Frets?Regrets? Worries? It must be bracket time

For several college basketball teams across the country, this is a really nervous time since the NCAA Tournament bracket is just hours from being revealed.

Most of the nation's squads -- especially the elite ones and those that earned automatic bids -- know where they stand. They have nothing to worry about.

But a handful -- those proverbial bubble teams -- have plenty to fret over. Among them is Southern Illinois.

The Salukis are 26-7 after they captured a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship. They defeated Indiana and lost to Illinois by only three points. Both are nationally ranked squads.

An impressive resume, for sure. But because the Salukis fell to Creighton in the MVC Tournament final, they are not assured of an NCAA berth. Hence, all the chewed fingernails and pulled-out hair in Carbondale over the past week.

There is no question that SIU deserves a spot in the Big Dance. But will the Salukis get one?

My guess is yes. But every year at least a few deserving teams are left out. It's the nature of the beast because, when it comes to the final few squads selected, so many of them look pretty much alike.

The Salukis are hoping they look a lot better than most.

Is there anything more exciting than the finals of those small conference tournaments, where entire seasons ride on one game?

Sure, watching teams like Duke and Kansas in their league tournaments is fun, but those squads are going to the Big Dance anyway.

The teams in most of those smaller conferences know that the only way they're going dancing is to win their tournament, which makes virtually every play crucial.

And that makes for plenty of high drama, which is so much fun to watch.

That Murray State won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament was really no big surprise.

Even though Tennessee Tech dominated the regular season, plenty of people thought when Murray came to play, the Racers were the league's best team, and certainly the most talented.

On one hand, it's a shame New Madrid County Central High School came up just short in its bid for what would have been an amazing third consecutive Class 3A state boys' basketball championship.

But on the other hand, I feel really good for Cape Girardeau native Don Maurer, the classy former Notre Dame coach whose Mary Institute-Country Day team upset NMCC 53-51 in Saturday's 3A title contest.

After a long and successful coaching career, Maurer finally reached the final four for the first time this season in his inaugural season with the Rams -- and brought home the championship to boot.

Now it would be great if current Notre Dame girls' coach Jerry Grim -- Maurer's brother-in-law -- is able to finally get his first state title. The powerful Bulldogs will have the opportunity next weekend.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian