Spring just makes everything better. The sun is out, our friends are out, and bragging rights are back on the table.

1. Summit League Tournament Week. This year’s automatic bid might be a long shot for the No. 5 seed North Dakota State, but anything is possible, especially since we have seen the Bison beat number one seed IPFW this season, a month ago at Scheels Arena. Also, the NDSU Men’s Basketball team has beaten its first-round opponent the No. 4 seed IUPUI once this season, and lost once on a buzzer-beater in Indianapolis on Jan. 31. (This was written before Sunday’s game)
2. Just conference championship week, in general. Anywhere you look we have big games, from Ohio State at Michigan State to Vanderbilt at Texas A&M, on from 11 a.m. until almost 11 p.m.. Whoever you like outside of BisoNation, you can almost guarantee they’re on television at Buffalo Wild Wings.
3. Soon enough, the brackets will be set and fans across the country will be picking our winners, placing bets (and side bets). I’m kicking myself for accidentally choosing a DirecTV plan that doesn’t have ESPN. Who knew it was even possible? I also just pictured in my head Donald Trump giving his picks, as possible President and I got chills.
4. I mentioned earlier that the Bison are more of a wildcard this year. Out of the 16 conference games for NDSU this season, 10 of them have had a point-spread by 10 points or less. If they play well, they can beat anyone. It will be a challenege to return to the Big Dance for the third consecutive year, but it’s possible.
5. Arguably the most underutilized aspect of March Madness, don’t forget to pay attention to the numbers. In fact, one rebound in a men’s basketball game contributes to the team’s point-spread by 1.8 point—almost an entire basket. And in the last seconds of the game, every point counts.