March Madness is more than warm Spring training Major League Baseball (MLB) games in Arizona and Florida. March Madness still means high school basketball and college basketball.
Illinois State high school boys tournament play in four classes will run through Saturday evening, March 9. The NCAA men’s tournament, which used to end the week following boys high schools, will conclude Monday, April 8, the end of the heralded 68-team college tournament, a dynamic, made-for television drama most true sports fans enjoy for good reason.
In boys high schools, the super-sectionals were played Monday this week and the Sweet Sixteen in four classes, four in each class, different than the years 1940s through 1971 played in one class, will be held at the State Farm Center in Champaign, home of the University of Illinois basketball.
Aurora Christian will be the only team in the Sweet Sixteen from The Voice four-county area . The Eagles, who have built a solid foundation in basketball, are in the semifinals 11:15 a.m. Thursday, March 7 against West Central. The Eagles will play either for championship or for third place against Hope Academy of Chicago or Meridian.
See the pairings and results for the upcoming State high school boys championships on page 7. See Bobby Narang’s report on the girls basketball State championships last weekend on page 8 won by Lincoln in 3A and won by Loyola Academy in 4A, the latter biggest class in both boys and girls. See the Class 4A East Aurora Sectional boys champion photo of Downers Grove North on page 1.
In supersectional boys results Monday this week, Normal defeated Downers Grove North, 53-29, New Trier defeated Glenbard North, 65-41, and DePaul Prep defeated Crystal Lake South, 51-31, all of which did not resemble close games.
College basketball offers closer games usually, more well-played games and men or women involved and not boys or girls.
See college basketball standings for men and women on page 7 in three conferences, Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference, and Mid-American Conference. Not the full picture, however, important to the teams and fans relevant to us.
In the Big Ten men’s, Purdue, Illinois, and Northwestern are the top three teams. They will be in the postseason tournament following their appearances in the Big Ten tournament. Northwestern will playing in its second consecutive NCAA tournament. Well done.
Iowa women’s team took second place in the women’s Big Ten Conference led by fourth-year senior Caitlin Clark, a 6-0 senior swing player. She set the women’s college scoring record and will give up her final year of eligibility to enter the draft in the Women’s National Basketball Association. She has produced great basketball and great, composure. The West Des Moines, Iowa basketball player surpassed the record many thought never would be broken, held Pistol Pete Maravich of Louisiana State University from the 1970s. Both surpassed 2,000 points.
Simply remarkable!
Spring training baseball will give way to the start of the MLB season, March 28, not later, April 1, no foolin’ and the next phase of major sports will be enjoyed, each in its own time.
Both the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox will seek to improve from last year. The Cubs will hold playoff aspirations in improvement from last year’s record of 83-79, second place in the National League Central behind Division champion Milwaukee Brewers. Every team will be seeking to catch 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers. The Chicago White Sox absolutely will seek improvement, having fallen 61-101 last season, 40 games below .500 and the definition of struggles.
Hope springs eternal. It is a long baseball season and pitching will go a long way in determining the seasons’ success, or, failure for both the Cubs and Sox in a 162-game season.
The Chicago Blackhawks are in last place in their Western Division, 15-42-5, 35 points, and the Chicago Bulls are in eighth place in the Western Division, in the last of eight playoff teams if they can move up, or, hang on to their position. Desire will go a long way to determine if Bulls make the playoffs. In recent weeks, the Bulls have shown a little spark. Can they?