March may inevitably be the most exhilarating month of the year.

Temperatures increase. Grass gets greener. Days grow longer.

And while the bounce of a basketball is heard through television sets across the country in celebration of March Madness, something is just a bit different about attending live games and spending time behind the scenes (and not having to sit through multiple commercials.)

Basketball came alive at the second and third rounds of the tournament in Columbus, Ohio, as players, coaches, fans, media staff, and event workers prepared for a round of six enticing matchups. Emotions ran high from the court to the stands to the locker room, and having the opportunity to witness it all was incredible.

Passing nervous faces on their way to the press room, there was no way I could even imagine putting myself in the shoes of the talented athletes from NC State, Georgetown, St. Louis, Memphis, Belmont, San Diego State, LIU Brooklyn, and Michigan State. All their hard work and dedication of the past season had led to that Thursday, and four of them were going home after just one game.

Jokes shared and tears shed were both symbols of excitement and passion for the road to New Orleans.

Rick Majerus’ discussion about Twitter was one to remember: “I don’t see the point of Twitter. ‘I went to the beach. The water was wet.’ What is that?”

Joe Pastner taking the blame for Memphis’ loss to St. Louis for the sake of his players was more than admirable.

Brian Conklin’s heartbreaking, tearful press conference after his final career game was undoubtedly powerful for all basketball fans alike.

And speaking with a member of NC State’s coaching staff after earning a spot in the Sweet Sixteen was unforgettable: “We’re so excited. This hasn’t happened for us in a long time.”

You see it all on TV, and then you see it in person.

It opens up your eyes and redefines what college basketball means to you. It doesn’t mean creating a successful bracket or winning a hefty sum of money for lucky picks, and it has nothing to do with sitting at your computer waiting for the exact moment tickets go on sale for the three games in New Orleans.

It is about putting yourself in the game and rooting for not only your favorite team but the team putting forth the most effort. It is about sympathizing with those who lose after fighting a tough battle and staying proud of the National Champion for their skill and perseverance. For the fans, each individual tournament may lost only a few short weeks, but March Madness in itself can last a lifetime.

Photo courtesy of CBS and the NCAA.

Check out what our analysts had to say about this year’s big dance….we’re not sure what is on the line here (probably an only partially used CSF coozie).  Anyway, here are the predictions from a few of our writers.

Jeff Dunbar/CSF Senior Editor

Final Four:  Kentucky, Syracuse, Michigan State, UNC

I have Kentucky beating UNC in the championship, and here’s my breakdown of why:

I have Syracuse rallying to the Final Four, despite the suspension of Fab Melo.  They’re still very deep, and I think they come together as a team and get to New Orleans.

I think Tom Izzo gets yet another trip to the Final Four behind his coaching and the versitle play of Draymond Green.

UNC recovers nicely from their heart-breaking loss to Florida State in the ACC Championship game.  Keep in mind that the Tarheels were only one shot away in that one, and that was without John Henson.  Expect him to be back by round 2, and that will make an impact for Roy Williams’ crew.

I have Kentucky winning it all.  They have the best player in the nation, in Anthony Davis, and I believe this is the year John Calipari gets it done.  The ‘Cats simply have too much althleticsm, and despite losing the SEC Championship game, they are still the best team in the country.

Alex Munter/CSF Contributor and Bracketology Guru

Final Four:  Kentucky, Ohio State, Michigan State, UNC

I picked these final four because, come on- Kentucky, self explanatory. Ohio State because they have all star talent that is sure to step up (on and off the court). Michigan State has been having an awesome season with a team that remains calm and composed throughout the game and has a strong defense. Finally, UNC because despite injuries, the team still has 3 players certain to land high future NBA draft picks and a couple young shooters that are bound to give a show.

I picked Kentucky to take it all against UNC because they are unstoppable! They have only lost 2 games this entire season and the winning streak won’t stop now. Calipari has a team full of talent and he knows how to coach. Not to mention, the Wildcats have enthusiasm and speed on their side, both offensively and defensively, thus making it difficult for opponents to stop them on the way to the basket. I am predicting a tight game with an end score of 85-78.

Allie Balog/CSF Writer & Contributor

Final Four: Kentucky, Syracuse, Michigan St., UNC
I have these four teams going to the Final Four because they are the teams that I feel have proved this season that they can really go all the way. Kentucky for one has only lost two games in this entire regular season, they are probably the countries pick to win the National Championship, but that’s only because they have proved that they are the best team in the country thus far. As for Syracuse, Michigan State, and UNC while they have all had loses, they have also proved that they are still a team that you want to beat and they don’t like to be beaten.
As for the National Championship, I have Kentucky. Like I said they have proved that they are the best team in the country during the regular season, and I have no doubt in my mind that they will work their butt’s off during March Madness to prove that they truly are the best and win the entire championship. I think that they will end up beating Syracuse for the championship and not by a lot. I think that the final score will be less than a 10 point difference, which would make for a really great National Championship game and truly show who’s the best of the best.

