Really, though, won’t we all be tuning in for some NCAA hoops? No matter where your rooting interests lie, chances are something will attract you to the three-week hoops bacchanal. There’s simply too much basketball excitement to avoid checking out at least a game or two.
Should you want a break, I recommend a midweek Mavs game against one of the NBA’s premier talents, as well as Athletes Unlimited’s audacious way to bring indoor pro volleyball to Dallas.
Here’s what I’m watching:
Tuesday, 3/15 through 4/4: Men’s and Women’s NCAA Tournaments—Various times and networks
If you’re looking for North Texas representation, you’ll find it some on the men’s side with ninth-seeded TCU, who face Seton Hall on Friday. Not to be outdone, the women’s draw features 14th-seeded UT-Arlington, who have a Friday date with Iowa State in the Lady Mavs’ first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007.
Both tournaments have plenty of Big 12 flavor, too, with the Dallas-headquartered conference sending six teams into each. Baylor and Kansas claim half of the No. 1 seeds on the men’s side, while Baylor and Texas are No. 2 seeds on the women’s.
Wednesday, 3/16: Mavericks at Nets—Bally Sports Southwest, 6:30 p.m.
This matters for Brooklyn’s playoff seeding even more than Dallas’, as perhaps the league’s most talented team is waist-deep in the play-in conversation between injuries and Kyrie Irving missing most of the season due to his vaccination status. Barring some change to New York City’s vaccine mandate in the next 72 hours, he’ll be out on Wednesday, too.
So why is this the Mavs game I’m most excited for this week? Because Kevin Durant remains at the height of his powers, dropping 53 points yesterday against the same Knicks team that buried Dallas last Wednesday. Either the 33-year-old treats us to another display of his (future) Hall of Fame gifts, or the Mavericks continue to establish their defensive bona fides by putting the clamps on arguably the NBA’s best pure scorer. That’s guaranteed entertainment.
Wednesday, 3/16 through Saturday 4/16: Athletes Unlimited Volleyball—Various times and networks
The only pro indoor women’s volleyball league in the country will run out of the Fair Park Coliseum for the next five weeks, and as exciting as the action figures to be, the format only enhances it. The two-year-old Athletes Unlimited organization—which also fields leagues in basketball, softball, and lacrosse—calls for players to redraft teams each week, with the captains/selectors determined by a points leaderboard that rewards players for various on-court actions. The games will be aired on YouTube, multiple FOX channels, and Bally Sports regional sports networks.
Unconventional? Definitely. But the format is working: its recently concluded basketball season garnered national attention and led to seven players landing in the WNBA. D CEO’s Brandon Call will have more on the league and its volleyball focus later this week.
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