Has the clock struck midnight for the Cinderella story?

The sights and sounds of March Madness have been defined by the “little guy” getting the chance to show their prowess against the big bad blue bloods of college basketball. And traditionally, this has led to a slew of unexpected runs in the Big Dance that virtually no one can predict – 1983 North Carolina State, 1985 Villanova, and 2018 Loyola Chicago, just to name a few.

However, much to the anguish of basketball fans, these occurrences have become increasingly hard to find as of late, specifically with Mid-Major teams. Only two double-digit seeds have made the Sweet 16 in the past two brackets, while 13, 14, and 15 seeds have failed to even win a game.

This has coincided with some fantastic matchups in the second weekend of action and beyond. Top teams with talent-filled rosters have given the college basketball community spectacles on the hardwood, causing a handful of memorable matchups that no one will forget for years to come.

Chase Johnston hadn’t made a 2-point field goal up to this point in the season. The sharpshooter had knocked down 68 of his 138 outside shots heading into the final minute of High Point’s first-round matchup with Wisconsin, but hadn’t been tasked to do anything more.

But everything changed in an instant.

With 16 seconds remaining, Badger point guard Nick Boyd missed a driving layup that got tipped out to the free-throw line. Rob Martin picked up the ball and immediately connected with a streaking Johnston on the other side of the court. Johnston secured the running layup to put his team up 83-82, taking High Point to its first Round of 32 in program history.

It was one of two Mid-Major upsets we saw in this year’s tournament and embodies everything that’s right about March Madness. The chaos on the court, the collapse of a Power Five program and the reactions on social media. This is what fans want to see at this time of the year. Utter pandemonium.

To quote the famous college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein, “This is March.”

However, every tournament should have a pivot. A turning point where we shift from Mid-Major madness to focusing entirely on crowning the best team in the country. While Cinderella stories are essential to memorable experiences and water-cooler conversations, fans should be itching to see the premier coaches, teams and talents duke it out at the biggest stage. This bracket has given us just that.

Fans, like me, have been in awe of watching Rick Pitino vs. Jon Scheyer and Tom Izzo vs. Dan Hurley. The top headmen of their respective programs showing different cat-and-mouse strategies to help elevate their teams past one another.

Star-studded talent has further elevated the viewing experience. Future NBA prospects have filled the second weekend, showing what the highest level of play should look like for NCAA players. Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler cemented his name in program history with his 25-point output against Iowa in the Elite 8, while Braylon Mullins and the UConn Huskies used a last-second 3-pointer to seal off an improbable 19-point comeback against Cameron Boozer’s Duke Blue Devils. It’s been the best versus the best.

This is the recipe for the perfect March Madness. Cinderellas should have their moment of shine in the early stages of the bracket. But this moment should have a definite ceiling. The sacrifice of little-to-no underdog runs in March has paved the way for a bigger, better product down the line. A product that has the nation buzzing with anticipation for this weekend’s Final Four and National Championship.