Brackets and basketball.

March and madness.

From die hard fans to casual observers, one of the most intriguing events in all of sports is in full swing.

Sports fans around the country are familiar with the intensity that comes with the NCAA basketball tournament in March.

It’s hard to escape the March madness vibe, with teachers and staff members on campus having an annual bracket contest.

“The cool thing about it is you have people that are basketball efficianatos, but it is usually someone who never watches basketball that always ends up winning,” head coach Steven Friar said. “So it’s always real fun to get the staff involved.”

For some students it’s more than just bragging rights.

“Me and my friends participate in making brackets every year this year we’re all throwing a little bit in that way there is a little bit more of a reward to the winner,” junior Jake Harvey said.

When it comes to picking a team, everybody has a basis for picking a winner.

For those that don’t pay attention to basketball, it could be based off something superficial.

“We did it by the attractiveness of the players because I think it was just a funny idea and a lot of people go ‘try hard’ on it,” sophomore Karina Grokhovskaya said.

“If both teams were even or not attractive, we did it based on who had the best jerseys or team color and logo. Just their overall aesthetic,” senior Kirthi Gummadi said.

But for others, it’s based on other factors.

“I want the texas longhorns to win because they are the best team in the country,” Harvey said.

“I’m picking Vilanova,” Friar said. “I think they’re a good program but of course, since I picked them, they are probably going to lose the first round, but I do think they have a good chance based on who they’re playing.”