As I have been watching the tournament so far I have noticed that the good teams really start to play hard when it comes crunch time. I am enjoying watching the bodies hit the hardwood as players hustle for every single loose ball and realize this: it is now the NCAA Tournament, when everything really matters, when it is all on the line, when teams bring their "A" game and it is time to play.

Just last night when I returned home from work I was watching a game with two less recognized schools and noticed that even though the players are from unrecognized schools, they know that in The Big Dance, anything is possible and upsets are common. One player almost took out two cheerleaders as he hustled for a ball that was almost impossible to keep in play.

Watching, woops, I mean glancing at, these games at work, makes me want to lace up the old Nikes and start playing. This morning I was watching Davidson upset Gonzaga, much to my bracket's dismay, as that game came down to the last minute.

In that game there were three-pointers raining down left and right and Gonzaga freshman Steven Gray, a local Bainbridge Island product, had a career-high scoring game. In the first half alone he had 15 points with a few three-pointers. My point of mentioning Gray's performance is simple. Athletes pull out a hidden strength that they had all along during this tournament. Gray has never had 15 first-half points as a Bulldog and now that it is crunch time, he came to play.

Just a second ago (literally as I write this) Drake was upset by Western Kentucky who hit a three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime to give them a two-point win. That is what this tournament is all about, unknown schools that can play now given a chance on the biggest stage in the country and showing what they are made of.

Last night, perennial powerhouse Duke, was almost beat by much smaller Belmont, a very small school located in Nashville, Tennessee, but the Blue Devils managed to get a last second lay-up in to fend them off by one point.

Though my bracket is doing fairly good so far, the reason that no one in history has ever predicted a perfect bracket is because no matter what school, big or small, the winning team comes to play hard each and every play of every game. There are no "gimme" games or "gimme" baskets. No team is guaranteed to win. If teams don't come to play 110 percent each time down the court they are going to get beat by a team that wants it more. There is an adage that says something to the effect of: "Talent gets beat by hard work if talent doesn't come to work hard." In this tournament I am sure that this adage will be proven correct. Bring on the madness!



Dan Olson writes for KSTW-TV in Seattle. All opinions expressed in this column are his.