Spring Break is almost upon us, and for many it will be a week full of sun, surf and swimsuits as college kids around the world converge on Florida or Mexico. For others, it will be a great chance get in some last-chance skiing and snowboarding as winter draws to a close. But for those who can't afford to head off to some exotic and exciting location, March Madness is creeping upon us and here are four events that you check out this coming week.
Today - Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves - 1:05 p.m. - ESPN
Just because it's March doesn't mean college basketball gets the spotlight all to itself and what's more fitting to start spring break with spring training? This Grapefruit League contest will of course feature J.D. Drew, but he will be putting on a Dodgers jersey after they signed him away from the Braves this offseason for five years and $55 million. Both teams have changed radically this winter, with the Dodgers adding Drew, former Boston pitcher Derek Lowe and Jeff Kent, while Atlanta pulled off a mega-trade with the Athletics to add ace Tim Hudson. Play ball!
Saturday - Texas Longhorns at No. 8 Oklahoma State Cowboys - 9 p.m. - ESPN
When one usually thinks Texas and Oklahoma State, the fans are usually preparing for a big, championship-quality football game. This time, however, the two schools will take over the basketball court for a game that could determine the top of the Big XII rankings. Texas has fallen since the beginning of the season with the losses of P.J. Tucker to academic problems and LaMarcus Aldridge to a knee injury. Still, Daniel Gibson has led the Longhorns to a respectable 8-7 conference record and it will be up to the Longhorns to try to pull out a winning season in spite of everything that's been thrown their way.
Wednesday through Saturday - Big East Tournament - ESPN & ESPN2
In what will likely be one of the most unpredictable conference tournaments of the season, the Big East Tournament gets underway this coming Wednesday in New York City. At the time of writing, Boston College, Syracuse and UConn will be the three top seeds in the tournament, but the real story is the rest of the conference. With many experts saying the Big East could potentially send an amazing eight teams to the NCAA Tournament later this month, every game means something for every team. The only teams likely not to make either tournament are Providence, Rutgers and St. John's, who have already eliminated themselves from this year's tournaments due to recruiting violations. In any case, it's likely that there will be no real upsets this weekend as the top eight teams will be fighting for postseason seeding.
Thursday through Sunday - ACC Tournament - ESPN & ESPN2
Oh yeah, and that other conference takes the court next weekend as well, with North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Duke confirmed for first-round byes. Teams to watch out for include Maryland, who have knocked off Duke twice this season and took North Carolina to the limit last week, and Virginia Tech and Miami, two former Big East schools who have begun to make a name for themselves in college basketball by holding their own with a near-.500 record this season. While it's expected one of the three North Carolina schools will take the championship, it will be a tough road to the top for any team.
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