Fake it until you make it: March Madness edition

Max Goldberg/Iowa State Daily

Monte Morris drives towards the basket during a game against the Nevada Wolf Pack, March 16, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Cyclones won 84-73.

Maria Pimentel-Diaz
March 26, 2018

Next Saturday, four teams will battle it out on the court for a spot in the NCAA March Madness Championship. If you’re not really into sports, here are some facts about the teams, the tournament and the upcoming games to help survive this basketball filled week.

  • The teams headed to the Final Four are Loyola University Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Kansas and Villanova.

  • All four teams will play on March 31, Loyola will face Michigan while Kansas will face Villanova.

Here are some terms for those who might need some help when their basketball-loving friend/family member talks about the games:

  • “March Madness” is the nickname given to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I basketball tournament. There are 68 teams facing off in single elimination rounds to the championship.

  • Dancing– In 1977, Marquette head coach Al McGuire nicknamed the tournament “The Big Dance.” Some refer playing in the Tournament as going dancing, according to The Northern Iowan.

  • Upset– When the underdog, in this case a low-ranked seed, unexpectedly beats a top-ranked seed. Example: Loyola who is an 11-seed beating the 9-seed Kansas State for a spot in the Final Four is considered an upset.

  • Seed– Seeding is the classification of teams into different groups based on how they did during their regular season. They use those classifications to organize the tournament to avoid the top teams facing off until later in the tournament, according to sports columnist John Feinstein.

  • Foul– When one player comes into illegal contact with another player. The player who gets fouled usually gets a shot at a free throw. After five fouls, the player who committed them must leave the game.

  • Points– Free throws are one point, baskets “inside the arc” are two points and those made past the three point line, or “outside the arc” are three pointers.

  • Turnover– When one team loses possession of the ball due to a mistake or a violation.

When, where and how to watch– You can stream the games for free on the March Madness Live app or on NCAA.com. The Loyola vs Michigan game starts at 5:09 pm CT and Kansas vs Villanova starts at 7:49 pm CT.