March is a beautiful time of year. The cold dreary days of winter are coming to an end and the bright sunny days of spring are starting to show its head. For most, March means that Spring Break is just around the corner and much needed time off from schools is upon us. Baseball season is gearing up and graduation is only weeks away. March means so much for so many, but for me it only means Madness.
College basketball is one of the most exciting sports to watch on television. You have your major conferences such as the SEC, Pac 10, Big 12, and the beloved ACC all competing for a chance to make it to the big dance as well as come home with the illustrious title of National Champions.
March begins with the end of the regular season. You have your big rivalries come head to head all over the country. Here in North Carolina only one game truly matters, Duke vs. Carolina. This game, the “Battle of Tobacco Road” as it is often called, has been donned the third best rivalry in the county by ESPN. In 2003, Sports Illustrated named the Duke/Carolina rivalry the hottest in college basketball and second overall. The rivalry has been attributed to the fact that the two schools are only eight miles apart and have dominated the ACC by being ranked number one in the conference 42 times. Twenty-four titles are held by Carolina and 18 by Duke.
The last two weeks of March are encompassed by the NCAA tournament. Sixty five teams battle it out for a chance to call themselves NCAA Champions. Carolina has won the championship five times and Duke has won three times. Carolina is tied with UCLA for the record of 16 Final Four appearances. Duke has made it 14 times.
There have been many memorable moments between these two schools. In 1974 Duke lead UNC by eight points with 17 seconds left in the game. Carolina was able to come back and win the game; this was quite a considerable feat since the three point line had not been instituted yet. More recently, on March 4, 2007 Carolina beat Duke by 14 points. The most memorable part of this game was a foul caused by Gerald Henderson’s elbow to Tyler Hansbrough with 14.5 seconds on the clock. The controversial foul broke Hansbrough’s nose and resulted in bloody display for the cameras. Henderson was charged with a combative foul, ejected from the game, and suspend for the first game of the ACC tournament.
Duke and Carolina’s rivalry is nothing but exciting. From season to season, you never know which team will come out on top. Throw in ten other teams and you will see why the ACC is one of the most exhilarating conferences in NCAA basketball. In the 54 years since its conception it has only grown to become one of the most respected leagues in college basketball. As for the last two weeks of the month, combine 65 teams from various conferences around the country into the mix and find out why March Madness is the favorite time of year for so many people. April 2nd can’t come soon enough.