posted February 28, 2007 at 19:50 EST in NCAA B Articles

DREAM JOB SPORTS WRITING CONTEST MONTHLY WINNER

Excuse me while I willingly dismiss a majority of talk surrounding the ‘elite’ college basketball conferences and their respective teams battling it out for a spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to see some out-of-the-blue victories and losses, and that has certainly been the case this year. But I’m one person you will not see jumping up and down for teams that can barely get over the .500 mark in league play, if that.

March Madness, the Big Dance, is all about the unknown, not to mention it is almost a prerequisite nowadays come the third month of the college hoops season to have the greatest parity of all. And what better a way to satisfy this necessity than a host of young guns looking to leave their mark and make some major noise among the 65 entrants.

We’ve already seen the pioneers of the mid-major game define what makes a successful NCAA Tournament. It all started with the Gonzaga Bulldogs and their incredible Elite Eight run back in 1998-99. That was the start of their magical eight-year run in successive tournaments that has earned them the right to be called a powerhouse in the sport.

Also not to be forgotten is 2002’s Kent State team that advanced to the Elite Eight, as well last year’s George Mason team and their magical Final Four run.

The time has come again, and if you haven’t been following the depth that the little guys have to offer, you’re in for quite a treat come tourney time.

We’re heading into Championship Week and the month of March kicks off this Thursday. Some of the top mid-majors have already established themselves over the past four months, but it is never too late to refine your knowledge and make sure you know what you’re doing with that 8x11 sheet of paper a couple of weeks down the road.

If you aren’t expecting gut-wrenching moments, and times when you want to find the nearest recycling bin, you don’t know college basketball.

The Nevada Wolfpack are probably the most known team, simply because they have been ranked since day one this past fall. It also doesn’t hurt to have dropped just two games all year. They have emerged in the top ten and they are nothing of the fluke variety. They will be a top three seed, so get acquainted with their game. It all starts with All-American and player of the year candidate Nick Fazekas and his 21 points and 11 rebounds per night. He, along with Marcelus Kemp and Ramon Sessions, are three key players that pour in double figures for the WAC’s top program.

The hottest of these teams ascending the polls is the Southern Illinois Salukis. They are as blue collar as the Big Ten and their defense is as impressive as any team in the country. Most likely a top-five seed, they control the game by making opponents extremely uncomfortable with their in-your-face defensive tactics and they go all out for a full 40 minutes.

 

When it comes to the offensive side of the ball, this squad from Carbondale boasts one of the best backcourts in the country. Senior guards Jamal Tatum and Tony Young are explosive and deadly from inside and out. Make sure you also check big man Randal Falker. His post game is solid and his interior presence on the other end makes this team tick.

One of the best teams you may never have heard of, let seen play, hails from the Big South conference. Winthrop is perfect in conference play, but they are skilled enough to play anyone tough come March.

If you recall last year’s first round match-up with Tennessee, it took a last-second shot to send the Eagles home without a huge upset of the then number two-seed Volunteers. This year, believe me, they will taste victory in the Big Dance.

Led by the deadly trio of Michael Jenkins, Torrell Martin and Craig Bradshaw, Winthrop will run whenever they get the chance. They are extremely athletic, and they also have the shooters to burn you from deep. If you caught their Bracket Buster game at Missouri State in mid February, those 14 three-pointers surely opened some eyes.

By now you also know of the top 25 consistencies that are Butler and Air Force. They each made their mark earlier in the season, and while they may be losing a little steam now, they are truly forces to reckoned with come their first-round games. Butler won the preseason NIT by beating the likes of Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga. Air Force has held strong, knocking off the likes of Stanford and Santa Clara on the road, as well as other tourney teams like Texas Tech and UNLV.

Coming into the season, the most hype was on the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), the top mid-major conference. They certainly have earned that billing, because no one is as deep and competitive. But, while all the ink is on them, most are missing out on the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA).

If I had my druthers, they would get at least three teams in, and there’s a good chance the top three will be selected. Virginia Commonwealth, Old Dominion and Hofstra have been exceptional this year, and you can bet that, if VCU wins the regular season title, it will be another top team that takes the conference tournament; that’s how hectic this league has been. These three programs have combined for over 70 wins this year, and I will be surprised if one of them doesn’t make it to the second weekend of the tournament.

 

All this talk, and we haven’t delved into the likes of Davidson, BYU, UNLV or Appalachian State. More than just these teams will leave a mark this postseason. One suggestion is to watch as much of the conference tournaments as possible. That will go a long way in learning about some of these obscure programs.

We’re less than one week from Selection Sunday and there might not be anyone more excited for this year’s tournament than yours truly. But when it comes to these mid-majors and cracking the brackets, the clock will strike midnight on the big boys, while Cinderella is left dancing.

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