WSET.com - ABC13The King's Court for March 23, 2011

Virginia (the State, not the University) As Hoops Hotbed

The initial long weekend of March Madness is complete. It's the best four days sports provides, at least in my humble opinion. As per the norm, it really would not be difficult to explain to a visitor from, say, Tatooine, why we call it "madness." Which, for sure, is a good thing.

Let's get right to the biggest storyline - our home state.

It was wild enough to see five schools from the state for lovers invited to the Big Dance (a record) -- but to see them compile an opening weekend record of 6-3 was simply outstanding, most especially considering all five came from mid-major conferences.

The Colonial Athletic Association's George Mason Patriots, Old Dominion Monarchs and Virginia Commonwealth Rams combined for a not-too-shabby 4-2 record by themselves; the Rams, surrounded by questions as to their worthiness, are STILL playing, while the Patriots bowed out to only the best team in the nation (without their star in uniform), Ohio State, and the Monarchs fell to a buzzer beater against the team who lost in the championship last year, Butler. Slow clap for the CAA.

The other two schools, the Hampton Pirates and the Richmond Spiders, come out of the MEAC and Atlantic 10, respectively. While Hampton was dealt a tough card, losing to Duke, the Spiders set the NCAA record for most all-time wins for a team seeded 12th or lower - now at eight and counting in school history.

The two Virginia teams still wearing glass slippers - VCU and Richmond - share the same hometown, Richmond. What a week for that city. If both can pick up one more upset victory they will square off with the winner headed to Houston for the Final Four. As improbable as that may seem, it would sure make Sunday a wild day to be at a Richmond sports bar.

As exciting as a weekend it must've been for fans of the smaller Virginia schools, what a rough weekend for fans of the Hokies and Cavaliers. The ACC possesses arguably the most complete resume in terms of college basketball history. The coaches at these two schools, Seth Greenberg and Tony Bennett, are undoubtedly two of the most respected in the country. The players they trot out on the court are supposed to be better than those coming from a mid-major school. So why are they watching from home? While Hokie fans may rightfully claim their team should've been participating this year, it has to be unsettling to see both schools in the midst of a four year drought. Patient fans may soon grow impatient.

So, now we embark on the 2nd weekend of the tournament. While it's nearly impossible to match the drama of last weekend, I can guarantee it will still be fun to watch. And if you're looking for the local schools in action, Friday night is the night to settle in.

#1 Kansas vs. #12 Richmond - 7:27 ET on TBS
#10 Florida State vs. #11 VCU - 30 minutes after completion of above game on TBS

Let the "madness" continue!