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This is March

March Madness is upon us.

This is March

The Madness is here!

In case you haven't heard, the Maine women punched a ticket to the tourney over the weekend with a dominant win over Vermont in the Pit.

By all account, the scene was electric. It certainly seemed to be on TV. The Black Bears came out swinging, got a big game out of Windham's Sarah Talon, and made short work of the Catamounts.

They'll be heading to Ohio State to try and pull off a 2/15 upset. Or, more accurately, Ohio State will try to prevent THE University of Maine from advancing. to the second round.

Our hero, Cream Abdul Jabbar, wasn't so lucky.

The NCAA committee makes a lot of head-scratching decisions, but there was hope they would at least put the kid going viral in the tournament, especially since they had a very strong case to make it (and were on the first four out list). But, no. Gotta make room for a Virginia team that's 69th at KenPom.

The epidemic of stalling in the tournament has got people talking about shot clocks again (as they should).

These things are coming, people, and sooner rather than later.

I did a solo podcast to break down some of the obstacles and hurdles preventing us from getting shot clocks. I should make it clear that the people standing in the way are not at the MPA. They are largely Athletic Directors.

‎The Maine Basketball Rankings Podcast: Shot Clocks Are Coming (Eventually) on Apple Podcasts
‎Show The Maine Basketball Rankings Podcast, Ep Shot Clocks Are Coming (Eventually) - Mar 17, 2024
Apple Podcasts

If you believe in the value of the shot clock, I started a petition to hopefully show the people in the way that the people want it. So, sign it. Share it. If we can get a lot of names on this, hey, it might help move things along!

Sign & Share the Petition

I also did a podcast with Tyler Krusz right before the Mr./Miss Basketball banquet.

If you haven't seen the "One Shining Moment" video he did for the tournament, you really should check it out.

I'm working on lining up some more guests. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Rounding up some awards...

Chance Mercier and Maddie Fitzpatrick took home Mr. and Miss Basketball, respectively.

Ellsworth player named 2024 Mr. Maine Basketball
The 6-foot-1 small forward led the Eagles to two Class B North regional titles during his tenure, highlighting one of the most entertaining offenses in Maine.
Bangor Daily NewsSam Canfield

Fitzpatrick took home the Gatorade POTY for the second year in a row (boys will be announced this week).

Maddie Fitzpatrick 2023 - 2024 MAINE GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Maddie won the 2023 - 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year in Maine for Girls Basketball
2024 MAINE GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

And, to top it off.

No surprise here, but Cooper Flagg is the Naismith POTY.

I'm still working on putting together my All-State teams, but there's the small roadblock that some of the leading contenders haven't been submitted for consideration. So....please do that. Or, you know, they won't make the team.

All-State Teams
Submit your player today!
Maine Basketball RankingsLucas McNelly

This is interesting.

In-Season Men’s College Basketball Tournament to Offer $2M in NIL Deals
The eight-team event will pay out $1M to each school, and another million to the winner.
Front Office SportsAmanda Christovich

I'm guessing we're about to see a lot more events like this.

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