The Ultimate Book of March Madness

Tom Hager’s *The Ultimate Book of March Madness* is a slam dunk for college basketball fans, delivering a comprehensive and engaging dive into the NCAA Tournament’s storied history. 

Split into two parts, the book first offers a year-by-year chronicle from the tournament’s 1939 inception to its modern-day spectacle, spotlighting legendary teams like UCLA and Kentucky alongside unforgettable Cinderella stories like VCU and George Mason. 

Hager’s storytelling shines, blending player and coach insights with vivid game recaps that bring the excitement of March Madness to life, making it a must-read for both newcomers and die-hard hoops enthusiasts eager to relive the drama.

The second half ranks the 100 greatest tournament games, a treat for fans who love debating buzzer-beaters and upsets, though some choices—like the omission of UConn’s 1999 title win over Duke from the top games—might spark disagreement. 

While the book’s depth and organization are impressive, it occasionally sidesteps giving champions their full due, favoring underdog tales instead. Still, Hager’s passion and research make this a captivating tribute to the tournament’s magic, perfect for anyone looking to deepen their appreciation of college basketball’s most thrilling month.

Amazon: https://a.co/d/0VOrj7a

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:39 Episode starts
• 15:36 Outro

Transcript

0:00

All right, welcome to the deep dive where we, you know, take all those books and articles piling up on your desk and sort of distill them down to the good stuff. Yeah. The stuff you actually want to know. No, it's lovely. The insights that are going to make you feel smarter at the water cooler or, you know, at the dinner table. And save you a ton of time. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And today we are tackling a subject that is very near and dear to my heart. Oh, I know it. I know it. March Madness. It's the best time of year. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. We've got stacks, I mean, just a mountain material that you sent our way. Yeah, you weren't kidding. Went all the way back to the early days of the tournament up through recent years talking about, you know, how the field expanded, how TV changed everything. Yeah, the evolution of the game is fascinating, right? I mean, you see the seeds of what we love today, even back in those early tournaments. Totally. Yeah. And so our mission today is to kind of sift through all of this and really try to understand, like, A few key things. Okay. I like it. Late on me. Like, what is it that makes those Cinderella teams tick? You know, those teams to just come out of nowhere and bust everyone's brackets. Right. Got to love those upsets. Right. And how has, the way we watch the tournament, how has that changed over the years, especially with, you know, I mean, granted these sources predate Twitter and Instagram and all that. But you can see how, like, even television was starting to transform the fan experience back then. Oh, yeah. Even back then, the media was shaping the narrative in huge ways. Totally. And then the third thing, I think this is really juicy is like the pressure of single elimination basketball. Oh, man. Yeah. Like, how does that, how does that impact the players? You know, we see those clutch shots. We see those heartbreaking miss free throws. You can just feel the weight of the moment. Yeah, totally. So let's dive in. Let's do it. All right. So Cinderella teams. Let's start there. You know, one thing that struck me going through these older sources is it's seems like upsets maybe were a little bit more common or at least a little different in those early tournaments. Hmm. That's interesting. How so? Well, you know, you look at a team like Santa Clara back in 1950. They made the final four with a 15 and 10 record. Wow, 15 and 10. That's pretty unheard of these days. Exactly. Now, granted, the field was a lot smaller back then. Only eight teams in the very first tournament in 39. Right, right. So the path to the final four was a lot shorter and probably you know, fewer truly dominant teams. Yeah, it makes you wonder if those early Cinderella's were maybe a product of circumstance as much as anything else. It's a good point. Smaller field definitely created more opportunities for less heralded teams to advance. Right. But even then, it still took something special to pull off those upsets, right? Like you think about Valparaiso in 98, getting that amazing buzzer -beater to beat Mississippi. Oh, man, that shot. I mean, the story behind that is just incredible. Yeah. Yeah, fill me in. I don't think I know that one. So Bryce drew, the guy who hit the shot. His dad, Homer drew, was the coach of Alparaiso. And apparently he had like this super short recruiting visit with Bryce back when he was in high school. Didn't even stay the night. Just flew in, flew out. Wow. Talk about a whirlwind recruitment. Right. And then years later, Bryce hits that shot to send Valpo to the Sweet 16. That's amazing. I mean, it's like something out of a movie. It's pure March madness. It really is. But what's interesting to me is like, what else was going on there? Like what made that upset possible beyond just, you know, a lucky shot? Yeah, you're right. There's got to be more to it than just one moment of magic. I think it often comes down to a team really believing in themselves, you know, having that swagger, that underdog mentality. Right. And, you know, you had that in spades with Valpo. That father -son dynamic, a small school, hungry to prove themselves on the national stage. That shot was the culmination of all of that. And you see that kind of mental toughness. in a lot of these Cinderella stories, right? Like, think about George Mason in 2006. They were an 11 seed, and they went all the way to the final four. Oh, yeah. George Mason. That was a fun run. What struck me about them reading through the sources was how they just consistently overcame halftime deficits. Like, they were down at the half in multiple