NBA All-Star Trae Young shares March Madness wisdom he hopes college players use ahead of NCAA Tournament

Trae Young, the four-time NBA All-Star, is focused on getting acclimated with his new Washington Wizards teammates and finishing the 2025-26 NBA season strong. But it’s hard to ignore the feelings that come about this time every year as the NCAA Tournament returns, especially if you’ve played in it. They call it March Madness for a reason. Raucous crowds, tense atmospheres on the court, late-second heroics, David versus Goliath moments – you name it, this tournament is what players and fans alike look forward to each year. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMFor Young, it was a one-and-done moment with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2018, a season that put the freshman point guard on the map was one of the best players in the country despite the result. Of course, Young never intended to just play one March Madness game, but Rhode Island got the best of Oklahoma that day in 2018, and the first player to ever lead the NCAA in points and assists in a single season, later declared for the NBA Draft. So, as he looks ahead to this year’s tournament, Young has a key piece of advice for all those about to embark on their March Madness journeys, whether they’re from a big program or made “The Dance” as a conference champion.”I think the main thing I learned was just understanding that you may or may not get another chance at this,” he told Fox News while discussing his exciting partnership with Sling TV and its fun promotion for college basketball fans ahead of the NCAA Tournament. “Going into my freshman year, I thought I was going to have a couple chances. The way the season panned out, I just got the one.ESPN STAR RIPS ICONIC COLLEGE BASKETBALL TEAM WITH $22M ROSTER FOR DISAPPOINTING SEASON”So, you never know how many shots you’re going to get to be able to even have a chance to play in the tournament. Just to make sure you’re focused and locked in on every part of this journey, because you never know when you have to move on to the next one.”For players, it can certainly be hard to take a step back and appreciate the moment all hoopers dream of. Young understands it, too, as he still remembers the emotions he felt when he took the court. “I don’t know if nervous is necessarily the word, but I had so many emotions. It was probably in there, but I was anxious and ready to play,” he reminisced. “But I remember everything, from the bus ride, walking to the bus and all the fans being there, and being such a big deal for the university. “Everything about that whole experience, even if it was just one game, I’ll never forget that whole experience and being a part of March Madness for sure.”Young went on to score 28 points, while dishing out seven assists with five rebounds. But Rhode Island took the first-round victory in overtime, ending any chance the No. 10 Sooners could go on an underdog run. But underdogs are who Young hasn’t stopped rooting for in the tournament since then, and that just might include his Sooners if they can ma