In the NCAA tournament, anything is possible. That’s the beauty of it. Literally, what shouldn’t happen, does. Every year.

The NCAA tournament is a pseudo-holiday for most of the country. A recent study conducted by global outplace firm Challenger, Grace & Christmas, Inc., estimates the 2013 NCAA tournament will cost workplaces nationwide $134 million dollars in lost wages as an estimated 3 million employees spend one to three hours following the basketball games instead of working.

People love a good “Cinderella” story. In the field of 68, take your pick. Most tournaments have their share. Let’s look at last year for example. No. 2 seeds were upset twice in 2012. No. 15-seeded Lehigh took down perennial power Duke and Norfolk State upset No. 2-seed Missouri.  

Anyone who actually picked one of those upsets warrants a pat on the back. If someone picked both, you might want to ask them what the next lottery numbers are going to be. Who are Lehigh and Norfolk State? Where are they from? It doesn’t matter in the NCAA tournament. That’s what makes it great. It puts schools like Lehigh and Norfolk State on the map. No one had heard of George Mason in 2005, or Butler in 2009, or Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011. Everyone’s on the same playing field, because when you think you have it all figured out, your bracket will be busted.

There are some ways to predict good runs in the tournament. This year’s tournament should be one of the best in recent memory. During the course of the regular season, no one team captivated the nation’s attention. The parity this year literally has everyone scratching their heads on matchups that seem clear-cut, but could go either way. However, certain characteristics lead to long runs ending in April. That’s why this year, for the third-straight year, I’m going with the Kansas Jayhawks to win the title.

Now you may be thinking, “way to go out on a limb and pick a No. 1 seed for your national champion.” Fair enough. But this year may just be the year where experience, coaching and strong play late in the season is significant. Let’s see why the Jayhawks are my team to cut down the nets in Atlanta:

1. Experience. Kansas has been to the NCAA tournament for 23 straight seasons. That’s the longest active streak. This means the Jayhawks’ seniors have the tournament experience from the past three seasons to guide them. Not only does this group have tournament experience, but national title experience, too. Just last year, Kansas fell to Kentucky 67-59 in the NCAA championship game. Kansas knows how to get there. Experience cannot be undersold.

2. Coaching. Coach Bill Self has had recent upsets in the NCAA tournament (2004 loss to 14-seed Bucknell, 2005 loss to 14-seed Bradley, 2010 loss to 9-seed Northern Iowa). Yes, those likely hurt, but that’s what keeps Kansas yearning for glory. In 2008, the Jayhawks found that glory, as they claimed Self’s only national title over Memphis in a stunning come-from-behind victory. Having that national championship under Self’s belt is surely nice, but you’re only as good as your last national title. Self has a 294-57 record during his time at Kansas which includes: that title, two Final Four appearances, three Elite Eight appearances and a Sweet 16 appearance on his resume. He knows how to get it done on the national stage and would become the ninth head coach to win two national titles.

3. Hot going into the tournament. The Jayhawks finished 29-5 on the season and won the Big 12 regular and postseason titles. Kansas also won 11 of its last 12 games heading into the big dance. The core of seniors Elijah Johnson, Travis Releford, Kevin Young and Jeff Withey provide a strong base for the Jayhawks to launch their title run. Add to the mix talented freshman Ben McLemore, you’ve got the makings of a national title team. The Jayhawks have eight guys that log double-digit minutes per game.

Now Kansas is just one of the 68 teams with a shot at the title and a convincing argument could be put forth for any one of the other 67 teams. No. 1-seed Louisville, No. 1-seed Gonzaga and No. 2-seed Ohio State are all playing well heading into Thursday’s first-round matchups.

March Madness pulls us in, captivates our attention and makes us care about the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and the Long Island University-Brooklyn Blackbirds of the world, even if it’s just for one game. It’s where a team that’s lost 20 games, Liberty, has a shot at the pinnacle of the college basketball world.

It’s madness, really. You can’t make sense of it. So don’t. Enjoy the ride and best wishes on your bracket. Because as soon as the tournament ends, and the tear-jerking “One Shining Moment” tune commences, you’ll wonder when the madness will return.

Ross Schreck can be reached at schr8250@stthomas.edu.