Heartbreak is no more. After March “sadness” was cut short to the virus that must not be named, the tournament rejuvenates this year, with fans likely hungry as ever to get a taste of the madness. There were many highly-touted teams last year, such as the San Diego State Aztecs, the Dayton Flyers, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, and the Kansas Jayhawks. Now some have fallen off, others have stayed around the same, and other teams have taken massive leaps.

Gonzaga is the clear-and-away favorite, with Baylor and Michigan trailing just behind, each with a respective loss to its résumé.

The true heartache, however, came mid-March, when the Ivy League decided they were halting all program activities. The next conference in line followed, then the next, and then the next. Not just teams, but conferences as a whole were deteriorating one by one out of the tournament. Many teams had a shot at the championship, or even the final four. After the conference championships had all been canceled, the nail in the coffin was hammered: no more 2020 tournament.

Personally, I didn’t hate 2020 all too much, but if you were to tell me you hated it, I’d get why. This would be at the top of my list. Creating brackets for hours on end after selection Sunday is one of the most fun things to do, and missing out on that hurts beyond repair.

But this is a new year, and it’s time to embrace it. Cinderella stories are coming, brackets will be busted, and the best time of the year will be back in action.

Come Selection Sunday, put your suit on and get ready for business, and prepare for the Madness.