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