Continued strands in the Madness

Well, the President has filled out his bracket, and there are no surprises. He picks Baylor, Tennessee, UConn and Stanford for the Final Four.

The guru muses about the (real) bracket.

The NCAA selection committee has given Middle Tennessee State a chance to play for its slain teammate.

The Associated Press has named Kentucky senior Victoria Dunlap its SEC player of the year.

Limited vision isn’t slowing down Melissa Jones of Baylor.

Yet another well-deserved story about UCLA Coach Nikki Caldwell.

Do we really need another study to point out this obvious fact: women’s NCAA teams outdo men in the classroom.

High school hoops:

A good strength and conditioning program is crucial for high school athletes. The top coaches know this.

Great piece: some coaches and parents have the wrong point of emphasis in girls basketball.

Year after year, we see it escalating: Parents screaming at coaches, coaches screaming at players, everyone screaming at the referees — and, it seems, each other. I’ve taken to plugging into my iPod when I photograph games on the baseline, the better to block out the increasing volume and violence, and preserve the fantasy of a sugar-and-spice haven.

Interesting. And I understand where he’s coming from very, very well. Some of the adults involved have completely forgotten that it’s supposed to be fun for the kids. It’s sad.