Let The Madness Begin
A couple of the lesser college conferences already have finished their basketball tournaments and that is fine. No one could be happier than the staff here (meaning me) that Radford University won the Big South and Murray State took the Ohio Valley crown, putting both in the NCAA Tournament.
The Big Ten Tournament is also over, with Michigan having made enormous strides in winning it for the second straight year.
Included in that run was a victory over rival (and former No. 2) Michigan State.
The meat of conference tournament play will come at you in a rush. It’s heeeeere.
The Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament begins on Tuesday and it has three contenders not only for that championship but the national one as well in top-seeded Virginia, second-seed Duke and sixth-seed North Carolina. Those three have won the last four ACC tournaments. We’re stretching it a bit to put UNC in the chase for the national title, but you just never know with the Tar Heels.
The stacked Big 12 hits the court on Wednesday. Kansas is the top seed after winning the conference for the 14th straight year, but a late loss to Oklahoma State puts the onus on the Jayhawks to go out and earn a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. They could play OSU in the second round of the Big 12 tourney. West Virginia plays intense defense but lacks a scorer.
The Big East, which features Villanova and Xavier, also tips off on Wednesday. Either of those could make the Elite Eight and Villanova could go further. The Pac-12, featuring Arizona, USC and UCLA, also gets going Wednesday. Utah could be the dark horse.
The conference conflagrations set the tone for Selection Sunday and the 68-team field (there’s a four-team play-in in Dayton, Ohio) that sets up the real madness. Then, in that first nutty week, it’s just wall-to-wall ball.
Sadly, many chicken wings and beers will give their lives on the altar of sports bars that we may enjoy this bounty on many large screens. Appreciate their sacrifice. And order your fries extra crispy.
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman
Did You See These Performances At The Oscars?
Top News: Entertainment
-
Famous British Olympian Retires After an illustrious career adorned with numerous accolades, Dame Laura Kenny, Britain’s most successful female...
-
Manchester City Brings it Home with a 3-1 Victory! Following Manchester City’s impressive 3-1 victory over FC Copenhagen in...
-
Murray’s New Goals Before Retirement Andy Murray, the renowned British tennis player and three-time Grand Slam champion, has shared...
-
Kylian Mbappe led Paris Saint-Germain to a resounding 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the first leg of their...
-
Klopp acknowledges defensive flaws as Liverpool suffers unexpected defeat against Arsenal. Following Liverpool’s unexpected defeat against Arsenal, manager Jurgen...
-
Ryan Mendes’ Heroic Penalty: Captain Leads Cape Verde to Victory In a historic moment for Cape Verde, the national...
-
Probe Raises Questions About PSG’s 2017 Deal and Political Involvement. French authorities have launched an investigation into allegations...
-
As Ireland faces a back-three injury crisis ahead of the Six Nations, some players have an opportunity to step...
-
16-year-old Luke Littler Makes History as the Youngest Player to Join the Prestigious Premier League Darts Luke Littler, the...
-
Get ready for the electric thrill! In a groundbreaking move, Formula E announces its exclusive broadcasting partnership with TNT...
-
Captain Kohli’s Record-Equalling Century Lights Up World Cup Match Against South Africa. On the occasion of his 35th birthday,...
-
All-Rounder Stokes Aims for Recovery Ahead of Upcoming India Test Series England Test captain Ben Stokes has announced that...