One of the greatest weekends in sports will get underway tonight when the NCAA Basketball Tournament returns after a year off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Whether you call it the Big Dance or March Madness, the NCAA Tournament has routinely delivered great basketball, heart-stopping finishes and Cinderella teams pulling off shocking upsets.
It’s must-see TV for college basketball fans and will be held in a bubble-like atmosphere on six courts in and around Indianapolis this season instead of spreading out across the country.
No. 10 Arkansas (22-6) is making its 33 NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, but no Razorback team has entered the tournament as highly thought of since the 1994-95 national championship season and the 1995-96 return to the title game.
Many Arkansas commits and recruiting targets are dreaming of the day when they will get their own opportunity to participate in the Big Dance, be it with the Razorbacks or another one of the teams that have put an offer on the table.
That includes Little Rock Central sophomore guard Bryson Warren (6-2, 170), who has led his team to Saturday’s Class 6A state title game against rival North Little Rock in Hot Springs.
Warren, who will play for Mokan Elite in AAU competition this spring and summer, became the first sophomore to be named the KATV’s Full Court Award Arkansas Player of the Year earlier this week.
“It would be awesome for me to play in that (NCAA Tournament) environment,” Warren said. “As a kid and now you always see the teams making Cinderella runs and Final Four appearances and that would be awesome for me to do the same.”
Third-seeded Arkansas opens Friday at 11:45 a.m. against 14th-seeded Colgate (14-1) in Indianapolis.
“I feel like Arkansas has a good chance as a 3 seed and I feel like they can make a big tournament run,” said Warren, who is averaging 26 points per game this season.
North Little Rock junior center Kel’el Ware (7-0, 210), who had 52 points and 25 rebounds in pair of state tournament games last week in Fayetteville, said “it would be an honor to play (in.)”
Arkansas junior pledge Joseph Pinion (6-6, 180) also has a chance to grab a state title on Thursday at 1 p.m. when he leads Morrilton (20-6) into a Class 4A state title game against Rock Mills (25-4).
“I can’t wait to get to experience the tournament some day and hopefully win it,” Pinion said. “Arkansas’ bracket is set up so they could have a great chance at a championship.”
Mills features junior Javion Guy-King (6-5, 200).
“It’s always been a dream to play on a stage as big as the big dance as I hope to one day be able to,” Guy-King said. “It gives you and your team the opportunity to prove you’re on top and the best.
“I think Arkansas can go really far in it as long as they play together and be effective. They play best when they’re all looking to make that extra pass and get everyone involved. They can be selfish at times and have some defensive breakdowns, but if they fix that I think they can have a really good shot at it.”
Magnolia junior guard Derrian Ford (6-4, 195), who will be playing his AAU season for Houston Hoops, saw his two-time defending state champion Panthers’ 54-game winning streak end on Saturday. He intends to continue to put in work to be in the Big Dance one day.
“I know there’s going to be a lot of competition and the hard work that the teams put in to get to that point will show,” Ford said. “I’m just going to keep working hard every and be prepared for any situation.
“… I know Arkansas wants to win and all the players have their eyes on one goal.”
Sylvan Hills junior guard Nick Smith (6-5, 175), who hit several game-winning shots this season, saw his team’s 2020-21 campaign end Monday in a Class 5A semifinal loss to Maumelle.
“It would be a great experience if I make it there and it has always been a goal of mine,” noted Smith, who will play his AAU basketball for Bradley Beal Elite. “I feel like Arkansas has a good chance of winning it all.”