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TG College Basketball Finals Experience

3/4/2018

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​The Week of TG National Championship
​It's the Week of TG National Championship: 2 teams advanced to the final round of our TG Fantasy Tournament! Unfortunately, none of our TG Fantasy brackets submitted by YOU matched our Final Four®. Apply to our TG College Basketball Experience and win 2 Men's Final Four® & National Championship tickets. 

Here are the 2 teams that advanced:
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This year's March basketball mayhem is just heating up! With conference tournaments set to begin this week, Ticket Galaxy is excited to see how the tournaments play out going into National Championship season. 

Tune in Sunday to find out our TG College Basketball Finals Experience winner AND our TG Fantasy Tournament National Champion. 
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The Week of TG 4
​It's the Week of TG 4: 4 teams advanced to the next round of our TG Fantasy Tournament! Unfortunately, none of our TG Fantasy brackets submitted by YOU matched our Final Four®. Apply to our TG College Basketball Experience and win 2 Men's Final Four® & National Championship tickets. 

Here are the 4 teams that advanced:
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Ticket Galaxy Looks Back on the Previous 4 Final Fours®:

2017: North Carolina vs. Gonzaga
71 North Carolina 65 Gonzaga

2016: Villanova vs. North Carolina
77 Villanova 74 North Carolina

2015: Duke vs. Wisconsin
68 Duke 63 Wisconsin

2014: UCONN vs. Kentucky
60 UCONN 54 Kentucky

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​The Week of TG 8
​It's the Week of TG 8: 8 teams advanced to the next round of our TG Fantasy Tournament! Apply to our TG College Basketball Experience and win 2 Men's Final Four® & National Championship tickets. 

Here are the 8 teams that advanced:
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8 Teams to Watch For in March:

Villanova
Villanova is no surprise on this list, as they are marching into this year's madness as a leading team and as the 2016 National Champion. With a recent championship and consistency in the Top 10 this season, Villanova is a big dog in the game. However, don't count major teams as guarantees for any post-season tournament. Recently, Villanova fell to St. John's and Providence. Though both are solid Big East teams, the losses still looked poorly on a pretty flawless Wildcat resume. Villanova fell off of its #1 spot to #3 with the likelihood of dropping after the loss to Providence. Therefore, though the team is not to be disregarded, their strong hold is weakening and will need rejuvenation before March takes hold. 

Alabama
Alabama is currently in the first 1/3 of the conference, but the team has silently put a handful of important wins under the Crimson Tide's belt. They are a silent mover in March. Unranked, Alabama is a surprising team to put in the "8 Teams to Watch For" category, as all of the others are ranked teams with an established season. However, Alabama has beaten Tennessee and Oklahoma. Though neither team is highly ranked, Oklahoma carries magnificent force Trae Young. Any team who is intelligent and quick enough to learn to contain Young earns a spot on the list. In addition, the school's football legacy speaks volumes, and the basketball program is hungry for a major win that would shift the spotlight. 

Oklahoma
Oklahoma is going through a struggle period. They have lost a series of games recently, and their superstar player Trae Young is beginning to show cracks of weakness. However, this is not enough to keep them out of the Teams to Watch conversation, and it's certainly not enough to keep Young out of the Player of the Year conversation, as he still leads the nation in PPG with almost 30. Oklahoma and "The Trae Young Show"'s untouchable period might have come to an end, but don't let that stop you from putting the Sooners on your March Madness list. 

Virginia
Virginia's dominance this season is remarkable and similar to Villanova's. Part of the ACC Conference, the Cavaliers are 13-1 in conference and 24-2 overall. The ACC is a notoriously difficult conference with regular Final Four® contenders like Duke, UNC, and more chomping on the bit every season. However, they have pulled ahead of the conference with a record that astounds many. No team in the ACC has remotely the conference  or overall record that Virginia is holding. Therefore, the Cavaliers are a huge contender in this year's tournament, and they will hopefully secure their first National Championship in years. 

