March Madness!
Generations, many years, expectations. All add up to what we call March Madness, first used as a term in Illinois high school basketball 85 years ago. The fruition of tournament triumph during culmination of basketball tournaments follows many aspects. Heartbreak, sudden joy or sudden deflation, culminate quickly.
Benet Academy took second place in the girls and boys tournaments in successive weeks this March, a mixture of elation and deflation. Each team won many more games than they lost and were authors of a heart-load of memories.
College basketball started tournament play more than 30 years after Illinois boys high school basketball, started in the early 1900s.
College basketball has capitalized on many schools from small division III to the large basketball factories with decades of success.
Television success of college basketball in the last two generations has propelled the sport forward, first with the men, then, with women. Expectations and memories vault the game forward. The rapid pace, high-quality play, and excitement lead us to think it will be in demand for many years. That is good news.
Equity, rather than dominance, has propelled the success of college basketball. Many teams dream big and continue expectations. Success is seen as being within reach.
Good examples this season include the parity of the Big Ten (14 teams) Conference. In men’s conference play this season, nine of the 14 teams finished with won-loss records of 12-8 at the best to 10-10 at the worst. Reality checks and high-level optimism coincided much of the season.
The two Big 10 schools in State provide good examples. Northwestern and Illinois both tasted success and disappointment during the season and both will be in the exciting 68-team National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament which started Tuesday this week and will play through Sunday in the first two rounds.
Northwestern (21-10 overall and 12-8 in the Big Ten, in second place) will take its No. 7 seed to play Thursday, March 16 against No. 10 Boise State in the first round in a 6:25 p.m. game. It does not matter that the game will be on the West Coast. The game will be televised for fans who would not make the trip. Earlier in the day, No. 9 University of Illinois has 2:20 p.m. game against No. 8 Arkansas. The winners of those games will play Saturday against two other victors.
Exciting games, photo finishes with last-second winning baskets are more the expected now than the exception. The players, mostly heavily recruited, are accomplished players rather than rookies. Drama invites two victories for most teams and will put them in the Sweet Sixteen and a sense of accomplishment. Expectations will be raised many levels and fans will be attracted to the games who paid far less attention to the teams earlier in the year. New fans, even if temporary, will be drawn into the Madness.
Games will continue for three weeks, including the four teams which will compose the Final Four for two big games Saturday, April 1, no foolin’ almost larger than the one championship game Monday evening, April 3.
The games stimulated a great deal of casual and not-so-casual betting on the outcomes of the games. Betting exists, however, it can be distracting and cause problems. Fortunately the tournament leaders take extra care to keep the betters from reaching the players to alter outcomes.
Nearly 75 years ago bettors seeking to alter outcomes were a major distraction and caused a scandal. Thank you to those who have suppressed access to the players, we have opportunities to enjoy the games without the negative elements.