2023 March Madness: Here's all you need to know ahead of the men's college basketball season's crescendo

    By Ben Morse, CNN

    Updated 1227 GMT (2027 HKT) March 12, 2023

    The Kansas Jayhawks celebrate with the trophy after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Caesars Superdome on April 4, 2022.
    The Kansas Jayhawks celebrate with the trophy after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Caesars Superdome on April 4, 2022.

    (CNN)The conclusion of the men's college basketball season is upon us and that can only mean one thing: it is time for the 'Big Dance.'

    March Madness has arrived and will pit the best of the best and some overachieving "Cinderellas" duking it out for an opportunity to be crowned the NCAA men's Division I college basketball champion.
    Having originally began in 1939 -- with the women's edition only added in 1982 -- it has become a fixture of every sport fan's calendar and is one not to be missed.
      Not only has it become synonymous with shock results and upsets, March Madness has been the springboard for many successful NBA careers, including the Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis.
        Here's all you need to know about the crescendo to the men's college basketball season.
        The Virginia Cavaliers tip off against the UMBC Retrievers in the first round of the 2018 March Madness.
        The Virginia Cavaliers tip off against the UMBC Retrievers in the first round of the 2018 March Madness.
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        Format

        The process of whittling down 68 teams in Division I has pitfalls for teams around every corner.