The palpable energy that surrounds the NCAA men’s basketball tournament cannot be found in any other sporting event. 65 teams come together from all across the country with one goal in mind: cutting down the nets. It’s true, for some that goal may seem a bit loftier than others. It’s the idea that anything is possible, however, that helped coin the term March Madness.

Teams have fought hard all season for the right to be a part of “the big dance,” and the storylines make every game magical.

A player or coach’s performance during the tournament can spark their career, bury them in infamy or write the beginning to their basketball legend. From the 1979 matchup of Magic Johnson’s Michigan State team and Larry Bird’s Indiana State team, to Jordan’s game-winning shot in the 1982 championship game against Georgetown, to Chris Webber’s boneheaded, defeat-sealing time-out against UNC in 1993, to Rick Majerus’ Runnin’ Utes unlikely trip to the championship game in 1998, to Stephen Curry’s heroism in last year’s tournament, strong memories are forged every March.

Brackets are filled out, office work grinds to a halt, classroom discussion turns to “bracketology” rather than biology, and the entire country buzzes with excitement over each day’s games.

So what will be the buzz this year? Will one of the powerhouses in the Big East be donning their ready-made “2009 National Champions” shirts and hats? Will there be another Steph Curry this year (perhaps Eric Maynor of Virginia Commonwealth or Dionte Christmas of Temple)? Will the stars align along with Ty Lawson’s big toe for North Carolina? What will this year’s upsets be?

I spent hours upon hours researching every tournament matchup as best I could, and the result is the bracket you see before you. It’s not the most shocking bracket you’ll ever see, but I took a lot into consideration when filling it out and I am quite proud of it.

The great thing is, I seemingly took into account everything but wind direction when I made my picks and I could still be dead wrong.

I did go with my gut in a few games, such as Texas A&M over BYU; however, as a die-hard Aggie fan I didn’t let my blind burnt-orange hatred cloud my ability to reason (I picked Texas over Minnesota).

Maybe I’m correct in picking Louisville to come out on top in the national championship game over North Carolina.

But then again, there are so many contenders that Louisville may not even make it past the Sweet 16. There are an abundance of teams that could go all the way this year, and I suppose half the allure of filling out a bracket is trying to predict which team can put it all together at the right time.

My advice to tournament watchers over the next few weeks?

Enjoy your bracket being shot down, enjoy the thrill of a close game that you may or may not have picked correctly, consider the memories that will be etched in your mind for years to come.

And most of all, remember that no matter what happens, “One Shining Moment” will play after the last game.