It’s March, and as Muse would say, things are about to get Ma- ma- ma- ma- ma- ma- ma- ma- MAD. Punxsutawney Phil and Mother Nature can make us quake in the cold no more, as spring training takes full swing, and basketball heats up to boiling temperatures in the NCAA. Our hearts are melting, our excitement is rising, and the climbing thermometer makes us want to dance. But first, we pause for the top ten stories surrounding the Big Dance, Bracketology, the MLB Opening Series, and more.
1. Indiana Basketball/NIT With college basketball front and center, what better place to begin than America’s resident basketball town: Bloomington, Ind. The Hoosiers are coming off an exhilarating victory over No. 20 Iowa, bringing the death toll of ranked teams in Assembly Hall to three this season. The fans, the program, and Tom Crean really needed this one. The sixth year head coach left Thursday night with his 100th career win at IU, and the Crimson Guard left with rejuvenated spirits. Unfortunately, the win does little else for this team, which still must face Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan in order to close out conference play. Yogi, Sheehey, Vonleh and company will receive their invitation to the NIT, where they’re a projected three seed according to NIT-ology. They’ll be joined by fellow conference members Illinois and Purdue (projected four seeds), and Northwestern and Penn State (projected seven seeds).
2. Bubble Teams- Minnesota, Nebraska With the bottom five teams in the Big Ten conference virtual locks for the NIT, and the top five headed to the NCAA Tournament, Nebraska and Minnesota sit, quite literally, on the bubble. For Nebraska, the loss to Illinois last week was a major setback, but there’s some discrepancy of just how far. Though they sit atop Minnesota in the conference standings, and arguably have more quality wins, the Gophers stand among Joe Lunardi’s last four in, and the Cornhuskers slouch amidst Lunardi’s next four out. Conventional wisdom, however, says that all seven teams Big Ten teams will find their way to the Big Dance regardless, whether it be by pumpkin or by stagecoach. Other bubble teams to watch for include Oklahoma State, Missouri, Tennessee, Oregon, Florida State, and Georgetown.
3. Selection Sunday March 16th, the day we can all stop hedging off Joe Lunardi’s selections and begin making our own predictions. The major controversy here surrounds the number one seeds, namely Wichita State, and whether or not it’s deserving of that title. The Shockers, despite being the only remaining unbeaten in college basketball, are ranked No. 2 in the nation. They put their perfect record on the line today in their final regular season game against Missouri State. Should they win, they’ll cement their resume with 31 wins. Barring any major upsets, they’ll be joined by Syracuse, Arizona, and Florida. Fans can’t wait to get their hands on those brackets.
4. Selection Tuesday Two days later, women’s college basketball will be front and center for its selection Tuesday, where powerhouses Notre Dame and UConn will be pitted against each other for the overall number one seed. These two teams have squared off in the conference semi-finals three years running, but this year, for the first time in recollection, the two did not face each other during the regular season. With the Fighting Irish joining the ACC, UConn’s strength of schedule took a big hit. Though they are the reigning NCAA champions, many think the Lady Irish have the upper hand. Women’s basketball enthusiasts hope to see the two teams on opposite ends of the bracket this year, potentially butting heads in the title game come April.
5. Pro Days So you don’t like basketball? Then how about a little college football? It will be hard to go a day in March without spotting our dear friend Johnny Manziel on the TV screen. With questions still surrounding the future of Johnny Football’s NFL career, the number one draft prospect will work out in front of teams, critics, and fans across the nation on his Pro Day, March 27th. Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles, the other top QB prospects, will work out on March 17th and 19th respectively. Finally, Michael Sam, potentially the first openly gay player in the NFL, will try to dissuade criticisms that he is overrated, following a disappointing workout at the NFL combines. His pro day is March 6th.
6. NFL Free Agency Before NFL teams welcome the new, they first have to decide what to do with the old. Free agency kicks off March 11th, and many franchises will be tasked with the challenge of tagging or bagging stars with expiring contracts. With an additional $10 million added to the cap space, teams like Oakland and Jacksonville have room to wiggle, whereas others, such as Dallas and Pittsburgh, have a little extra space to breathe. This year, the free agent pool is deep. Some players of interest heading into the deadline are Broncos WR Eric Decker, Eagles QB Michael Vick, and Super Bowl champion Seahawks WR Golden Tate.
7. MLB Opening Series While Opening Day still belongs to April, the MLB opening series, a landmark American tradition, will make its move to Australia this year. The Dodgers and Diamondbacks will kick off the 2014 MLB season in Sydney, beginning on March 22nd. Commissioner Bud Selig is excited to host the matchup at the historic Sydney Cricket Grounds. Fans, not so much.
8. LeBron James/ Kevin Durant MVP race In January, the MVP race belonged to Kevin Durant. But in February, LeBron James reminded us why he’s the two-year reigning champion, and four-time recipient of the most coveted individual award in the NBA. After the two went head-to-head in OKC on Feb 20th, opinion started to sway in favor of James, who put up a big 33 points as his Miami Heat coasted to an easy victory, 103-81. Kevin Durant, meanwhile, hasn’t looked the same since the return of superstar teammate Russell Westbrook. His Thunder are also 0-3 since Westbrook’s return to the court. OKC’s once dynamic duo will be closely monitored this month as they try to regain their groove, and LeBron and KD will continue to duke it out for ownership March, a critical stretch in the ongoing MVP race between the two. In addition to the Feb. 20th win; LeBron suffered a broken nose when he attempted to dunk over Serge Ibaka, but to no dismay. Expect the sale of Batman masks to go up this month, as fans try to channel their inner “LeBane.”
9. NHL Hockey is back, and we’re excited. After the three-week Olympic hiatus, fans will begin spilling over from Sochi to Chicago, Boston, and Pittsburgh, where once again their teams are battling amongst the top of their respective conferences. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman thinks the Olympics are detrimental to the league altogether, and he has a case. Following season-ending injuries, the Islanders will be without star player John Tavares, and the Red Wings will be without captain Henrik Zetterberg. 2014 Olympic gold-medalist Sidney Crosby, however, thinks the break helped improve his game. Go figure.
10. Prediction. Psych. Those will come in April. But here’s one fortune, 100 percent guaranteed. Brackets are going bust, tears will be shed, and, even after hours spent plotting and calculating, madness will ensure. Personally, I hope it does.
Good luck to all the dark horses, underdogs, long shots, and Cinderellas.
Until next month,
Tori Ziege
