Best three weeks in sports? Roll out the jargon: Big Dance … bracketology … good draw-bad draw … ‘we wuz robbed’ .. one to another Final Four and One Shining Moment punctuation.

Bonus? The Bluegrass State is so near the middle of it all, we can hear the heart beats. Heck, we ARE the heartbeat.

Kentucky earned the No. 1 seed, Western Kentucky got a play-in; Murray State is the lone once-beaten; and Louisville, like a good Derby horse, roared out of the pack to win its league tournament then was cast as underdog to Davidson. Peculiar that, but perfect for Big Mo.

College basketball’s place on the calendar and the tube reduces all else in sports to below-the-fold also-stuff. This includes Peyton Manning’s next stop, Kentucky Derby candidate Union Rags, the NIT field and USA’s only unbeaten college baseball team, University of Kentucky, 16-0). And, with CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV doing games, a clamp on Dick Vitale’s mouth.

Big Dance.

From San Diego State to Harvard yard, all things are possible and moves us to anticipate who will be this year’s Butler and VCU? Which big dog will fall first: North Carolina, Kansas, Michigan State, Kentucky? Who will be Ty Rogers for 2012?

SEC Tournament. As if scripted, John Calipari’s team rid itself of (perceived?) pressure from 24-wins-in-a-row Sunday. Pressure removed, a game film is the result. A Vanderbilt production. Video title: Ways to beat Kentucky. The Commodores’ win, and it was more than a UK loss, was tough, smart, relentless, no surrender, swish and “hey, Kentucky IS beatable!”

A career moment too for Kevin Stallings and a four-word catapult to the Commodores psyche heretofore said to be too soft. “Yes! We CAN beat anybody.”

In Kentucky a few cautionary notes for our Big Dance entries. Flashing yellow lights that could undo a March march.

KENTUCKY

1. Beware of the Praises of March. They are many, frequent, well-intentioned and in the NCAAs, a distraction. This includes NBA draft order buzz.

2. Try and forget – before the clocks fall back in autumn, four or more beloveds on this team will have packed up and gone from Lexington, including one destined for legend-status here and in the black hole (NBA), 19-year-old Anthony Davis.

3. History. Promising UK teams past have lapsed into mysterious shooting holes and were dispatched early on empty trips home, (see Georgetown, 1984).

4. Talking-head punditry touting Kentucky-Syracuse final. Ignore it.

5. Numbers to avoid – five, zero and 16. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist points, rebounds and minutes in SEC title game.

6. Calling Terrence Jones’ number early prevents a Jones disappearance (Indiana).

7. Recall Al McGuire NCAA tourney golden rule: “One, maybe two games, will be decided at the free throw line.”

8. Ignore Dick Vitale altogether.

9. 28 and six. Number of threes tried and made last Sunday. (See UK-West Virginia, NCAA 2010).

10. Doron Lamb pout. Contributed to his two-of-11 shooting in 32 minutes against Vandy. NBA scouts notice.

11. Anthony Davis … no repeat performance of 34 minutes against Festus Ezeli and Steve Tchiengang.

12. Anthony Davis average four blocks in his last six college games.

13. Snatch and grab fouls away from the ball – Darius Miller and Doron Lamb.

14. Laugh off John Calipari whine about NCAA South bracket “… the only thing I was happy about is I heard that they were trying to get an exemption for the (Miami) Heat to be the second seed in our bracket and they weren’t allowed to ..”

15. Technical foul on Calipari at crucial time (see UMass, Mar. 26, 1992).

16. New Orleans or bust. This is (basketball) Real World at Kentucky. Win everything or, well all know, the season goes on the heap.

17. Don’t forget sending thank you notes to Vandy, Florida and LSU.

MURRAY STATE

18. Maintain poise and patience, avoid foul trouble and understand tradition. OVC winners get no calls and little respect at the Big Dance. For the Racers, losing poise and patience will mean a quick trip home.

LOUISVILLE

19. Rick Pitino must not (will not) fritter away talking heads who pick Davidson to end the Cardinals’ season.

20. Peyton Siva has settled his team and himself into a groove. UofL’s point guard must avoid letting himself fall back, try and take a game over. And, stay out of foul trouble.

21. Breakout? Unless shootist Kyle Kuric 2011 shows up, replaces the 2012 model, stark truth is, Louisville could be one-and-done. On the other hand, UofL could very well be playing March 24 against Michigan State in the Elite Eight.

WESTERN KENTUCKY

22. Ray Harper’s Hilltopper honeymoon destined to be longest in history?

23. Cash-in time on this magic carpet ride literally, figuratively. Hilltopper hoops renaissance is well under way and new money from unexpected NCAA trip juices the budget. Just as important WKU’s run puts new punch into the recruiting pitch and selectivity too.

24. If the Hilltoppers are still playing Thursday, what better venue, opponent and time of year than – Louisville’s home arena against No. 1 ranked and seeded Kentucky … in the Big Dance?

America. I love this place.

And so it goes.