The grand finale is upon us. In just a couple short weeks, 65 NCAA teams will get the chance to become the best college basketball squad across the land. The objective is simple ... win six games (or seven) and you've achieved the unreachable heights.
Huh, but the main attraction is still days away. Guess we'll need to buy the jumbo, block party, economy-sized tub of popcorn. And man, don't even talk about the bladder you'd need to hold all that soda. There is one good thing, though. The previews for the feature production are usually pretty good. They provide dramatic moments and shock value, all without giving the plot away.
Of course, the blockbuster tournaments always get the longest trailers. It seems like every other movie stars Wayne Simien, Francisco Garcia, J.J. Redick, or Hakim Warrick. Even those artistic projects from the MAC, Missouri Valley, and Atlantic 10 are pumped up more as green appears on trees everywhere south of the balmy Yukon.
Wait a minute. This is an interesting preview. It seems like a nice story, and I don't really know the cast, but they're moving me. Of course, this picture probably won't earn any Oscars, but there's always a place for a few underground gems. Here are four scripts that might only get one invite to this red carpet event, but should provide an eventful ride from start to finish.
Rated: R For a Team on the Rebound
Life was going great for Old Dominion. But sometimes, the best-laid plans can abandon you. Now, the Lions want to get back up off the canvas. Then again, that could be easier said than done. It will take one will, one strength, and one run through a tournament of shooters, defensive stalwarts, and reigning kings.
Old Dominion, UNC-Wilmington, Virginia Commonwealth, Hofstra, and Drexel star in "Fight of the Colonials."
Rated: G For a Gaggle of Average-at-Best Squads
In the SWAC, losses and mediocrity were a way of life. From scoring on the court, (every team at less than 70 ppg), to keeping with their opponents (only two teams have a positive scoring margin, 1.0 and 0.7 ppg), the league was just a step behind. But a tournament in Birmingham will pit teams against each other, while pulling them together to show a nation what they can do.
Alabama A&M, Southern University, Alabama State, and Mississippi Valley State ... which squad will get to display "The Swagger of SWAC"?
Rated: PG For Probably Getting Through the First Round
Middle Continent is offering its annual prize of a ticket to the biggest party in town, and three of its most vaunted workers are looking to take the cake. But they didn't count on a new youngster throwing a wrench in their plans. Now to get the coveted ticket, a Crusader, a Jaguar, and a Golden Eagle will have to outwit, out-muscle, and out-maneuver ... a Kangaroo.
Valparaiso, Oral Roberts, I.U.P.U.I., and introducing Missouri-Kansas City in a game of maddening proportions. "The Mid-Con Artists," coming soon to theathers.
Rated: X For an eXcessive Amount of Conference Wins
Trouble is stirring up in Music City. Eight offenders with double-digit conference victories are converging for an all-out point spree where anyone can leave town with the goods. But one-by-one, the suspects are dropping out of sight. From Troy, AL to Orlando, the question is the same. Which one will last through all the turmoil?
Gardner-Webb, Central Florida, and Belmont lead an all-star cast in the season's most thrilling drama. "Staring into the Atlantic Sun."
Okay, that last rating was a stretch, but eight teams within three games of each other (and a ninth if you count Florida Atlantic) seems a bit much.
Over the next handful of days, we'll get to see which actors have the mettle to impress the bigwigs at the NCAA. Hopefully, the next stop for some of these basketball thespians will be a scene in the annual remake, "The Glory of Madness". And, who knows, maybe one of these bit players can steal the show.
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