It’s no secret what everyone’s talking about in March. Fans have spent the past few days enjoying the NCAA college basketball tournaments, and there’s plenty of action left to dissect.
Following two rounds of the men’s tournament, Front Office identified the 10 most popular teams in terms of Twitter engagement.
One could have reasonably guessed Duke would top the list amid Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell tour. From a well-traveled fanbase to an equally vast net of dissenters, the Blue Devils attract strong opinions on both ends of the spectrum.
However, they’re third, with their arch-nemesis sitting in the top spot.
Men’s March Madness Twitter engagements 📊
1️⃣ North Carolina: 175,779
2️⃣ Saint Peter’s: 171,797
3️⃣ Duke: 127,508
4️⃣ Texas Tech: 94,350
5️⃣ Kansas: 82,787
6️⃣ Tennessee: 80,951
7️⃣ Arkansas: 76,759
8️⃣ Michigan State: 66,986
9️⃣ Michigan: 65,288
🔟 Purdue: 48,163 pic.twitter.com/o754pc9Gv6— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 21, 2022
After upsetting Duke in Krzyzewski’s final home game, the Tar Heels opened the tournament with a 95-63 blowout win over Marquette. In the second round, they busted brackets with a 93-86 overtime triumph over top seed Baylor.
Speaking of busted brackets, it’s no surprise everyone is talking about St. Peter’s. Making their first NCAA tournament appearance in 11 years, the No. 15 Peacocks did the unthinkable by upending John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats in the opening round.
That stunner was enough to sustain a feel-good tale, but the MAAC champions responded with a 70-60 win over No. 7 Murray State. St. Peter’s now has an opportunity to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight when facing No. 3 Purdue on Friday night.
Texas Tech likely received a bump ahead of a marquee Sweet 16 showdown against Duke. Kansas is notably the only top seed on the list even though Gonzaga and Arizona are still dancing.
Meanwhile, Tennessee and Michigan State are the lone eliminated teams ranked. The Volunteers got booted by No. 11 Michigan in the second round, while the Spartans fell short in Tom Izzo’s last game against Coach K.
Luckily for everyone else, March Madness isn’t a popularity contest.
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