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SPORTS
Playing the Field
Match-ups from across the Carolinas:
College hoops await NCAA 'dance' hopefuls
by Jon Hoppel :: qnotes contributor
Happy Winter everyone! It has been a very cold and rainy month,
which has derailed a few of your local sports teams' training in prepara
tion for their season. But with March (/April) Madness just around the
corner, this is one
of the most exciting
times oftheyearto be
a sports fan.
Conference tour
naments for college
basketball will begin
soon, followed by the
best tournament in
college sports, the
NC/kA tournament. Its
size, unpredictability,
and 24-hour news
coverage is like the
Holy Grail to many
sports fans (and gam
blers). Here in Atlantic
Coast Conference
(ACC) country, we are
predicted to get in as
many as eight teams
in the'"dance," which
would be extremely
impressive if you do
not consider how the
ACC has expanded in recent years. But the biggest question of the college
basketball season, (as of when this was written), is whether the incred
ibly deep and talented Kentucky team can stay undefeated the entire
way, which has not happened since the 1975-76 season when the Indiana
Hoosiers pulled off the historic feat.
Following the always-exciting conclusion of the NCAA tournament,
the NHL (National Hockey League) and the NBA (National Basketball
Association) begin their post-season tournaments.
The race for the Stanley cup in hockey is always one of the most
unpredictable contests in professional sports. Many teams over the years
have gotten in sync at the right time or have rode a hot goalie all the way
to the finals.
The NBA however usually holds to form until the conference cham
pionship round. But with the loaded Western Conference, any one of the
top six seeds could advance to play for the Larry O’Brien trophy in the
finals. The Hornets, however, are still fighting for one of the 6-8 seeds in
the Eastern Conference. Hopefully, the recent acquisitions of Mo Williams
and Troy Daniels will help Charlotte become more consistent and give
them the ability to win all these close games that they seem to lose.
The main story line, as it is every year, is about LeBron James
and whether or not he can win a championship in success-starved
Cleveland, which has not won a title in any sport since 1964. In the
watered-down Eastern Conference, he and the Cavaliers definitely will
have a shot to make it in fhe finals and get LeBron his 3rd ring.
And, you know what has a/ready happened? Major
League Baseball players have a/ready reported to
spring training. That is right, just three short months ago,
MLB crowned their noth champion, the San Francisco
Giants, and the process to win the 111th title has begun
again. The Hot Stove league has been cooking with so
many transactions, that there are waytoo many to list
here, but with the immense player movement comes
^ hope for your favorite MLB team.
^ So, whatever your sport, the next couple of months
■ ^ should be extremely exciting. Check your local listings
Y for times and dates!
Regional
Now for your local wrap up, here are some tourna
ments that you may be interested in seeing or participat
ing in:
Southeast Round Robin — Rugby:
Charlotte, N.C., March 21
The Southern Shootout — Softball
Birmingham, Ala., April 3-5
The Colonial Cup -
Rugby
Philadelphia, Penn.
April 25-26
Big Peach Softball
Tournament —
Softball
Atlanta, Ga.
May 22-24
Illustration Credits:
Rugby, duchessa, via rgbstock.com
Softball, sport-kid.net
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Feb. 27-March 12.2015 qnotes 17