games and just found a way to come back. That's interesting. It's almost like they thrived on being the underdog, you know? Totally. It's not just about talent or strategy. It's about that. that belief in that resilience. Absolutely. It's about having that mental edge, not getting rattled when things get tough. And, you know, maybe there's something to be said for playing with that, nothing to lose attitude. You're not expected to win, so you can just go out there and play freely. Yeah, I think there's a lot to that. Like, when you're a top seed, there's this immense pressure to live up to the expectations. Right. Every game feels like a potential upset waiting to happen. Exactly. But when you're the underdog, you can kind of swing for the fences. No fear. Right. Just play loose and have fun. Right. And speaking of factors that contribute to these upsets, we can't overlook coaching, right? Oh, absolutely. Coaching is huge. You see it time and time again in these stories. Like Northern Iowa in 2010, they were a nine seed, but their coach just seemed to have this unwavering confidence. Even going up against UNLV. Right. That kind of confidence can be contagious. Totally. It rubs off on the players, makes them believe they can beat anyone. Yeah. And it's not just about, you know, raw, raw speeches and stuff. It's about actually preparing the team, finding those little tactical advantages, those mous matches that you can exploit. Right. Like that Moorhead State team in 2011. There were a 13 seed and they came out and just punched Louisville in the mouth, jumped out to a 10 to nothing lead. Wow. 10 to nothing against Louisville. Yeah. That kind of start. That's not just luck. That's meticulous preparation. And a coach who has his team believing that they can win. Right. And you know, a great example of a coach who mastered that art of inspiring belief, was Jim Valvano at NC State in 83. Oh, yeah, Jimmy V. I mean, their run to the championship. It was a roller coaster. They had some close calls. But his ability to keep that team together, to keep them believing, that's what made the difference. Yeah, you see that same kind of thing with Tubby Smith at Kentucky in 98. They had a midseason coaching change, which is never easy. And he came in and just instilled his confidence in that team. Wow. Talk about a pressure cooker. Stepping into that role midseason at a program like Kentucky. Yeah, but he got them to bowl. buy in and they ended up winning the championship. That's incredible. It really shows you the impact a coach can have on a team, especially in a tournament setting where the stakes are so high. Totally, totally. Now, sometimes it's not even a whole team that catches fire. It's like a single player who just goes off. Right. Those one -man shows can be pretty amazing to watch. Absolutely. And we see that a lot in the tournament. Like Austin Carr for Notre Dame in the 1970s. He had these record -breaking scoring performances. Wow. I don't know much about him. Yeah, he was unbelievable, just putting up crazy numbers. Yeah. Now, they didn't win the championship, but he almost single -handedly carry them to the brink. That's what, I mean, it makes sense, though, right? In a short tournament like this, if you have one guy who's just unstoppable, it can completely change the dynamics. Exactly. It puts so much pressure on the other team. Yeah. And it could just ignite the whole team. Give everyone that belief that they can win. Right, right. It's like a spark that sets the whole thing ablaze. Totally, totally. Yeah. Okay, so we talked about the Cinderella's. Let's shift gears a little bit and talk about how we experience the tournament as fans. Okay. Yeah. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this. So one thing that jumped out at me from these sources, and granted, a lot of this stuff predates the social media era, but you can really see how TV started to change the whole fan experience. Oh, yeah, for sure. TV brought the turn in into everyone's living rooms. Right. And it created this sense of national shared experience, you know. Before TV, it was much more regional. You'd follow your local team. But you wouldn't necessarily be as invested in the national landscape. Right. It was a much smaller world, so to speak. Exactly. But with TV, suddenly everyone's watching the same games, everyone's talking about the same upsets, and it just created this whole new level of excitement and engagement. And it gave birth to those national narratives, right? Like, we all remember those iconic moments, those buzzer beaters, those underdog stories. And a lot of that is because TV allowed us to experience them together as a nation. Totally, totally. And it's not just about the games themselves. It's about the whole culture. around the tournament, you know, the brackets, the office pools, the water cooler talk. Oh, yeah. It becomes this national obsession for a few weeks every year. Exactly. And you can see the roots of that, even in these older sources, like they talk about how newspapers would dedicate entire sections to the tournament, how radio broadcast would keep people glued to their radio. It was a sign of the times. I mean, even without social media, people were finding ways to connect and share their passion for the tournament. Totally. And it makes you wonder, like, if we fast forward to today, with Twitter and Facebook and all of that. How has social media amplified all of this? Oh, man. It's taken it to a whole other level. Now it's not just about watching the games. It's about engaging with the tournament in real time. Right. Like every big shot, every upset, it instantly explodes on social media. Exactly. And it creates this constant conversation, this feeling of being connected to everyone else who's watching. And it allows fans to become part of the story in a way that they never could before. Totally. tweet directly at players. You can create memes. You can share your reactions with the world. And it gives these Cinderella teams an even bigger platform, right? Like they go from being these