Two-time NCAA champion Jalen Brunson reveals what it takes to be great in March Madness

The 68-team bracket has been filled out, as the mens and womens Tournaments are set to begin this week. 

While sports fans are excited for this years games, there are those who reminisce about their time on that court. Emotions, flashbacks, and more flood back once a year, especially for those who were able to make the run every kid dreams of in March. 

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is one of those players. 

“Those times back in college and those championships, those were some of my favorite times.”

Its hard for Brunson not to think back to those times playing for the , where he didnt just win one NCAA title – he had two in his three college seasons before leaving for the 2018 NBA Draft. 

So, for those players about to embark on what they hope is a long run in the tournament, Brunson is the perfect person to ask the sacred question: What does it take to be great in March? 

“I think most importantly, even though its not, you have to prepare and treat it like another game,” Brunson said after quick contemplation. “If anything, treat it like your last, because it could be. I think, most importantly, dont deviate from your routine. Yes, it might not be just another game, but your preparation and everything going into it is very similar. 

“You do anything thats not in your ordinary routine, subconsciously things can be different. Just try to keep it the same as possible and do your best to prepare.”

Of course, Brunsons advice is easier said than done. The stakes are higher, the possessions are more tense, and the atmosphere can be overwhelming. But Brunson and his Wildcats teammates, which include his fellow Knicks Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, ignored all the noise and tried their hardest to treat everything like just another game at the end of the day. 

As the tournament begins with the First Four on Tuesday night to whittle the pool down toe 64 teams, Brunson knows talk in the locker room will start to heat up about the tournament. He does have every right to brag about Nova considering his history, but he doesnt. 

However, that doesnt mean he and his fellow Wildcats are not listening.

“No, we dont talk about Nova that much, but whenever someone says, Oh, my team in college was this, we kinda just look over and smirk,” Brunson said, smiling. “Theyre like, All right, you guys are out of this conversation. We always get butted out, but needless to say, we have an upper hand on everybody else.”

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