The Stories: March Madness for some; March Sadness for others

by: The Cold Hard Truth

March Madness always brings with it the feel-good story that warms our heart. We love to hear about Florida Gulf Coast, Butler, VCU, George Mason, and all the underdogs year to year that surprise us and go a little deeper in the tournament. It really is a great time of year.

One reason I love college basketball so much is that the stories didn't just begin on March 13. Various teams have been writing their story since the beginning of the season. Let's take a closer look at a few of these stories.

Monmouth and Iona: The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference - When the Monmouth Hawks took down UCLA in mid-Novemeber, it caught my attention. When they followed that up with wins agains Notre Dame and USC, I was impressed. They fought to the wire against a talented Dayton team and then beat Georgetown and Rutgers. Sure, time eventually showed that UCLA, Georgetown and Rutgers were't that good, but the Hawks were clearly the team to beat in the MAAC this year and had the makings of a mid-major team who could do some damage in the tournament. Iona took a different route, losing to every good team in the first half of the season. In mid-January, Monmouth came to town and ended the Gaels 26 game home winning streak with a 110-102 victory. In that loss, Iona's A.J. English went for 45 points, talking smack the entire game. Anger boiled over after the game, as the teams exchanged more pleasantries. Two days later, Iona lost again. They were 9-8 at that point. However, they were about to come together as a team. A month later, they played Monmouth on the Hawks home court and exacted some payback with a 16 point win. Finally, this past Monday, Iona came from behind in the second half and took down Monmouth 79-76, punching their ticket to the dance. It has been an unlikely run. Iona is in. Monmouth, the MAAC regular season champs and a team with so much promise, they should be in but they're not. They are NIT bound. A sad ending to a great year. Don't be fooled by Iona's record or journey. They have one loss by 3 points in the last two months and an NBA prospect in A.J. English. They're dangerous.

Northern Iowa and Wichita State: These teams were both 30 game winners last year. The Shockers had high expectations coming into this season and were ranked just outside the top 10. After a 2-4 start, they were unranked. A 13-1 stretch during the mid-season allowed Wichita State to take control of the Missouri Valley, as they won the conference by 4 games. Northern Iowa took a different path. In November, they came from 16 down and beat North Carolina. But other than that, they were very average. After the Illinois State loss mid-season, their record stood at 10-11. Now they're 22-12! That streak includes 3 wins over a very good Evansville team by a total of 7 points, a win at Wichita State on the road, and another win over the Shockers in the MVC tourney. I saw this one coming. The Panthers are a dangerous team as well. Don't take your eyes off them. The Shockers got in by the skin of their teeth. However, they are experienced and talented. Just keep in mind that these two teams won a total of 61 games last year, including 3 in the tournament. Either could make a run.

UConn finished 6th in the American Athletic Conference this year. They were squarely on the bubble - probably headed to the NIT. Then with less than a second left in a "casual" 3 OT game against Cincinnati, Jalen Adams banked in a 70-foot shot that sent the game into a 4th OT and an eventual win over the Bearcats. The Huskies then took down league champ Temple and a good Memphis squad. Just like that, they're in. If history has taught us anything, it should be to watch UConn very closely. They have a knack for making deep runs in this tournament.

Other stories of interest - Hawaii is actually good. Their leading scorer is a 6-11 big man who tranfered from Mizzou two years ago and they have good guard play. Yale gets their first bid in 54 years. The Bulldogs played some hard fought games this year, including a two point loss to SMU. Valpariso played a 6 point game against Oregon early in the season and beat some decent teams. They dominanted the Horizon League, winning the league by 3 games. One loss to Green Bay in the Horizon League final and they're out. You can watch them play Texas Soutern in the NIT. It's a shame. Finally, the Oregon Ducks - where did they come from? You might say the Ducks have been "flying" under the radar. Are they good? I have no idea, but to me, their schedule seems a little light for a #1 seed.

So we have lots of stories - some good and some bad. The Big Ten, the Big 12, the Big East, and the ACC all looked like talented deep conferences this year. Buddy Hield looks like the best shooter in America for Oklahoma. Kansas has been on a major roll. Indiana has quietly had a great year. Kentucky won a nice game against A&M in the SEC final and seems to be rounding into form, and Duke is just another team in the field of 68.

So now it's up to you. It is time to take all these stories and make sense of it all. The CBCC is right around the corner, and experts all across the country and gearing up for the opportunity to show their knowledge of college basketball. The 2015-16 has proven to be one of the most evenly matched seasons in history. There are no clear cut favorites, and it's anyones guess who might win it all. Best of luck to all of you. Let the games begin!