NCAA basketball tournament is ready to take the stage

Well, the field for the NCAA men's basketball tournament is now set.

I only wish I didn't have to work this week.

My most enjoyable time of the "Big Dance" is always the opening round, when all the small-school underdogs try and slay the big-school favorites.

A few of them generally succeed, and some others manage to throw major scares into the traditional powers.

After the first week, things generally settle into more of a conventional pattern, with the higher seeds making their way through the bracket.

Regardless, it's always a lot of fun to follow the action.

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It would be neat if the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team gets to host a WNIT game, and maybe even more than one.

The university has put in a bid for the first three rounds of the postseason event.

If an opening-round game is held at the Show Me Center, it would be Wednesday night.

I don't know what the chances are of the Redhawks hosting, but we'll find out tonight, when the 48-team WNIT field and pairings are announced.

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Former Southeast assistant women's basketball coach Alan Eads has led an impressive turnaround for the Missouri University of Science and Technology women's basketball team.

In his sixth season as the head coach at Missouri S&T (formerly Missouri-Rolla), Eads directed the Miners to their first NCAA Division II tournament berth in 12 years and only their second in school history.

The Miners won their first two games of the Great Lakes Regional to advance to tonight's regional title contest, with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line. They are 24-6 and have set a school record for victories.

Eads spent eight seasons as a Southeast assistant under Ed Arnzen, leaving when Arnzen retired before the 2002-03 season.

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I was happy that Kevin Roberts was named the new boys basketball coach at Notre Dame High School, after Paul Hale's retirement.

Roberts has been Hale's assistant the past four years, including this season as the Bulldogs captured the Class 4 state championship.

I've known Roberts well since he played at Southeast early this decade. He's a good guy, I've been told the players have a lot of respect for him, and I have no doubt he'll do a great job.

And the fact Roberts worked so hard to make himself a solid Division I player shouldn't hurt his connection with the Bulldogs, giving them a good example of what a strong work ethic can do.

Roberts, a walk-on at Southeast, earned the starting point guard spot as a sophomore in 2002-03 and led the Ohio Valley Conference with 179 assists, which ranks second in school history.

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While Delta's girls and Scott County's boys fell short of capturing state titles over the weekend, a Charleston product earned his first state championship as a coach.

Corey Frazier, a former standout guard for Charleston who also played at Saint Louis University, led Maplewood-Richmond Heights to the Class 3 boys crown Saturday with a 56-55 win over Lutheran North.

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Former Poplar Bluff, Mo., basketball star Tyler Hansbrough keeps racking up awards, and this time he snagged a real doozy.

Last week, the junior forward at North Carolina was honored as national player of the year by "The Sporting News," ensuring he will become just the eighth Tar Heel to have his number retired.

North Carolina retires the numbers of everyone who wins a national player of the year award, meaning Hansbrough will join the likes of Michael Jordan, James Worthy and other past Tar Heel greats.

Hansbrough leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring and rebounding for the top-ranked Tar Heels

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The Three Rivers Community College men's basketball team is headed back to the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament after last week's 82-67 district playoff win over Highland.

This will be the second straight trip to Hutchinson, Kan., for the Raiders, and the 15th under legendary coach Gene Bess. The tournament begins Tuesday.

Among the TRCC players is Jackson product Aaron Redecker, a 6-foot-11 sophomore who averages 7.3 points and 5.7 rebounds. He is the Raiders' second-leading rebounder.

TRCC last placed at the national tournament in 1995, when the Raiders finished fifth. The Raiders won national titles in 1979 and 1992, and have finished in the top four seven times.

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The Southeast baseball team is just about ready to begin OVC play.

Southeast will host Tennessee Tech later this week to start the conference schedule.

Because of Easter, the three-game series will be played Friday (1 p.m. doubleheader) and Saturday (1 p.m.) instead of the usual Saturday-and-Sunday format.

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Speaking of OVC baseball, Eastern Kentucky junior left-hander Christian Friedrich is being projected as a likely first-round pick in this year's major league draft.

Some projections even have the OVC's premier pitcher as a top 10 selection. He was recently named the sixth-best prospect in college baseball by Baseball America.

The 6-foot-3 Friedrich was a thin, lightly-recruited high school hurler in Evanston, Ill. He since has bulked up to about 220 pounds and has added plenty of zip to his fastball.

At least the rest of the OVC probably won't have to face Friedrich after this season, since he is a virtual lock to turn professional this year.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.