O’Donnell: Harness any March thoughts of champ from Illinois
DEATH VALLEY DAYS CONTINUE to encompass Chicago's five major pro teams.
In six months, master contract negotiator Craig Counsell and the Cubs may creep into the MLB postseason for only the fourth time since that championship season of 2016.
Seasoned timeout connoisseur Billy Donovan and the spiraling Bulls have an outside shot at a polyester play-in spot next month.
That prospect is about as exciting as winning tickets to a Megadeth-Frankie Valli concert — with both acts sharing tunes on stage at the same time.
THE BLACKHAWKS AND THE WHITE SOX are on Irrelevant Avenue (perfect for the equally marginalized local sports talk radio).
And the Bears are entering another snake-oil spring selling the only reliable on their off-season shelf — shovels of grounded hope.
All of which leaves fans in the metro area looking for some kind of positive spin from the upcoming NCAA men's basketball tournament, set to begin in 13 days.
COULD ANY OF THE STATE'S 13 DIVISION I TEAMS energize the region like Porter Moser, Clayton Custer, Cameron Krutwig and Loyola did with their magical Final Four run in 2018?
Survey says:
Hah … hah, hah.
No shot, Bubba.
In fact, that baked baker's dozen is wheezing through one of the poorest overall winters in recent Illinois collegiate history.
SOME FACTS:
--- Only arced-out Brad Underwood and Illinois (19-11) appear probable to make the NCAA field and that will be as a C-list inclusion. Underwood will not get any extra credit for charisma.;
--- Only two — Bradley (24-7 and counting) and the hallowed SIU-Edwardsville (20-11) — have posted 20-win seasons so far.;
--- Only seven of the 13 hit March with records above .500.
BEST OF THE BUBBLING UNDER may again be Loyola. But Drew Valentine and the Ramblers (19-10) will have to win their way in with a title in the Atlantic 10 tourney next week, to be contested at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
Even the impertinent Brian “Baby Man” Wardle and Bradley will likely have to win this week's Missouri Valley Conference sweepstakes in St. Louis. To do that, the historically ill-fortuned Braves have to get past the surprising surgin' safari of No. 1 seed Drake (27-3).
(Ben McCollum — age 41 and in his first season as boss in Des Moines — is one of the great insider “finds” in the current NCAA men's mass. All he did in his final seven seasons directing Northwest Missouri State was win four D-II championships. That suggests a strong knack for winning basketball games, mirroring the apprentice wheatfield soul of Bo Ryan at Wisconsin-Platteville.)
AROUND CHICAGO, CHRIS COLLINS AND NORTHWESTERN (16-14) aim for a bad seed in the 15-team Big Ten tournament, where three of the 18 conference schools will be left out. It's fair to wonder: When will serious NIL money from all of those fabulously wealthy NU boosters kick in?
DePaul (11-18) and Chris Holtmann head for Madison Square Garden next Tuesday. One win by the Blue Demons in the Big East elimination would be a step forward, two or more might call for liver for all cats on West Belden Avenue — with athletic director DeWayne Peevy buying.
Surprise move-up of the lost Land of Lincoln winter was first-year Rob Ehsan and UIC (17-13). But the Flames go into the MVC tournament as the No. 6 seed, meaning an impossible-dream path after Thursday night with No. 11 Valparaiso and then likely Northern Iowa, maybe Bradley and maybe Drake.
RYAN PEDON AND ILLINOIS STATE (18-13) pecked out a respectable season. But like UIC, the Redbirds are in tough in the St. Louis Valley. They need to catch a break on a level that hasn't been seen around the program since Bubbles Hawkins was ignoring Doug Collins on 2-on-oh fast breaks all those rolled eyes ago.
Cue Beck's “Loser” for the remainder: Southern Illinois (13-18), Eastern Illinois (12-19), Western Illinois (12-19) and the bottom-feeding Hopeless Twins — Northern Illinois (5-24) and Chicago State (4-27).
The last and only time an Illinois-based university won the NCAA major men's basketball tournament was Loyola in 1963. That was the amazing March night when Jerry Harkness, Les Hunter and Vic Rouse played all 45 minutes and sparked a fabled 60-58 overtime victory vs. Ed Jucker's “unbeatable” Cincinnati Bearcats at Louisville's Freedom Hall.
RED RUSH CALLED AN EXTREMELY ANIMATED play-by-play to an enraptured Sports Chicago on the old WCFL-AM (1000). He stood on the scorer's table, microphone in hand, during much of the OT.
Years later, Rush told a Daily Herald inquisitor he had three big thrills that evening — broadcasting the game, cashing a hefty bet on George Ireland and Co. and then getting word close to midnight that a trotter he owned part of named Alexander Hanover prevailed in a race at south suburban Washington Park, paying $28.60 to win.
For the next few weeks, perhaps fans of Division I basketball in Illinois would be best suited to check entries at better harness tracks everywhere.
Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Wednesday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.