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It's March! Let the madness begin

Matt Daniels, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·4 min read

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One of the busiest months on the sports calendar is here. Before it all tips off, Sports Editor Matt Daniels looks at 10 items to keep in mind during what is sure to be a thrilling, exhausting, hectic and enjoyable March:

The bracket. Fitting all 68 teams one on single sheet of paper and then filling it out round by round defines the month. At least from a sports perspective. Selection Sunday hits March 17, with the NCAA men's tournament field revealed at 5 p.m. on CBS. Two hours later, the NCAA women's basketball tournament bracket is unveiled at 7 p.m. on ESPN. Enjoy your brackets before they're busted.

2 See you in Minneapolis. The Illinois women will tip off its stay at the Big Ten tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis next Thursday with a second-round game, with a potential quarterfinal matchup against either a trio of Ohio State, Iowa or Indiana. The Illinois men should receive a double bye into the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals in Minneapolis, with the Illini likely playing their first Big Ten tournament game on March 15.

3 Big Ten title hopes. The Illinois men's basketball team made a layup and then gave up a layup by the time you finished reading this sentence. Yet Brad Underwood's team has a shot at a Big Ten title, even if they're two games behind Purdue with three to play. The Boilermakers, however, can clinch a share of the title with a win Saturday against Michigan State or an Illinois loss at Wisconsin.

4 Showdown with Purdue. No matter what happens on Saturday in regards to the Big Ten regular-season title race, Zach Edey is coming to Champaign. Soon. The reigning National Player of the Year will suit up for Purdue at 6 p.m. next Tuesday inside State Farm Center. Same for Terrence Shannon Jr., who missed the first meeting (an 83-78 win by Purdue on Jan. 5) while serving a six-game suspension on a rape charge.

5 Date with state. The IHSA boys' basketball state tournament returns for a third straight year to State Farm Center with the four-class, 16-team, three-day event going from March 7-9. Future Illin Morez Johnson Jr. and his Thornton team are two wins away from reaching Champaign in 3A, while area teams St. Joseph-Ogden in 2A and Arcola in 1A are still playing.

6 Planning a trip. First-round games of the NCAA men's basketball tournament tip March 21, with first-round games continuing on March 22. If Illinois plays on March 21, here's the four sites it could go to: Charlotte, N.C., Omaha, Neb., Pittsburgh or Spokane, Wash. If the Illini end up play on March 22, they'll either be in Brooklyn, N.Y., Indianapolis, Salt Lake City or Memphis, Tenn. A trip to Indianapolis is the ideal scenario for most Illini fans.

7 Regional setting. The Illini haven't made it past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament since 2005. Illinois, projected as a likely No. 4 seed right now by most bracketologists, could wind up either in Boston, Dallas, Detroit or Los Angeles if it avoids a first-round loss and a second-round loss. Sweet 16 games are set for March 28-29, with Elite Eight games on March 30-31.

8 Don't forget about Danville. The NJCAA Division II men's basketball national tournament returns to Mary Miller Gym on the Danville Area Community College campus for the 31st year. The host Jaguars played in the event last year, reached the semifinals and ultimately placing third. Parkland is a top-10 team this season and always has a chance to make it there. This year's tournament starts on March 18, with the national title game on March 23.

9 Springing forward. If the weather cooperates, area high school spring sports teams can hit the field, track or tennis court soon. Track and field teams are already in their indoor seasons, with the UI Armory hosting two large invites each of the next two Saturdays. Baseball, softball, girls' soccer and boys' tennis teams aren't far behind and can have their first events on March 11.

10 Title shots. Fresh off winning the Big Ten indoor title, the Illinois women's track and field team will send a school-record nine individuals to the NCAA Indoor Championships next weekend in Boston. The Illinois wrestling team will also be in action next weekend at the Big Ten Championships in College Park, Md., before wrestling's NCAA Championships are held March 21-23 at T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City, Mo.