It’s time for March Madness and it’s hitting Oswego directly this year.
No, we’re not talking about NCAA Div. I men’s basketball tournament tipping off next week. We’re talking about living NCAA Div. III men’s basketball tournament action live in Oswego on Friday and Saturday.
The excitement and intensity which defines the Div. I tournament could be manifested in Max Ziel Gymnasium at Laker Hall when Oswego State hosts the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds of the Div. III men’s basketball tournament. But, whether it does is up to the student body.
The student body is famous for coming out in droves for the big men’s ice hockey games throughout the winter months and even into March. Whether it be White Out, SUNYAC playoffs or NCAA action, students pack the 3,000-seat ice rink.
This year, the men’s ice hockey team bottomed out of the SUNYAC playoffs in the semifinals and missed the NCAA tournament. There’s no more ice hockey to be played, but basketball continues and a team which has already made history has a chance to make more.
The Lakers will take on the College of Wooster Fighting Scots on Friday night. The Fighting Scots have the best winning percentage of any NCAA men’s basketball team since 2000 and are third all time in NCAA tournament appearances with 25.
If the Lakers get past Wooster, their next opponent would likely be Christopher Newport University from Newport News, Virginia. The Captains have lost just once all year and are one of the highest seeded teams remaining in the tournament field.
The second set of bleachers will be pulled out in Max Ziel on Friday and Saturday night, bringing the gym’s maximum capacity to 3,500. The Lakers have already made it farther in the NCAA tournament than they ever have. Now, they’re two wins from the Final Four in Salem, Virginia, and they have home-court advantage on their side.
That being said, a home-court advantage is only worth something when there is a large crowd in attendance. The team will need more than just their friends, family and the student media in attendance to take out the Div. III men’s basketball juggernauts standing in the path of their Cinderella run.
If school pride and supporting one’s fellow students aren’t enough incentive, then the level of play on the court should be enough.
The Div. I tournament is one of the most watched sporting events annually and we’re sure plenty of people don’t want to miss it. The beauty is the Lakers could be off to the Final Four before fans find out if the Syracuse Orange, or whichever Div. I team they support, is in the Div. I field of 68 on Sunday night.