Duke
Duke is a classic contender for the tournament. Their dominance over the years is rivaled only by a few teams. Duke it sitting at third in the ACC conference; however, the ACC conference is strong group of teams that always produces a myriad of prospects for the tournament. Duke is 21-5 overall and 9-4 in the conference. Therefore, Duke is an ACC team with the second best overall record. Their strong rivalry with UNC in addition to its solid historical legacy leaves Duke in the talks of Final Four® and National Championship matchups.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati is not a team to sleep on. It's obvious, as they're currently in the Top 5 in the country and leading the AAC Conference with ease. 12-1 and 23-3 overall, Cincinnati is not just thriving in a lukewarm AAC. This is the AAC's one major shot at a big run in the tournament. With Cincinnati plowing ahead of the competition, the team is sitting in the Top 10 partway through February. Many people will not have Cincinnati getting very far due to many other teams who have recent National Championships to bolster their resumes. This is a mistake - don't let the Bearcats go unnoticed. 

Arizona
Arizona is leading the Pac-12 with an 11-3 conference record and 21-6 overall record. With Arizona St. continuing a decently successful season, it was looking like it'd be a fight between the two Arizona schools this college basketball season. However, Arizona showed that they're the better team going into tournament play. Not only did they beat Arizona State, but the team conquered other top contenders such as Texas A&M. Arizona could be another team some will sleep on going into March, but the Wildcats are the team to bet on coming out of Arizona this year. 

Xavier​
Xavier is a team that has creeped up the rankings throughout the season. A Big East contender, Xavier consistently plays in a strong conference known for its historical toughness. The Musketeers are 12-2 in the conference and 24-3 overall. In addition, the Musketeers have a perfect home game record of 16-0. Currently #4 in the country, Xavier is also not a team to choose after Villanova. Though Villanova might have the 2016 National Championship win behind them, Xavier could stand toe-to-toe with the Big East rival. 
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The Week of TG 16
​It's the Week of TG 16: 16 teams advanced to the next round of our TG Fantasy Tournament! Apply to our TG College Basketball Experience and win 2 Men's Final Four® & National Championship tickets. 

Here are the 16 teams that advanced:
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The Top 16 Players from the 2017-2018 Men's College Basketball Season:

16. Grayson Allen, Senior Guard, Duke
PPG: 14.3│AST: 4.5│FG%: .427
15. Hamidou Diallo, Freshman Guard, Kentucky
PPG: 11.5│REB: 4.2│AST: 1.5
14. Jordan Murphy, Junior Forward Minnesota 
PPG: 17.7│FG%: .535│BLK: 1.1
13. Luke Maye, Junior Forward, UNC
PPG: 18.2│REB: 10.2│PG%: .514
12. Landry Shamet, Sophomore Guard, Wichita State 
PPG: 14.7│AST: 5.3│FT%: .822
11. Collin Sexton, Freshman Guard, Alabama
PPG: 18.6│AST: 3.3│FT% .781
10. Allonzo Trier, Junior Guard, Arizona
PPG: 19.8│AST: 3.1│FT%: .854
9. DeAndre Ayton, Freshman Center, Arizona
PPG: 19.5│REB: 10.8│FT%: .738
8. Jalen Brunson, Junior Guard, Villanova
PPG: 19.8│AST: 4.9│FT%: .796
7. Devonte' Graham, Senior Guard, Senior Kansas 
PPG: 17.5│AST: 7.4│FT%: .835
6. Jevon Carter, Senior Guard, West Virginia
PPG: 16.6│ AST: 6.8│STL: 3.3
5. Marvin Bagley III, Freshman Forward, Duke
PPG: 21.2│REB: 11.4│FG%: .596
4. Trevon Bluiett, Senior Guard, Xavier
PPG: 19.4│REB: 5.6│AST: 2.7
3. Miles Bridges, Sophomore Forward, Michigan State
PPG: 17.7│REB: 7.3│ AST: 3.0
2. Mikal Bridges, Junior, Villanova
PPG: 16.6 AST: 2.2 REB: 5.7
1. Trae Young, Freshman Point Guard, Oklahoma Sooners
Trae Young is a soon-to-be movie script about a young boy who shocked the country with his college basketball dominance during his freshman season. To make the plot sweeter, Young wasn't expected to excel at the level that he is. He now is leading in points per game with 29.9. The incredibly high number hints more at NBA stats than college basketball. Yet, Young continues to soar and prove that underestimation is never a safe bet. 

