The NCAA Tournament is one of the most beloved events on the sports calendar. Office productivity plummets everywhere as cubicles across the United States turn their attention from TPS reports to March Madness odds.
Unfortunately, there aren’t a whole lot of college basketball odds to bet in the middle of the summer.
However, every tournament etches a handful of moments into the historical fabric of the sport. For college basketball fans, these are the things we’ll talk about for years to come.
Here are a few of the best moments from the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
2022 Men’s NCAA Tournament Highlights
Karma is Kind to Kansas
2019-20. Udoka overpowers McCormack, Garrett is an elite defender against Agbaji. Two huge reasons that team wins
— Andrew Doughty (@DoughtyBetMGM) May 17, 2022
If you paid close attention to college basketball in 2020, you know that Kansas was the kind of dominant No. 1 seed that was likely to win the tournament that year.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 got in the way, and the NCAA Tournament was ultimately canceled. (Then, online sports betting was in the desert for six months… but that’s another topic for another time.)
The point is that some historical balancing of the scales should be factored in for the Jayhawks’ 2022 national title. The format of March Madness often means that the best team doesn’t always win.
In 2022, though, we definitely got a deserving champion.
Enter the Peacock
Arguably the most memorable aspect of the 2022 NCAA Tournament is the three wins generated by No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s.
The MAAC champion from Jersey City added another classic Cinderella story to the legend of March Madness.
Duke vs. North Carolina
Somehow, in Men’s NCAA Tournament history, Duke had never played archrival North Carolina.
That aberration finally ended in 2022, as the Blue Devils squared off against the Tarheels with a berth in the national championship game on the line.
Oh – and for added stakes, it proved to be the final game for coaching legend Mike Krzyzewski.
Thank Your Local Cheerleader
The NCAA Tournament is long enough that it usually provides one or two funny viral moments, and this year’s bracket was no exception.
Look no further than the Indiana cheerleader’s one shining moment.
Jay Wright’s Swan Song
As it turns out, Coach K wasn’t the only Hall of Famer that coached his last game in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Villanova coach Jay Wright solidified his incredible resume with yet another trip to the Final Four. After the season ended, he announced a surprise retirement, handing the Wildcats program over to Kyle Neptune.
Wright is transitioning to a role at Villanova as Special Advisor to the President.
