March Madness In 2014
Connor Strange
Staff Writer
With March comes a variety of exciting events, not the least of which includes many and more having a ball (perhaps too much) on Saint Patrick’s Day. Aside from the camaraderie and revelry, there is an annual tournament: March Madness. And this time, it’s bigger than ever.
Louisville, Kansas and Duke are all teams that have made it to the big dance for years on end. They’ve stood the test of time and weathered through game after game, but a good number of the 64 teams aren’t so proven. One basketball program entering the tournament for the first time in a long while is quite close to home: the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
It’s been over a decade since the UNL men’s basketball team did… anything, really. However, the construction of the Pinnacle Bank Arena seemed to ignite a spark in the Huskers, bringing to life their competitiveness under head coach Tim Miles’s direction. They’ve only lost one game at home all year, but their away game is shaky at best.
Another blow to Nebraska fans’ excitement can be found in the very first game of March Madness for UNL. They have to play the Baylor Bears: a team that has been highly competitive more often than not in past years.
Even more news surrounding the Cornhusker State has cropped up at the behest of multibillionaire Warren Buffett. He’s put one billion dollars (barely a fraction of his fortune) down for anyone that can make a perfect NCAA tournament bracket. The odds aren’t great, and it’s never been done in history, but a proffered fortune might just be the push needed to make it happen.
As always, teams like Duke and Kansas made the championship tournament easily; there’s nothing very new there. However, some of the first-seed teams are new additions to the top of the lists. Wichita State is one of them, only a ninth seed last year. Despite their relatively middle-of-the-road ranking, they beat a variety of impressive teams and lost only to 2013’s champs - Louisville - in the round before the semi-finals. That performance came as a pleasant surprise, and helped to encourage them into the prestigious first seed slot for 2014.
The team that kicked out Wichita last year, the Louisville Cardinals, are only a fourth seed this time around, but they remain a promising contender to win it all.
For denizens of the less-than-populous Lincoln area, March Madness finally has an exciting, personal meaning. Maybe all of the hubbub can help the Huskers beat Baylor, or aid someone to become resplendently rich.
