It’s time for madness.

March is upon us, and the NCAA Tournament will get started on Tuesday night in Dayton. That means it’s time to do the annual checkup on who the Memphis Grizzlies will be cheering for in the big dance. 

Nine different Grizzlies will have their college team battling for a spot in the Final Four this season. The list includes Jaren Jackson Jr., Xavier Tillman Sr., Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones, Luke Kennard, Vince Williams Jr., Kennedy Chandler, Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams. 

Last season it was Clarke’s Gonzaga Bulldogs as the heavy favorite to make it the furthest in the tournament before they were bounced by Arkansas in the Sweet 16. 

This year, it’s anyone’s guess. That will certainly lead to some friendly trash talk inside of the Memphis locker room. 

Top seed: Clarke’s Bulldogs again have the highest seed among all of the Grizzlies’ college squads. They are the No. 3 seed in the West region with No. 1 seed Kansas and No. 2 seed UCLA. 

Gonzaga, which boasts one of the best offenses in the nation, will play its first game against No. 14 seed Grand Canyon on Friday at 6:25 p.m. (tru TV)

A potential round of 32 showdown: Desmond Bane’s No. 6 seed TCU Horned Frogs will face the winner of the first four game between Nevada and Arizona State on Friday at 8:55 p.m. (tru TV). If they can get past that matchup, they could face Clarke’s Gonzaga team over the weekend. 

On a roll: Kennard and Jones’ Duke Blue Devils just won the ACC Tournament and will be the No. 5 seed in the East region. Duke has looked like one of the best teams in the country over the last two weeks and will now have a chance to play at Madison Square Garden in New York City – a place they play often with a large fan base – should they advance to the Sweet 16. 

Awaiting in the round of 64 for the Blue Devils is a tough test against Oral Roberts, a mid-major but one of the nation’s best 3-point shooting teams. That game will be played on Thursday at 6 p.m. (CBS).

A trendy upset pick: Williams’ VCU team will be a trendy upset pick in the round of 64 after winning the A10 Tournament. The No. 12 seed Rams are taking on No. 5 seed St. Mary’s on Friday at 12:50 p.m. (TBS). 

Can’t bet against Izzo: Michigan State has had a ton of success under coach Tom Izzo in March. Former players Jackson and Tillman are quick to remind you of that. The Spartans are the No. 7 seed in the East region and will take on No. 10 seed USC on Friday at 11 a.m. (CBS). 

It is often noted that Grizzlies executive vice president and general manager Zach Kleiman went to Duke for law school. But he spent his undergrad years at USC, which should make this a fun game for those on the team and in the front office. 

Vols miss their point guard: Tennessee certainly wishes it still had Grizzlies rookie Kennedy Chandler right now. The No. 4 seed in the East region is without starting point guard Zakai Zeigler for the rest of the season. 

The Vols will take on Louisiana in the round of 64 on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. (CBS). Should Tennessee win, that could also set up a potential game against Kennard and Jones’ Blue Devils in Orlando. 

First Four interest: Steven Adams, who grew up in New Zealand, may not be quite as zealous about college athletics, but he did play one season at Pittsburgh. Former Panthers coach Jamie Dixon – now with TCU – played professionally in New Zealand, which is how he made the connection. 

The Panthers will take on Mississippi State in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday at 8 p.m. (Tru TV). 

The “Grizzly Four”: 

The ideal Final Four based on the rooting interest of the Memphis Grizzlies (writer’s decision is allowed here). 

West: Gonzaga 

Clarke, who is done for the season with a torn Achilles, has had a tough month. Hopefully a trip to the Final Four by the Zags could cheer him up. 

East: Duke 

This region is loaded with teams the Grizzlies players will undoubtedly be cheering for. Kleiman’s degree from Duke Law gives them the edge. 

Midwest: Pittsburgh

The only school to once feature a current Grizzlies player is the Panthers. 

South: Virginia

Why the Cavaliers? Because Grizzlies president Jason Wexler went there for undergrad. 

Extra credit: No. 15 seed Vermont is another team of interest because that is where head trainer Pete Elliott went to school. 

Grizzlies director of performance Christopher Chase attended UConn, the No. 4 seed in the West region. 

Grizzlies vice president of player personnel, Chris Makris, attended Drake University, where he quarterbacked the football team. No. 12 seed Drake will play Miami in the round of 64. 

Tayshaun Prince, the Grizzlies’ vice president of basketball affairs, was a legend at Kentucky. His No. 6 seed Wildcats will take on Providence Thursday night.

And you can’t forget Elliott Perry’s Memphis Tigers. Perry is the Grizzlies’ director of player support and part of the radio broadcast team. 

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Box score: Grizzlies 131, Warriors 110

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