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Countdown: 23 (or 24). The only men's basketball game tonight is one of the two which will determine whether we can stop qualifying the countdown; over on the women's side there are four games as both the NCAA Tournament and WNIT fill half their Final Fours. If you're inclined to partake of tonight's contests, here's your open thread.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL | |||||||
ROUND | TIME (CT) | TEAM | - | TEAM | LOCATION | NETWORK | ANNOUNCERS |
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES | |||||||
Game 1 | 9:00pm | (E1) Siena | vs | (S3) Fresno State | Fresno CA | CBSSN | PBP: Scott Graham Color: Bob Wenzel |
I remember once upon a time when Siena was the biggest story in March. There'd been an outbreak of some virulent crud or another, and the America East tournament had to be played in an empty arena, and Siena came out on top. I think they knocked someone off in the first round of the Big Dance, too. For all that, winning the CIT would be the program's high-water mark, surpassing that year they made the NIT Final Four and Doremus Bennerman dumped 51 on the 'Cats in an unforgettable one-on-two duel with Askia Jones and Deryl Cunningham. I don't hold that against them and neither should you; I mean, it was just the third-place game.
NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT | |||||||
ROUND | TIME (CT) | TEAM | - | TEAM | LOCATION | NETWORK | ANNOUNCERS |
NOTRE DAME REGION | |||||||
RSF | 6:30pm | (2) Baylor | vs | (1) Notre Dame | South Bend IN | TV: ESPN Radio: Westwood One |
TV PBP: Beth Mowins TV Color: Stephanie White TV SLR: Maria Taylor Radio PBP: Jason Benetti Radio Color: Krista Blunk |
LINCOLN REGION | |||||||
RSF | 8:30pm | (3) Texas A&M | vs | (1) Connecticut | Lincoln NE | TV: ESPN Radio: Westwood One |
TV PBP: Pam Ward TV Color: Carolyn Peck TV SLR: LaChina Robinson Radio PBP: Craig Way Radio Color: Brenda VanLengen |
Personally, I can't root for any of these four teams, but the average neutral fan should have no trouble picking a side tonight, and it's almost certainly going to be "Baylor and A&M" or "Notre Dame and UConn". The choice will depend on whether you're an underdog supporter or whether you're cheering for the "and-0" crowd. From the midwest perspective both Baylor and Texas A&M have been forces of nature for some time, and while neither was in any danger whatsoever of having a 40-0 season this year, they were still not teams you wanted next up on your schedule. Can one (or both) of them be the team to finally solve one (or both) of the unbeatens?
WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT | |||||||
ROUND | TIME (CT) | TEAM | - | TEAM | LOCATION | NETWORK | ANNOUNCERS |
SF | 6:00pm | Rutgers | vs | Bowling Green | Bowling Green OH | BCSN (free!) | PBP: Brad Woznicki Color: Gretchen Brown |
SF | 8:00pm | Washington | vs | Texas-El Paso | El Paso TX | Miner TV ($) | n/a |
While the NCAA women's tournament sets the first half of their Final Four, the WNIT completes their semifinal field.