Well, we have finally made it. It is March, the weather has gotten slightly warmer, and the smells of fresh-cut grass and newly-seeded basketball teams linger in the air as we head into postseason college basketball. Cities like Louisville, Columbus, Greensboro and Nashville are all abuzz with what is to come in the next week, and New Orleans is eagerly awaiting a high-caliber national championship game. But will there be any surprises? Who will make it to the top, and who will claim a few unexpected victories—could they be the same teams?

MidwestSportsFans.com has not only given us a few of their picks, but they have also given us some strategies on how to gather some of the best upsets this year. They give reference to ESPN’s “Giant Killer” blog, which looks closely at the statistics of certain teams to get a good view of who will be a smarter surprise pick while playing a top-ranked team. MSF also did a great job of making it clear that seeds have no relation to what happens on the court in a given game; that’s the beauty of basketball—anything can happen at any given time, and it’s not over until it’s over.

I agree with a few of MSF’s upset picks, including #12 Cal over #5 Temple and #14 Belmont over #3 Georgetown. But after looking closely at #6 Murray State a month ago, I believe they will get their spunk back once they hit the court in the first round and will be able to stop #11 Colorado State. I also do not see #11 Texas over #6 Cincinnati; the Bearcats have beaten teams such as Georgetown and Louisville, so maybe they will keep up the same pace they have had all season and defeat the Longhorns.

Upsets are always a tough call; what happens on the court is completely unpredictable, and once in the postseason, a team’s history essentially has nothing to do with what will happen next. But that is what makes March “madness”—each year, you never can tell what the tournament will bring.

Photo courtesy of Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.

This season the NCAA has voted on expanding the tournament to 68 teams, 3 more than it has been in the past. Officials would have liked to have it expanded even further to 128 teams, but it has not been approved. Further expansion could take several more years. The 68-team format will not become official until the board of directors vote on April 29^th of this year, but it is likely to pass.

A portion of the public would like to see the tournament expanded, but I’m really not so sure this is the best idea. Isn’t the point of March Madness to watch and bet on all of the BEST college basketball teams throughout the nation? Isn’t the point of playing all season to eventually make it to the tournament? Who wants to watch mediocre basketball during the biggest basketball tournament of the year? Not me. It should be every team’s goal to make it to the tournament, not to waltz through the season with a bullshit record and then end up playing with the big boys. We live in a competitive world, and college sports are no joke to fans.  A team who barely won half of its games should not be allowed to a tournament where majority of the players have a future in the NBA.  Call me harsh, but it should be an honor to be invited to the tournament.

I firmly believe that this tournament is for the most talented teams, but should be everyone’s goal to ultimately reach. No one should expect to be in this tournament, it is a huge privilege.  Teams like UK, Syracuse, Duke and Kansas are incredible and fully deserve their spot in the tournament. I cannot wait to see what the top ten teams do this year.

March is just around the corner, and the competition is really starting to heat up in college basketball. Teams are fighting for high ranks and top seeds come Selection Sunday, so it is starting to be pretty obvious who will be in and out of the postseason.

Bleacherreport.com has compiled a list of eleven teams who are a tough pick for the tournament, teams that may or may not have even a shot to make it even though they were top picks at the beginning of the season. These teams have around 17 wins and 11 losses each on average, and they are mediocre in their individual conferences.

I see a lot of teams on their list that I personally think have a big shot in the tournament. They have a somewhat solid record and have consistent victories against non-conference teams and multiple plays that will most likely be ranked at the top of them all by the end of the tournament. Plus, they have a history of showing up in the Big Dance year after year, although that is not always a shoe-in for the future—does anyone remember North Carolina being in the tournament in 2010? No? That’s because they actually were not there for once.

Some teams listed, however, most likely do not have a chance on Selection Sunday. I do not think Cincinnati, for example, has a good chance at overcoming tenth-ranked Marquette and South Florida with a 9-5 record in the Big East already. I also do not see the Mississippi State Bulldogs headed to postseason play either, especially with a 6-7 SEC record and not finishing out their scare against Kentucky last week. And it is obviously a surprise to see Connecticut on this list – the defending champions of 2011! These teams may give quite the fright against top ranked ones, but in the end, it is all about winning the game, not just freaking the opposing team out for a few minutes.

We won’t be learning of these teams’ fate until Selection Sunday, but until then, it is all about their fight back into being top contenders for the tournament, so the games in the next few weeks will no doubt be incredibly exciting.

Photo courtesy of MidwestSportsFans.com