The NCAA Tournament Returns In All Its Glory

You by no means notice how a lot you like one thing till it’s gone.

For the previous two years, the NCAA Event has been nothing just like the unimaginable spectacle that brings us again to our childhood days.

In March 2020, nobody knew what to anticipate, with many of the nation in lockdown, ready for “two weeks to gradual the unfold” to come back to an finish. The cancellation of the 2020 NCAA event was as miserable as something we’ve skilled in sports activities, and but most in society understood as we tried to get a agency grasp on the COVID-19 pandemic.

After which there was 2021, the complete event performed inside a “bubble” in Indianapolis, with solely 25% fan capability allowed. Over the previous two years, we’ve realized simply how vital the gang is to sports activities — particularly school athletics — and the dearth of packed arenas took away a lot of the attract of the NCAA event.

Within the 2021 semifinal matchup between UCLA and Gonzaga, Bulldogs guard Jalen Suggs hit one of many extra memorable buzzer-beaters in school basketball historical past. And but, it didn’t have the identical really feel as hundreds of delirious followers had been absent from the second.

However now, we’re again.

We’ve moved out of the COVID-19 pandemic, with masks and vaccine mandates being tossed to the trash heap everywhere in the nation. As I sat down to start my marathon day of school basketball viewing, the CBS school basketball theme music blaring from the tv, every part lastly felt regular.

“The nation is prepared for the [NCAA] event,” said CBS Sports activities President Sean McManus.

You’ll be able to say that once more.

It was a tremendous first full day of the event, with six decrease seeds discovering a method to win, and three video games determined in time beyond regulation.

“That is fantastic,” Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway said after taking down No. 8 seed Boise State. “Actually, to see the followers within the stands, that is true March Insanity. Watching it up to now, when it occurred to be in Indianapolis and no followers actually, simply household, that’s not March Insanity. That is stunning to simply be right here and seeing it with the household right here, the followers right here, everyone strolling round within the metropolis — that’s stunning to me.”

We had two 12-seeds advancing to the second spherical of the event, with Richmond knocking off an Iowa group that many had picked for a deep event run, and New Mexico State ending UConn’s season behind 37 factors from junior guard Teddy Allen.

“I’m a hooper, and proper now on the degree I’m at, that is the most important stage, and this would be the worst time to fold,” Allen said.

After which there was the small faculty of two,300 college students from Jersey Metropolis, New Jersey, taking down one of many true blue-bloods of the school sport.

No. 15 Saint Peter’s knocked out No. 2 Kentucky in an time beyond regulation thriller, making it the primary time head coach John Calipari has been knocked out of the event within the first spherical as head coach in Lexington.

“Pleased with my guys for battling, like we do all yr,” Saint Peter’s head coach Shaheen Holloway said. “That is one thing that these guys perceive, no disrespect to anyone, however we wasn’t coming down right here simply to lose. We got here down right here to struggle and we did.”

And we’re simply getting began.

There are one other 16 video games on the slate for Friday, with No. 10 Loyola Chicago — and Sister Jean — taking up No. 7 Ohio State to kick off the enjoyable. The video games gained’t come to an finish till early Saturday morning, with a whole lot of hundreds of followers packing bars across the nation with a purpose to watch their brackets get busted.

The NCAA event is totally again, and with it, every part lastly feels again to regular.

Joe Morgan is the Sports activities Reporter for The Day by day Wire. Most just lately, Morgan lined the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting Information. Ship your sports activities inquiries to sports [email protected].

The views expressed on this piece are the writer’s personal and don’t essentially characterize these of The Day by day Wire.

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