Tag Archives: NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship

Sweet 16…Can’t afford to go to the games?

Posted on by

Can’t afford to go to the NCAA Regional play in your area but would really like to take a live look at the teams?  Try this….the day before the games, the venues are open and the teams each have scheduled practices so you can get a look at a team that might win the the NCAA National Championship in Atlanta.  My friends and I have been doing this for years, scheduling time off work and really enjoying the day of watching the teams practice.

Indianapolis is a regular on the location rotation for regional and championship games – when the Butler Bulldogs were in the Final Four, there were about 40,000 people in the stands to watch them PRACTICE!  I was there…were you?

This year, Indianapolis is hosting Louisville, Duke, Michigan State and Oregon and the schedule is Oregon (Noon-12:50 p.m.); Michigan State (1-1:50 p.m.); Louisville (2:10-3 p.m.); Duke (3:10-4 p.m.) – Doors open at 11:00 a.m.

All venues follow the same NCAA times of Noon to 12:50 p.m.; 1 – 1:50 p.m.; 2:10 – 3 p.m.and 3:10 – 4 p.m.

In the South Regional at Cowboy Stadium on Thursday, again doors opening at 11:00 a.m., the lineup is Michigan, Florida Gulf Coast, Kansas and Florida

For Wednesday in the West at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, you have Wichita State, LaSalle, Ohio State and Arizona and finally, my fav, those boys in the candy stripe pants…Indiana University at the Verizon Center in Washington DC along with Syracuse, Miami (FL) and Marquette.

Take time out of your busy lives and stop in and check out the teams in your area…you’ll be glad you did!

ir

Vicki Reed

Which Way Did They Go?

Posted on by

It’s March Madness…where did your favorite team end up?  For those of you who are friends and/or regular readers, you might have surmised that I am an avid (or is it rabid?) Indiana University Hoosiers fan and am excited they are headed to Dayton for the first round, but sad that for Regional play they will be headed to DC instead of Indy.

Do you know that the day before the games start in your location, each team takes the floor for 50 minutes of practice and that these are FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?  Regardless of who is playing in Indy, we have always gone to these practices and with the advantage of Indy hosting the final four and regional play on a regular basis, we have had the opportunity to watch a lot of really great teams over the years.  The last time Indianapolis hosted a Final Four, Butler was in the Final Four and it was estimated that 40,000 people came to open practice that day!  Indy generally has an abundance of people at these free practices, but the Butler Bulldogs added about 12,000 to the usual crowd.

So who do you think will win?  I do 2 brackets, the first based in reality and the second based on my heart…which means all of my favorite programs win!  So go ahead…fill out those brackets, no one is working today anyway…who do you think will be meeting in Atlanta?

images

Vicki Reed

“Hoosiers” on the big, big, big screen!

Posted on by

A great way to celebrate March Madness in Indiana and support a great organization…

A Benefit for Heartland Truly Moving Pictures 

Join Heartland as we celebrate the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s induction of screenwriter/producer Angelo Pizzo and director David Anspaugh, the creative team behind the Truly Moving Picture Award-winning film “Hoosiers,” at a special screening event on Sunday, March 17.

For those few out there not familiar with the film, “Hoosiers” is a (1986) sports film about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship and is loosely based on the Milan High School team that won the 1954 state championship.  Growing up in Southern Indiana, the Milan story is legend, for those in Indianapolis, if you haven’t, check out Plump’s Last Shot for more history.

Join me and hundreds of others as we support the Heartland Film Festival and enjoy a great film, make it another great way to celebrate basketball in the great state of Indiana!

hoosiers-banner

Vicki Reed