In the era of Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire? and other shameless and fruitless attempts at true love, the Cinderella mythos has gently fallen by the wayside.
But in some places, drama and romance remain. The feeling that no match is impossible lingers on in storybook fashion.
Where better can the dreamers dare to dream of their pumpkin coach to fame than in the month of March which carries with it the beginning of spring that can make everyone just the slightest bit frenzied in passion?
Ah, the NCAA Tournament. What else could I have been talking about? A month of sheer joy where everyone begins on the same level and is not relegated to a single bowl game played in the middle of nowhere sponsored by a new internet startup company. Sixty-four teams start and, while only one team cuts down the net, many slippers will be fit by the time the month ends.
While March has just begun, three teams have already made the trek down to the shoe store to register their size of 16 in with the NCAA Selection Committee. Three weeks from now, they may be hailed as Cinderellas on every television and radio station in the country and may be one of those sweet 16 with a shot at it all.
Dayton
Temple may be getting all of the glory in what has been billed as a weak Atlantic-10 this season. But the Flyers are first in the conference's West Division with a 10-4 record and have two games that they should win on the road -- Duquesne and Virginia Tech.
Quality wins? They've got em. Wins on the road against New Mexico and Kentucky are a good way to start early on in the season and two more against Marquette and Texas A & M later on during the campaign are not too shabby either. All of this builds up to an RPI ranking of 32, plenty good enough to throw a scare into any coach heading into the tourney.
Scariest of all is the team's balance as five Flyers average between 9 and 15 points a game. If you are going to knock out Dayton in the tournament, you must shut down the whole team.
Indiana State
When you think Indiana State, you think Larry Bird.
It was 21 years ago that he dueled with Earvin "Magic" Johnson but the Sycamores are a very different squad than when Bird patrolled the courts.
They lead SW Missouri State by just a single game in the Missouri Valley Conference, but we will deal with the Bears in a bit. No matter who wins that tourney, both teams should find a way to wreak havoc in the NCAA Tournament.
The Sycamores will need a strong showing in that tournament but with 14 conference wins, 21 wins overall and an RPI rating of 45, they look as though they will avoid the ever-dangerous bubble.
Indiana State's marquee win was on the road over Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers by the score of 63-60. Their early win over TCU could certainly help the cause.
Once they find their way into the brackets, the Sycamores will use balance to knock off the competition. They have four players who average in double digits and very strong guard play, both of which is crucial to any Cinderella's getting to the "ball."
Southwest Missouri State
The Bears will find their way into the postseason based on solid play late. They sit at 13-5 in the MVC and 20-9 overall with a slightly higher RPI rating than the Sycamores.
With their recent win over the Salukis of Southern Illinois, SMS is riding an eight-game win streak into postseason play. They split the season series with the Sycamores but won the only decisive game by 14 points. Wins over Toledo and TCU (twice) should help as well.
The Bears also have four players averaging double digits, but perhaps more importantly carry tournament knowledge. Although the Selection Committee may not admit to it, this may play a role.
Southwest Missouri State made it to the Sweet Sixteen a season ago because of an absolutely stifling defense and a high-octane offense when necessary. They knocked off Wisconsin 43-32 in the opening round and 'experts' said they could not score enough to beat explosive Tennessee. Well, they could and they wiped the floor with the Vols, 81-51. Eventually, Duke knocked the Bears out of the tournament, but memories certainly still linger in the minds of the Committee. Then again, in a few weeks, they may just be replaced by new ones.
