March Madness is on the horizon in basketball and for more sports, high school, college, and professional. For some fans the madness has been here during the regular season without a neat order and uncommon results. Why have neat and clean?
An examples is the Big Ten Conference in men’s college basketball. Purdue University once ranked No. 1 in the Nation has displayed more ordinary play with four defeats in Conference. The Boilermakers through Monday were 13-4, and even though in first place, less than two games ahead of surging Northwestern University, 11-5. Northwestern will play at Illinois Thursday, Feb. 23 in an 8 p.m. game. Northwestern could be the favorite. Illinois will take a 9-7 Conference record into the game, 18-9 overall. It should be a good game for both sets of fans. Northwestern will go into the game with a 20-7 overall record and ranked No. 21 in the latest Associated Press poll. Purdue is No. 5 and Indiana, the only other Big Ten team in the top 25 ranked No. 17. Among the 15 teams ranked in the others-receiving-votes category, Big 10 teams are Maryland, No. 28 and Illinois No. 37. Five Big Ten teams are tied with 9-7 records in Conference: Illinois, Maryland, Iowa, Rutgers, and Michigan.
The Big Ten men will play in the exciting Big Ten tournament in early March, one week following the Big Ten women’s Conference tournament.
Excitement only builds for college basketball fans. The Selection Sunday of bracket announcements will be Sunday, March 12. Three weeks of many close games, a few surprises, and fan enjoyment. The 68-team tournament championship will be Monday, April 3.
Along the way hockey playoffs without the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls’ aim to finish .500 (seven games under .500), Major League Baseball Spring training builds fan following for hopeful seasons. Joy!
In high school basketball, girls regional tournament champions last week included York, Bolingbrook, Lincoln-Way West, Lake Park, Geneva, St. Charles North, Batavia, South Elgin, Barrington, Neuqua Valley, Waubonsie Valley (see photos on page 12), Benet Academy, Naperville Central, Nazareth Academy, Montini, Providence Catholic, Burlington Central, Aurora Central Catholic, and Hinckley-Big Rock. See page 9.
Boys basketball this week are in the regional tournaments. Wednesday a full schedule of semifinal games will give way to Friday regional championship games.
Boys conference championships: Wheaton Warrenville South in DuKane, Neuqua Valley in DuPage, Benet, undefeated, 16-0, E. Suburban Catholic, Burlington Central in Fox Valley, Kaneland undefeated, 14-0 in Interstate Eight, Joliet West in Southwest Prairie, Oswego East undefeated, 16-0, in Southwest Prairie, Bolingbrook, undefeated, 8-0 in Southwest Suburban, South Elgin in the Upstate Eight.