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UK Hoops

March Madness.

Usually, those words signify three weeks of bracket-making, tv-watching, referee-cursing, and general lost productivity for most Kentuckians. We're glued to the games, cheering on our 'Cats or our Cards or our Hilltoppers or our Eagles. We support our own teams, and sometimes we extend our allegiances to all reaches of the Commonwealth. Or sometimes we don't.

This year, the men's brackets have been a mixed bag for Kentuckians. WKU's Hilltoppers made a fine run, losing to Kansas in a heartbreaking second (I guess we call it the third now??) round game. Coach Cal and his team brought the Big Blue Nation a roller-coaster season full of injury, disappointment, and "what-ifs." Coach Pitino's Cardinals, on the other hand, are headed to the Sweet Sixteen this week and playing as well as anyone in the field. It's either the best or the worst March ever, depending on your team preference.

As the women's NCAA tournament enters the second round, two Kentucky teams are still in the field. Louisville's women's team plays Purdue tonight at 7:00. At the same time, UK Hoops takes on Dayton. Now, y'all know that I'm a ridiculous Wildcat fan, so -- just maybe -- I'm a little biased. Still, Coach Mitchell's team is my absolute favorite team left anywhere in the brackets. They're tough, they're talented, and they're just so damn fun to watch.

If you haven't caught any women's basketball this season, tune in to the UK game tonight. We have some amazing players -- Jennifer O'Neill and A'dia Mathies are the best pair of guards I've seen anywhere this season. We have teamwork, a love of the game, and a really fun style of play. Even more importantly, the Hoops team has the most adorable coach in the sport (and the winningest coach in the women's team's history...), Matthew Mitchell. Y'all tell me the last time you saw Rick or Cal do the Dougie.

Go 'Cats!