relative unknowns to having millions of people following their every move. Right. It's like instant fame for these players and coaches. And it just adds another layer of excitement and unpredictability to the tournament. Oh, yeah, for sure. Social media has definitely amplified the madness and March madness. Absolutely. Okay. Let's talk about the elephant in the room. The thing that makes this tournament so unique and so intense. The single elimination format. Oh, yeah, that winner go home pressure. It's unlike anything else in sports. And your sources really highlight how that pressure can impact players in both positive and negative ways. Yeah, it can bring out the best in some players and the worst in others. Totally. Like, think about Juan Fernandez for Temple. He struggled early in that one game, but then he hit the game -winning shot. Wow. Talk about redemption. And what's interesting is that the sources suggest that his coach really believed in him, kept encouraging him, even when he was struggling. Yeah, that's huge. Having that support system, that belief from your coach, it can make all the difference in those pressure -packed moments. Totally. And then you have those cases where the pressure seems to have a galvanizing effect, like with Loyola Merrimount in 1990. Oh, yeah. That was a heartbreaking story. They lost their star player, Hank Gathers, just before the tournament. Yeah, it was a tragedy. But then they went on this incredible run, playing with so much emotion and intensity. And the sources suggest that they that they were almost playing for something bigger than themselves. Right. Like they were carrying Hank's memory with them every step of the way. Exactly. And they ended up making it all the way to the elite eight, which is just amazing. It's a testament to the human spirit, you know, how sometimes in the face of adversity, we can find a strength we didn't know we had. Absolutely. But then, of course, there are the times when the pressure seems to get the better of players. And we see those, those heartbreaking mistakes. Yeah, those misfree throws, those turnovers at crucial moments. It's tough to watch sometimes. Like Derek Coleman for Syracuse in the 87 championship game, he missed a free throw late in the game that could have tied it. Oh, man, I remember that one. It's a reminder that even the best players in the world are human and that sometimes the pressure can be overwhelming. Yeah. And in a single elimination format, there's no margin for error. Every possession feels like life or death. Right. And that's what makes it so compelling, right? You know that one mistake can end your season, so the stakes are incredibly high. It's a pressure cooker for sure. Absolutely. And you see coaches trying to manage that pressure in different ways. Like Jim Velvano famously said, survive in advance. Just focus on getting to the next game. Don't get caught up in the big picture. Right. Keep it simple. One game at a time. Exactly. And Tubby Smith, when he took over at Kentucky in 98, he really focused on instilling belief in his players, getting them to buy into a system and trust each other. That's smart. In a situation like, that where there's already so much pressure. The last thing you need is players doubting themselves or second guessing the coach. Totally. And it worked. They won the championship. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you have that kind of belief in unity. Absolutely. But then, you know, on the flip side, you have those players who just seem to thrive under pressure. Like they're billed for these moments. Yeah, those clutch performers, the guys who want the ball in their hands when the game's on the line. Like Gail Goodrich for UCLA in the 65 championship game, he scored 42 points. a record at the time. And the sources say that he actually performed better under pressure. Wow, 42 points in the championship game. That's insane. And then Mario Chalmers for Kansas in the 2008 championship game hitting that unbelievable three -pointer to tie the game with seconds left. Oh, man, that shot was incredible. I mean, what separates those guys from the ones who crumble under pressure? It's a fascinating question, isn't it? I think some of it is just innate. You know, some people are wired to stay calm and focused when the heat is on. Right. They have that bit factor. Exactly. But I also think a lot of it comes down to preparation and experience. You know, having been in those situations before, knowing how to handle the pressure. And maybe a little bit of luck, too. Yeah,! I always need a little bit of luck on your side. So to wrap this all up, I mean, we've covered a lot of ground here. Yeah, we've gone deep. What are the big takeaways that you're walking away with from all of this? Well, I think we've seen that Cinderella runs while they seem magical. They're actually the product of a lot of different factors. You know, it's not just about luck, it's about belief, it's about coaching, it's about individual players stepping up, and it's about taking advantage of the opportunities that come your way. And we've also seen how the way we experienced the tournament has changed dramatically over the years, thanks to the evolution of media from radio and newspapers to television and now social media. Right. And each new form of media has amplified the excitement and the drama in its own way. Totally. And then finally there's this single elimination pressure, which is just a constant presence throughout the tournament, pushing some players to new heights and causing others to crumble. It's what makes March madness so unique and so compelling. Absolutely. And, you know, as we head into this year's tournament, I think it's worth asking yourself, who are the potential Cinderella's lurking in the bracket? That's a good question. And how might their stories play out in this age of social media, where every moment is instantly shared and analyzed? It's going to be fascinating to watch it all unfold. Absolutely. All right, that's it for the deep dive. Thanks for joining us.