As I sat down last week and filled out my bracket before the first two rounds of what proved to be one of the craziest first weekends of the NCAA tournament I’ve ever seen, I thought to myself, what is it that makes college basketball so great?
Is it the hope of winning my bracket competitions, only to always fall short in the end? Is it the mid-major underdogs that get a chance at a “Cinderella” moment?
Sure, those are all great, but to me college basketball’s greatness doesn’t lie in who wins it all. It’s about the stories of the teams and the names on the back of the jerseys.
March is a month where Archidiaco(no)’s can swiftly turn into Archidiaco(yes)’s. When people fill out their brackets they always take a (Karl) Gamble on their (Dorian) Pickens, only to wish they would have rock-chalked their way to the most (Sir Dominic) Pointer’s.
The Madness is a game of (James) Life and death, where only the (Derek) Strong teams survive, and the weak are (Dakota) Slaughter-ed. The (Trevon) Bluiett-bloods are always (Derek) Favored to prevail, but a select few (Khalil) Small schools always get the chance to have their one (Tavarius) Shine-ing moment. One upset leads to another, and we just can’t get enough.
Great teams and great names come and go. Just this past year we saw one all-time great Yogi (Berra) pass away only to give rise to another Yogi (Ferrell), the heart and soul behind the past four Hoosier teams.
It’s three thrilling (Will) Weeks jam-packed full of flavor served up from none other than Oregon’s (Elgin) Cook along with his sou-chef (Ron) Baker. Their goal isn’t as much to get buckets as it is to stir up big (Giddy) Potts of upsets, and fill up our Tum Tum’s (Nairn Jr.). While we lounge back on our big recliners and couches, we expect nothing but the best.
We expect to be served by Butler Bulldogs and (Dion) Waiters. We get picky when (OJ) Mayo isn’t added to our (Robert) Burgers. We ask our servers to bring out an extra side of (Stephen) Curry, and any feast wouldn’t be complete without a sip of (Ben) Coffee, or (Anton) Waters. From Virginia big man (Jack) Salt to Lipscomb’s (Eli) Pepper, college basketball has always added that familiar flavor to March that we all know and (Carrington) Love.
And speaking of love, did you know that in many places basketball is becoming an expression of love, felt deep inside any fan’s (Josh) Hart. When young couples in southern Ohio go out on the town, they don’t give each other smoochies, they give each other “Scoochie’s” in honor of Smith, Dayton’s junior guard.
Across the border, Michigan State couples are blessed to know it’s (Denzel) Valentine’s Day every time Tom Izzo’s squad takes the floor. When young men at the University of Maryland are ready to pop the question, they don’t go to Jared (Uthoff) like Iowa fans, they take their date to the game to watch standout freshman Diamond Stone, and the new finance’s still manage to (Melo) Trimble.
So if the names of college basketball get you confused; if your failed bracket has you down on your (Bill) Self, and you think you’re not (James) Worthy, don’t get (Adam) Weary. It’s not about who lifts the trophy. It’s about embracing the Madness.
In a March full of names ranging from Akintobi-Adeyeye to Zeisloft, history tells us that anything is bound to, and will happen. So grab a Buddy (Hield), sit back, relax and enjoy what will definitely be a great (J.C.) Show.
