That glorious time is here. The NCAA tournament is back. Upsets. One Shining Moment. Nets being cut down. It doesn’t get much better than this.
The tournament also brings back the annual 68 reasons to love it column. Here we go.
One more chance to take in the offensive artistry that is Georges Niang’s game … Monte Morris and his underrated mid-range shot … This is what Iowa State was waiting all season for – a chance to add to its legacy …
Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, the closest thing to an unstoppable scoring force in the tourney … Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine, a walking triple-double … Providence’s Kris Dunn, another walking triple-double …
The Perry Ellis farewell tour … Seriously, Ellis is done after this tourney … So use up all the Ellis is the grandfather jokes you got …
Bob Huggins scowling his way through the tournament on his courtside stool … With Austin Peay dancing another generation gets to learn the origin of the greatest chant ever – The Fly is open … To see who follows Michigan’s Kam Chatman as the next March hero …
Deonte Burton highlight reel dunks … Jameel McKay alley oops … Abdel Nader’s ability for instant offense … Matt Thomas and his 3-point shot … Jordan Ashton as ISU’s best bet at being a Cinderella story … The possibility of Stuart Nezlek time, NCAA tourney edition …
Oregon State’s Gary Payton II matching Burton dunk for dunk … Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis is must see TV … A chance for Iowa native Marcus Paige to end a tough senior year in glorious fashion … Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff, a Hawkeye Cyclone fans should respect … Duke’s Grayson Allen – the latest in a long line of stars for non-Blue Devil fans to hate … UNC’s Brice Johnson and his post dominance …
Utah’s Jakob Poeltl, the one-man wrecking crew those east of the Rockies may not know … Gonzaga having an underdog feel again in its 18th-straight NCAA appearance … The return of Dunk City and Florida Gulf Coast to the dance … A reason for Green Bay to care about something other than the upcoming NFL draft in March …
Second straight year with three in-state teams in the field … To see if Northern Iowa can keep its postseason success rolling … Chance of UNI’s Wes Washpun providing some more late-game heroics … And the matchup of Washpun with Texas’ Isaiah Taylor …
Michigan State’s Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr.