MARCH MADNESS BEGINS!

March is here! This is the time of year when many avid college basketball fans get excited because March is the month that the NCAA Basketball Tournament begins for both men and women. This tournament is commonly referred to as "March Madness" or "The Road to the Final Four". The winner of this tournament earns the honor of the best collegiate team in America.

"March Madness" has been an American tradition for 61 years. Sixty-four Division I collegiate basketball teams from all over America will earn spots in this tournament.

For three weeks in March, these 64 teams will be narrowed down to the "Sweet Sixteen", the "Elite Eight", and the "Final Four". Eventually, the final game will be played between the two teams that have survived without a loss. Then, the winner, the best collegiate team in America, will be crowned.

The team that has been crowned National Champions the most is UCLA. They have won this tournament a total of 11 times, followed by Kentucky with seven wins, Indiana with five wins, and North Carolina with three.

The coaches that hold the records for the most NCAA Tournament championships are John Wooden with ten wins, Adolph Rupp with four wins, and Bob Knight with three wins. Some interesting "Fun Facts" about the men's tournament are written below.

1. UNLV holds the record for the most points scored in the entire tournament. They scored a total of 571 points over 6 games in the 1990 NCAA Tournament.

2. Bradley holds the record for the most free throws made in the entire tournament. They made 146 free throws over 5 games in the 1954 NCAA Tournament.

3. Arkansas holds the record for the most three-point field goals made in the entire tournament. They made 60 three-point shots over 6 games in the 1995 NCAA Tournament. That is a total of 180 points scored in the three-point range!

4. Loyola Marymount holds the record for the most total points scored by any team in one game in the NCAA Tournament. They scored 149 points against Michigan in 1990.

5. North Carolina holds the record for the fewest points scored in a single game in the NCAA Tournament. They scored only 20 points in 1941 in a game vs. Pittsburgh.

6. The team that grabbed the most rebounds in a singe NCAA Tournament game was Notre Dame. They grabbed 86 rebounds against Tennessee Tech in a 1958 tournament game.

Who will win the NCAA Basketball Tournament this year? Some people have predicted Connecticut, some have predicted Temple, and still others have chosen North Carolina or several other teams. We here at Kidsnewsroom.com would like to hear from you! Who do you think is going to win "March Madness"?

Kidsnewsroom.com will follow the NCAA Basketball Tournament until the national champion is crowned!

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