As the first signs of spring begin to show, we become ready to enter the month of March. And in spite of the friendly and beckoning weather, the matter of deciding the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Champion is at hand. Through the exciting and dramatic month of March, and all the madness that it brings with it, the sport of college basketball will be played to full delight and merriment, keeping us inside despite the spring weather. Here’s what to expect:

The conference championship tournaments will be of vital importance. While many fans tend not to become totally concerned over their school’s conference tournaments, these do carry a lot of weight on Selection Sunday, when the seeds and involved schools are announced. The ACC presents an intriguing example of how valuable winning a tournament can be:

Both the Virginia Cavaliers and Duke Blue Devils feel deserving of #1 seeds, and have had tremendous years. The Virginia Cavaliers have lost just once! However, the result of the ACC tournament could decide which of these schools has the top seed and the easier schedule, along with the more favorable early round locations as well. With schools like Gonzaga, the Kansas Jayhawks, Villanova, the Arizona Wildcats, and the Wisconsin Badgers hovering on the bubble and likely to claim their own respective conference titles, the overall seeding of the nation’s top teams are up in the air. This will make the regular season run-in and impending tournaments all the more important and exciting.

However, the real fun of March Madness begins alongside the NCAA tournament that decides the national champion. Each of the above mentioned teams will contend for this title, along with the favorites, Kentucky Wildcats, who remain undefeated. However, hoards of potential Cinderella candidates will lie in wait for them. Major conference teams capable of making a strong run include the North Carolina Tar Heels, the West Virginia Mountaineers, Iowa State, the Utah Utes, the Louisville Cardinals, the Oklahoma Sooners, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

But the markings of a true underdog come from the smaller conference squads, built around strong 3-point shooters and veteran seniors, who’ve been eyeing a tournament run their entire careers. Many are happy to simply be here. Take note of teams like Northern Iowa and Wichita State. Both are ranked near the top-10 nationally but compete in the Missouri Valley Conference, which receives little attention. The rightly nicknamed “Shockers” of Iowa State progressed all the way to the 2013 Final Four. Certainly they’re hoping for another run.

But other small conference schools will also have a shot. Perhaps NC Central, Iona, UC Davis, Albany, or Dayton could make a strong run to the Sweet Sixteen or beyond! In truth though, the extreme talent of a highly ranked squad usually pulls through in the end. No team with lower than an 8 seed has ever won the National Title.

And so looking at this year’s contenders, one could go with the easy choice of the Kentucky Wildcats, given their perfect record. I would be quick to question their chances though, as a largely freshman and inexperienced squad generally falls under the pressure and weight of tourney basketball. Teams I favor the most in this year’s tournament would be Gonzaga and the Wisconsin Badgers. They have star players like Kyle Wiltjer and Frank Kaminski surrounded by veteran casts. This leadership and experience of succeeding in the NCAA tournament of year’s past will guide them to an eventual final, with Gonzaga taking the title!