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​The Week of TG 32
It's the Week of TG 32: 32 teams advanced to the next round of our TG Fantasy Tournament! Apply to our TG College Basketball Experience and win 2 Men's Final Four® & National Championship tickets. 

Here are the 32 teams that advanced:
TG 32 Round Fantasy Bracket

32 Weeks Ago: A Look Back at the 2017-2018 Men's College Basketball Season
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​32 weeks ago, students were just starting to embrace Summer 2017, and college basketball season was far from anyone's minds. However, like analysts do, sports broadcasters still had their opinions on the then-upcoming college basketball season. 32 Sundays ago, on June 25th, the standard favorites stuck on from the pack: Duke and Villanova came off fantastic 2016-2017 seasons. 

Fresher favorites also stood out: Arizona and Michigan State both had heavy talent and experience to back up their bolstering resumes. In an early prediction article by CBS Sports, all of these teams stood out as top contenders.

However, teams that normally have history and reputation on their side ended up flying and crashing this season. In June 2017, many analysts would have put Kentucky and Louisville on the Road to the Big Dance. It's not that either team did awful during the season. In fact, both will certainly make their names known during the tournament. Yet scandal and ego will prevent either from making a major impact or spot in the National Championship. Rick Pitino continues to taint his own reputation, and Calipari has a poor habit to choose one-year sensations who don't stick around long enough to form a team dynamic.

Both are desperately seeking validation near the beginning of March Madness. Yet, both teams were deep into the early prediction talks that would've taken place 32 weeks ago. It shows that reputation and historical success doesn't always translate to a solid season. 

Surprising teams that were off the radar in June include Tennessee and Alabama. Ironically, both are known for other sports' legacies more than men's basketball. Pat Summitt left her indelible mark on the Tennessee Lady Vols. Alabama's "Roll Tide" keeps steamrolling fellow football schools. However, both teams have made huge strides in men's basketball this season. Neither would have been ruled out in preseason discussions, but their surprising upsets have certainly put them farther ahead on the radar for March. 
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​The Week of TG 68
It's the Week of TG 68: we've released our 68 teams for the TG Fantasy Bracket! Apply to our TG College Basketball Experience and win 2 Men's Final Four® & National Championship tickets. 

68 Years Ago: A Look Back at the Men's College Basketball Tournament
National Champion: College City of New York
Final Score: CCNY 71, Bradley 68
Final Four®:
East: CCNY 78, N.C. State 73
West: Bradley 68, Baylor 66​

This is a Cinderella story if there ever was one in men's college basketball. According to CBS Sports, CCNY went into the tournament unranked in the last two polls. However, the team went on to beat three Top 5 teams during the rounds. After taking N.C. State in a five-point win, CCNY beat No. 1 Bradley 71-68 in a nail-biter ending.

Men's College Basketball Tournament Fun Facts:
  • The tournament used to feature just 8 teams - 1950 was the last year this format would occur
  • Championship game was held in New York City
  • CCNY is the only Champion that now doesn't belong in Division I
  • This tournament was the first time a team "cut down the net" after a win (NC State vs. Holy Cross)

The 1950 Men's College Basketball Bracket courtesy of AllBrackets.com:
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​Campaign Announcement
Ticket Galaxy has announced a new #GalaxysStars Experience for our 2018 roster. The TG College Basketball Finals Experience includes:
  • 2 Final Four® Tickets
  • 2 Men's National Championship Tickets

How do you win? Apply to the TG College Basketball Experience and earn additional entries to boost your application in the process! This includes:​
  1. Complete our TG Fantasy Bracket
  2. Predict the TG Final Four®
  3. Like Our Facebook Page
  4. Share Our Giveaway On Facebook
  5. Follow Us On Twitter
  6. Tweet Our Giveaway
  7. Follow Us On Instagram
  8. Tag A Friend On Instagram

Today is TG Sunday! We've chosen our 68 Fantasy Bracket teams for our predicted version of the men's college basketball bracket. Check back in every Sunday to see what teams advance to the next round!

TG 68 No. 1 Seed Picks:
Villanova
Purdue
Virginia
Duke

Written by Jenna
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