The dramatic story of how two legendary players burst on the scene in an NCAA championship that gave birth to modern basketball.

Thirty years ago, college basketball was not the sport we know today. Few games were televised nationally and the NCAA tournament had just expanded from thirty-two to forty teams. Into this world came two exceptional players: Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird. Though they played each other only once, in the 1979 NCAA finals, that meeting launched an epic rivalry, transformed the NCAA tournament into the multibillion-dollar event it is today, and laid the groundwork for the resurgence of the NBA.

In When March Went Mad, Seth Davis recounts the dramatic story of the season leading up to that game, as Johnson's Michigan State Spartans and Birds Indiana State Sycamores overcame long odds and great doubts that their unheralded teams could compete at the highest level. Davis also tells the stories of their remarkable coaches, Jud Heathcote and Bill Hodges — who were new to their schools but who set their own paths to build great teams — and he shows how tensions over race and class heightened the drama of the competition. When Magic and Bird squared off in Salt Lake City on March 26, 1979, the world took notice — to this day it remains the most watched basketball game in the history of television — and the sport we now know was born.

"Davis, a Sports Illustrated writer and CBS Sports studio analyst, offers a vivid account of the sensational 1979 NCAA college finals — featuring two potential pro basketball stars, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson and Larry Bird — that ushered in the current reign of the NBA worldwide. With the advent of round-the-clock ESPN sports coverage, the media-hyped game for the college national basketball championship between Johnson's Michigan State Spartans and Bird's Indiana State Sycamores on March 25, 1979, generated a huge TV audience, much ink and paved the way for a generation of pro basketball all-stars. Davis is adept at pinpointing the personality differences in Bird and Johnson both on and off the court, delving into the shy, withdrawn white Indiana farm boy and the popular black Michigan kid with the ready smile. His insights into the strategies and players of both teams leading up to the game is factual and straightforward, but the dramatic centerpiece of the book is the game itself, with all its ebbs and flows. All in all, this is an outstanding example of sports writing about a American sport, writing that is larger than the personalities or financial considerations." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"There are no secrets anymore in sport. Good grief, the best eighth-grade basketball players in the country are ranked. With his careful telling of the romantic saga of Magic and Bird, Seth Davis reminds us what fun it used to be when we could still be surprised, when a whole sport could be turned upside down, right before our wondering eyes. It's a delight to relive all that with When March Went Mad." Frank Deford

"I cant remember a behind-the-scenes story I have enjoyed more. A transcendent moment in sports that is so fully captured by Seth Davis — I feel as if I was right in the middle of it all! Thanks, Seth, for the insight as to how this magical game is still a standalone event even thirty years later." Jim Nantz

"There is a lot more to what is known as 'the Magic vs. Larry game' than meets the eye. In When March Went Mad, Seth Davis does a superb job of shining a spotlight on many of those long-forgotten details." John Feinstein

"Seth Davis's When March Went Mad evokes more than a special season. Through deft reporting, he takes you behind the scenes from Terre Haute, Indiana, to East Lansing, Michigan, and on to the famous championship round in Salt Lake City. Best of all, though, Davis captures Larry Bird and Earvin 'Magic' Johnson as the young basketball genuises they were, basketballs yin and yang, equal but opposing forces who would transform the game. This is a fine piece of work." Mark Kriegel

"There are only a few perfect combinations in the world. Peanut butter on toast, scotch on ice, and Seth Davis on basketball." Rick Reilly

"An essential primer for tournament junkies, and ideal reading material for TV timeouts." Kirkus Reviews

"A fascinating, carefully researched, and entertaining look back at a tipping point in sports history." Booklist

Davis recounts the dramatic story of how two legendary players — Earvin Magic Johnson and Larry Bird — burst on the scene in a 1979 NCAA championship that gave birth to modern basketball.

Seth Davis is an on-air studio analyst for CBS Sports coverage of NCAA basketball and is an on-air host, reporter, and analyst for the College Sports Television cable network. He is also a staff writer at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since 1995, primarily covering college basketball and golf. A graduate of Duke University, Davis lives with his family in Ridgefield, Connecticut.