |
| Pittsburgh vs UNC-Asheville | 0.83% |
| Ohio State vs Texas-San Antonio | 0.57% |
| Duke vs Hampton | 0.54% |
The No. 15 seed has won eight of its 128 games vs. the No. 2 seed. That probably leads to a sprinkling of No. 16 picks, too.
Another possible reason No. 16s seem increasingly attractive: The number of people who pick brackets online is increasing. Though you'd think percentages would stay constant, if a growing audience means more casual fans, perhaps that means more who are willing to take a risk -- or less aware of how risky it is for your bracket.
Bracket experts will tell you that picking a No. 16 seed is a horrible risk-reward proposition. Since a 16 seed is unlikely to advance to the Sweet 16 as well, that huge upset pick is liable to earn only a single point in your bracket.
The moral: A No. 1 seed still is the most likely NCAA Champion and Final Four participant. So picking the upset might be good for bragging rights. But it could take you out of contention very early if you're wrong. And everyone who's ever picked a 16 seed has been.
