March madness at every level of play

March is a great month. St. Patrick’s Day. The first day of the long-awaited spring season. Easter. And, of course, March Madness.

For me, the madness begins with the Minnesota state girls’ basketball tournament. I have refereed high school girls’ and boys’ basketball, and have watched girls’ basketball grow into a sport that is every bit as competitive and entertaining as the boys’. The girls have come a long way since their first state tournament in 1976, when the girls joined the boys in the bright sunshine of gender equity. The first official boys’ state tournament was held in 1913 at Carleton College.

Girls now participate in their town basketball associations alongside the boys. So why were this year’s girls’ and boys’ basketball tournaments so much fun to watch? What made them the wealth of talent and entertainment they have become? Parents, high school coaches and others now dedicate impressive resources to teaching basketball skills to girls and boys at a very early age. 

In Waseca, for instance, fourth- and fifth-graders might play in six tournaments and a total of as many as 60 games. Young girls and boys may have participated in more than 100 basketball games in grades four to seven. They have experienced impressive levels of coaching, practices, games, and travel to weekend tournaments in Rochester, Owatonna, Lakeville, Janesville, Mankato and more. Thanks to all this, there are some very good basketball players entering eighth grade. Throw in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), basketball camps, open gyms and summer leagues, and you have girls and boys playing high school varsity at a very early age.

The addition of the 35-second shot clock and seeding the teams in each class contributed to a high-quality Minnesota state girls’ basketball tournament. In all four classes, the number one seed ended up playing the number two seed for the championship; you could not wish for a better script. In the past, a thousand-point scorer was a big deal; now it’s a two-thousand-point scorer. Why? Because girls are playing varsity at a very early age.

There was great defense, as always; watching the young ladies drive to the basket with physicality, or drain a 30-foot three-point shot was great entertainment. I really enjoyed watching Goodhue win in the smaller class; their best player, a two-thousand-point scorer, is headed to MSU next season. Also, watching the Minnetonka girls win the 4A championship to be followed by the boys winning the 4A crown was something special.

The boys’ state tournament was fantastic because the Bluejays qualified. Unfortunately, due to the seedings, they had to open against the number 1 seed, Beck. It’s legal to transfer to another school in Minnesota; probably the best player in the state transferred from a city school to an already talented Beck team. Next year he will be another Minnesota talent to play for the Wisconsin Badgers. Somehow it just doesn’t seem fair: The Bluejays lost the game by a wide margin. In the consolation round, the Jays lost to Pequot Lakes, a face-off they could have won: They led the entire game, then lost in the final minute. It was fun listening to Kugie and Don White on the radio. Once again, they did an exceptional job calling both games.

In class 3A, I rooted for Mankato East, the number two seed, against Totino Grace, the number 1 seed. Totino Grace displayed eye-popping talent that was too much for East in a close game. I watched a game in class 1A where a team won in triple overtime; the next day they ran out of gas and were trounced by Cherry, a small town north of Duluth. Cherry has a wonderful young player headed to the Gophers next season; I’m anxious to follow his progress.

I rooted for Lake City, a really fun team to watch; they lost in their final game against Beck by four points. As a coach, I’ve seen hundreds of out-of-bounds plays, but I saw Lake City score on a play I had never seen before. Even the TV commentator was impressed: power dunks galore, great drives to the basket, and long three-point shots were tournament highlights.

As I watched both tournaments, I took a special interest in the officiating; high school games now require three officials. My, how the athletes have gotten faster and stronger. An official must always be able to make a split-second decision on a call. To me, the charge or offensive foul is the most difficult. If the defensive player is set and has established position, foul on the offense. In today’s game, players drive hard to the basket; some of them may extend their arm. Defensive players can be leaning or shuffling to establish position–it makes for a very tough call. Thank you, officials. We will always need you to manage basketball games.

I attended two of Mankato State’s regional basketball games to watch the Willinghams play. Many fans from Waseca attended to cheer them on. The boys won and had a miracle finish to take the championship game on a last-second shot. Malik and Kyreese were both all-tournament selections; Kyreese was most valuable player. 

The MSU girls also won their regional contest and are on to the nationals. It would be very special if both MSU’s boys and girls won a national championship.

I’m picking the University of Connecticut to win the Division I men’s college national basketball championship. Caitlin Clark, the superstar women’s basketball player from Iowa, has been a national sensation all season long. She makes long-distance three-pointers, set the all-time college scoring record, is seen frequently on television commercials, and is a role model for every young boy and girl. Sorry, Caitlin, I’m picking South Carolina, which has a 34-0 record.

March Madness generates $2.7 billion dollars every year with bracket betting: bigger than the Superbowl!

Thanks, boys’ basketball tournament: the action lived up to the tradition of great basketball–accompanied by snow. We appreciated the snowballs and rain Sunday!  All of Minnesota really needed it.