March, I love it, don’t you?

Bone chill mornings, big winds, mud and potholes, daffodils and chapped lips.

But indoors: Dance time with verbs, going somewhere.

Goin’ to Diddle … Goin’ to Rupp … Goin’ to Catlanta … Goin’ to the Dance. … Bracketology’s “we’re in!” –belongs to Eastern Kentucky U. first (never mind Harvard).

All the way to basketball’s least fanatical, this week and three to follow, ‘tis a delicious time of year. And, Maysville to Mayfield, Whitesburg to Whitesville, in our state everybody’s an expert.

High school tournaments are community revivals with a familiar trailer: “Last one out of town, turn off the lights.”

College level? Conference tournaments … upsets … buzzer beating shocker … net cutting celebrations … team photos to be priceless 20 pounds and 20 years from now. Also, ‘if onlys’ … tears … broken hearts … and more Bracketology. Automatic bids, at large bids, no bid.

This week the Commonwealth has three men’s teams going to the Big Dance and Western Kentucky could make it six. Women’s teams at Louisville and Kentucky are Final Four contenders.

Some teams will get no invite creating that facial shocked expression, “#@$! we wuz robbed!”

CBS Sports loves March too. The network wraps more commercial breaks around Road to Final Four (in Dallas) than Anderson Cooper can break before introducing his next guest at CNN.

In March, Joe Lunardi has his own television network. ESPN’s talking heads try to create more suspense than National Geo with as many outrageous talking points as time allows. We can click a remote 24/7 and find a Seth, a Jay, Digger or (egad!) Vitale, doing a studio shift “breakin’ down the bracket.”

Irony is, here in Kentucky, kids aged six to 76 … everybody’s an expert. Ask ‘em.

Having set this table, permit me this grasp of the obvious: The 2014 tournaments – at Diddle Arena and Rupp Arena, on to the Road to Dallas – this month has enough Cinderella storyline possibles, shock drama stunners to make it best March Madness in history of the game.

By tweet, twitter, land line or Facebook, just ask anybody in Kentucky.

For one windy and muddy month again, we’re all expert analysts. Enjoy.

EASTERN KENTUCKY

Momentum and “we’re in!” Harvard aside, Eastern Kentucky was first Cinderella to earn an invite to the Big Dance.

Tribute to a team that didn’t only win the OVC Tournament last weekend, the Colonels (24-9) ride a seven-game win streak to The Dance where they project as a 14 or 15 seed.

I would make a case, Eastern is NCAA Tournament-bound thanks to Virginia Commonwealth.

On December 5, Jeff Neubauer’s Colonels traveled to VCU both were 6-2. EKU played a superb 37 minutes, fending off Shaka Smart’s team admirably. Last three minutes EKU missed shots, made turnovers, played itself into an overtime (made one of five shots), and lost 71-68.

Last week, a game pattern remarkably similar to December 5. Belmont made a furious run in the last three minutes …

1. Where the Colonels crumbled at VCU, they kept poise, took Belmont’s best shot, made shots and free throws and prevailed 79-73.

And this …

2. VCU’s bench outscored Eastern 29-9; Against Belmont the Colonels bench outscored the Bruins 16-8.

Bottom line: Playing first rate foes on the road in December pays dividends in March.

KENTUCKY ‘POWER RATING’

An internet site headline: Power Ranking the 50 States by College Basketball Strength.

You can browse the criteria at Bleacher Report.

Ranked 51st is Alaska. No. 15 is District of Columbia, Indiana is eighth, North Carolina and Kansas are third and second respectively. Number one? Kentucky.

A sampling of why:

“Kentucky and Louisville have combined for 92 tournament appearances, with overall record of 183-87, 25 Final Fours and 11 national championships. That’s just…insane.

“The Wildcats and Cardinals are among the seven best teams in the nation, and unlike North Carolina, the other schools in the Bluegrass State aren’t a complete liability.

Western Kentucky has been to 23 tournaments and a 1971 Final Four. Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and Murray State have 29 total tournament appearances.

“In the past three years, both Kentucky and Louisville have been to two Final Fours and have won a national championship. Each is a strong candidate to make the Final Four this year as well.”

FEIX, COUCH & HOF

Nominees for College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014 for induction next year are four with Kentucky ties.

Jimmy Feix (Western Kentucky) … Tim Couch and Art Still (Kentucky) … and Markus Thomas (Eastern Kentucky).

The Class for 2014 will be announced in May with inductions at the 57th NFF Awards Dinner Dec. 9 in New York City.

Jim Feix-Western Kentucky (1968-83)-Named Kodak College Coach of the Year for Division IV in 1973 and 1975…Won or shared six conference titles…Three-time conference Coach of the Year (1973, 1978, 1980)…The winningest coach in school history. Charter member of WKU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tim Couch, Kentucky, Quarterback. 1998 consensus First Team All-American; finished fourth in Heisman voting; 1998 SEC Player of the Year who led Wildcats to first win over Alabama in 75 years. Set seven NCAA, 14 SEC, and 26 school records.

Art Still, Kentucky defensive end. 1977 unanimous First Team All-American…Two-time First Team All-SEC, led Wildcats to 1976 SEC Championship; was 1977 SEC Defensive Player of the Year who set school record for 22 tackles for loss in 1977 (still stands).

Markus Thomas, Eastern Kentucky tailback. Finished career ranked third all-time in FCS history in rushing (5,145), 52 rushing touchdowns. Two-time Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year; led Colonels to two conference titles.

Enshrinement in the new College Football Hall of Fame at a date to be determined in 2015.

PARTING SHOT

A UK fan wrote: “Kentucky basketball this year? Look at it on the bright side. It could’ve been worse. The Harrison twins could’ve been triplets.”

And so it goes