The weather is warming up (in most places). Birds are singing again. (Loudly, in some cases). And looming in the distance is the annual talk of rock, chalk, upsets, Cinderella stories, and brackets galore.
It's time for March Madness.
As I write this, we are a mere 30 minutes away from the brackets being announced. Already in the past few weeks there has been heartbreaks, colossal fails, and number one teams winning with ease.
For 68 teams, it's time to get back to business.
Will this be the year a 16-seed finally beats a number one seed? Will we see a George Mason like run to the Final 4? We're about to find out.
The traditional powerhouses like Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, and Villanova are all present. So are teams like Virginia, Xavier, Kentucky, and Michigan.
We're not here to look at those teams.
We're here to look at four teams -- a couple of who might win it all, a couple who might snag that upset win -- that I think will make an impact on the tournament one way or the other.
Power 5 sleeper: West Virginia Mountaineers
One might think a power 5 sleeper is pointless to look at. The West Virginia Mountaineers are not your normal "run-of-the-mill" power 5 team (i.e. Kansas) that gets picked to win it all.
The Mountaineers (24-10) are coming off a runner-up finish in the Big-12 conference tourney. There, they lost to the Kansas Jayhawks for the third time this season. The three losses were by an average of eight points.
West Virginia made the Sweet 16 in 2016-17, losing 61-58 to the Gonzaga Bulldogs. One of the key factors in picking the Mountaineers to go far is their backcourt. Both starters are seniors and were a key part of last season's team.
Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles, Jr are also the team's leading scorers. Carter is putting up 17 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. His running mate Miles contributes 13 points and 3.2 assists, while the two have combined for 4.2 steals per game.
A strong backcourt is often indicative of how far a team will go in the tourney. West Virginia has that, plus a good big man to boot. Sagaba Konate puts up 10.8 points and pulls down 7.6 boards.
The Mountaineers can go nine, even ten deep and average 80 points per game. They make a little less than 9 three-pointers per game. Overall, the team shoots 43.4% from the field and commits 11 turnovers per game.
Big wins: Virginia (by 7); Oklahoma twice Losses: 3 time losers to Kansas
Mid-major sleeper: Gonzaga Bulldogs
Is it even fair to consider Gonzaga (30-4) a sleeper anymore? They have exuded nothing but success over the past 20 years, including a run to last year's final game. Ultimately, they lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels and were back at square one.
Square one involved replacing arguably their best four players. Many thought they wouldn't even win their conference, finally giving way to Saint Mary's. And the Bulldogs did indeed drop a game to the Gaels this season.
How did Gonzaga respond? By winning 14-straight games and another WCC title.
The Bulldogs average 84.5 points per game, good for 9th in the nation. And they're doing it inside and out. Five guys average in double figures while shooting 50.3% from the field as a team. 8 or 9 players normally see action for Gonzaga, with the team knocking down 9 threes per game.
Johnathan Williams is the top scorer with 13.5 points per game. Williams also leads the team in rebounding with 8.5.
Killiam Tillie is close behind at 13.4 ppg. Tillie is shooting 59.3% from the field. Three of the top five scorers shoot 56% or better.
Josh Perkins sits at 12.4 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Big wins: 27 points over Ohio State; 5 points over Texas Key losses: 6 points to Florida; 16 points to Villanova
Hot sleeper: San Diego State Aztecs
This could have also fallen into the mid-major category, but six weeks ago the Aztecs (22-10) weren't even close to a tournament team.
Then they got healthy and they got rolling, straight into the Mountain West Conference tourney championship. (Which included a 17-point semifinal victory over Nevada, who will also be dancing).
The Aztecs battled to get to a fourth seed in the tournament and have won nine straight. They average 78 points per game and are largely known for their defense. They have experience players, who are also long and athletic.
And they have strong guard play in Trey Kell.
Kell battled injuries through the early part of conference play but has on a tear as of late. He dropped 28 points in the title game victory over New Mexico. Kell averages 10.4 points and 4.1 assists on the season.
San Diego State's leading scorer is Malik Pope, who found his name among those in the investigation of players and coaches taking money. Pope sat out one game before the school closed their own investigation. He averages 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds while blocking just over 1 shot per game.
Devin Watson (12.3 ppg) also shines as part of five players averaging double figures. The Aztecs commit 12 turnovers per game and shoot 46.1% (though not huge 3-pointers shooters at 33.9% and making 7.3 gm, they can catch fire.)
Big wins: 2 points over Gonzaga; 7 points over Georgia; Nevada twice Key losses: 22-point loss to Arizona State
The deep sleeper: Lipscomb
The Lipscomb Bisons (23-9) could very well end up with a 16th-seed by time I'm done writing this. But I will stick by my feeling that they will win a game in this tourney.
Lipscomb averaged 82.6 points per game and this will be their first appearance in the big dance. And though they nearly blew a 32-point lead in the conference final against FGCU, the Bison have two juniors who can get hot at a moment's notice.
Garrison Mathews led the way with 22.1 points per game. Mathews made 89 three-pointers (38.9%) on the season.
His fellow junior Rob Marbery averages 16 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 61.9% from the field. Eli Pepper leads with 7.9 rebounds.
Lipscomb can go 9 or 10 deep and shoots 45.6% from the field. They do commit 15 turnovers per game.
Key wins: Two wins at FGCU Key losses: 10 point loss at Tennessee; 23-point loss to Texas
Other notable teams considered: Houston, New Mexico State, Nevada, Arizona, Wichita State, Loyola-Chicago
photo courtesy of flickr.com
photo courtesy of flickr.com
I will be back with more throughout the tournament. Be sure to check here or follow me on Twitter for updates on sports, movies, pop culture and more: @jasonrh_78
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