If you had Georgetown reaching the Final Four, raise your hand?
What about Villanova?
Now how many of you had Kansas winning the whole thing and cutting down the nets?
Well, if you did that, then you’re probably like a lot of people in NCAA Tournament pools across the country, and you’ve probably already ripped up your bracket, lit it on fire, or just crumpled it in a ball and threw it at the TV as soon as a kid named Ali Farokhmanesh and his band of teammates from Northern Iowa took down the Jayhawks.
And to think, the departure of Kansas, Georgetown, Villanova, Notre Dame, Temple, Vanderbilt and more all happened in just the opening weekend of the Big Dance.
So what will happen this week?
While that is unknown (as most is during March Madness), this week should separate the men from the boys when the Sweet Sixteen kicks off Thursday.
Can 10th-seeded St. Mary’s continue its Gonzaga-like run and upset Baylor to play for a Final Four berth?
How does Northern Iowa repeat its improbable win over the heavily-favored Jayhawks?
Those are just a few of the questions entering the second week of the tournament, and a week from today, everyone will know the answers.
BASEBALL: The one bright side to a busted bracket is the recent nice weather, which can only mean that spring is here and it’s time to fully embrace baseball season. Sure, the Braves are still shaking off the rust in Spring Training, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t meaningful baseball to be seen.
A slew of high school baseball games take place this week, with early, but intriguing matchups across the area. Few are more interesting than Jackson County against Eastside, which meet up today with first place in Region 8-AAA on the line. The Panthers (9-1, 2-1) have been quite a surprise this season, as they have already won more games than they did all of last season, the season before, the season before, and so on.
Another team that can say that is Chestatee, whose 7-0 record marks the best start in program history. The War Eagles will try to continue that streak today when they visit Gilmer (3-5, 0-3 Region 7-AAA), and they’ll be tested Friday when they travel to North Hall (4-3, 1-1).
And while this game has no subregion implications, it’s always interesting when North Hall plays Gainesville in any sport, and the two renew the rivalry Wednesday at Jody Davis Field.
ATLANTA HAWKS: With less than three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Hawks have a chance to improve their playoff seeding when they play host to division-leading Orlando on Wednesday at Philips Arena.
The Hawks, who currently trail the Magic by three games in the loss column, open the week against Milwaukee tonight and end the week with two winnable games against the 76ers and Pacers.
A 4-0 week could also propel Atlanta past Boston for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
What about Villanova?
Now how many of you had Kansas winning the whole thing and cutting down the nets?
Well, if you did that, then you’re probably like a lot of people in NCAA Tournament pools across the country, and you’ve probably already ripped up your bracket, lit it on fire, or just crumpled it in a ball and threw it at the TV as soon as a kid named Ali Farokhmanesh and his band of teammates from Northern Iowa took down the Jayhawks.
And to think, the departure of Kansas, Georgetown, Villanova, Notre Dame, Temple, Vanderbilt and more all happened in just the opening weekend of the Big Dance.
So what will happen this week?
While that is unknown (as most is during March Madness), this week should separate the men from the boys when the Sweet Sixteen kicks off Thursday.
Can 10th-seeded St. Mary’s continue its Gonzaga-like run and upset Baylor to play for a Final Four berth?
How does Northern Iowa repeat its improbable win over the heavily-favored Jayhawks?
Those are just a few of the questions entering the second week of the tournament, and a week from today, everyone will know the answers.
BASEBALL: The one bright side to a busted bracket is the recent nice weather, which can only mean that spring is here and it’s time to fully embrace baseball season. Sure, the Braves are still shaking off the rust in Spring Training, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t meaningful baseball to be seen.
A slew of high school baseball games take place this week, with early, but intriguing matchups across the area. Few are more interesting than Jackson County against Eastside, which meet up today with first place in Region 8-AAA on the line. The Panthers (9-1, 2-1) have been quite a surprise this season, as they have already won more games than they did all of last season, the season before, the season before, and so on.
Another team that can say that is Chestatee, whose 7-0 record marks the best start in program history. The War Eagles will try to continue that streak today when they visit Gilmer (3-5, 0-3 Region 7-AAA), and they’ll be tested Friday when they travel to North Hall (4-3, 1-1).
And while this game has no subregion implications, it’s always interesting when North Hall plays Gainesville in any sport, and the two renew the rivalry Wednesday at Jody Davis Field.
ATLANTA HAWKS: With less than three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Hawks have a chance to improve their playoff seeding when they play host to division-leading Orlando on Wednesday at Philips Arena.
The Hawks, who currently trail the Magic by three games in the loss column, open the week against Milwaukee tonight and end the week with two winnable games against the 76ers and Pacers.
A 4-0 week could also propel Atlanta past Boston for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.