Yes, we have endured and survived the worst part of winter, and entered the most transitional third month of the year. It didn’t come in like a lion this year, more like a cold lamb instead. A month known for brisk winds, it has now evolved into a real soaker here in the “center of the universe” as well.

March, named after the Roman god of war, Mars, is here at last. It also represents perhaps the most unpredictable weather month of all. One day, we’re shivering, and the next, we’re shedding our coats. We will go from snow showers to severe thunderstorms, oftentimes resulting in flooding in our neck of the woods.

Another unpredictable factor marking the month is, of course, March Madness, with unlikely upsets occurring in both collegiate and high school basketball all across the nation. That is my personal favorite aspect of March, especially when Mother Nature reminds us that winter ain’t quite over yet.

One aspect of March is one I didn’t know about is that it also marks the start of military campaigns, going back to the days of that Roman god. Seems especially significant with what is currently happening in the Middle East.

On the other hand, March is considered by some to be a lucky month, due to St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th. Another interesting tidbit (to me anyway) is that March and June always finish on the same day of the month. March was also the first month of the year, according to the oldest Roman calendars.

In addition to March Madness, another sports angle is that baseball fans are ecstatic with the opening of the Major League Baseball season. For the Cincinnati Reds, that occurs on the 26th, when baseball’s oldest franchise is scheduled to begin the long campaign against the Boston Red Sox.

March also brings us the start of Daylight-Saving Time, which in my humble opinion is unnecessary and ridiculous. That’s when we “spring forward” early Sunday morning for reasons that escape me.

Up and down Cats hope to finish with a flurry

In yet another case of unfortunate timing of submitting a column on Tuesday for the midweek edition, the Kentucky Wildcats play a key road game after this blurb is written. This time, the Cats will be in College Station to face Texas A&M.

Kentucky needs to put the Vanderbilt victory in the rearview mirror quickly and intently focus on the Aggies if it hopes to continue any late season momentum. A win would give the Cats a pair of impressive outings before a revenge match versus Florida on Saturday afternoon in Rupp Arena.

Attention to detail will be vitally important for UK, particularly when it comes to taking care of the ball, and avoiding careless turnovers. The Aggies force nearly 14 turnovers per game, and the Cats would be advised to keep that number to 10 or less if it hopes to pull off the mild upset.

Texas A&M always enjoys a decided home court advantage inside Reed Arena, and a positive start could go a long way to earning a win. Even if the Aggies come out hot, the Cats have shown a tendency to battle from behind in the second half on many occasions. That may prove difficult in a hostile environment, but my admittedly positive side says Kentucky finds a way, and wins a close one. Let’s say UK 77, A&M 74.

Still little love for the RedHawks

Although some so-called college basketball experts saying that Miami University basketball teams is no shoo-in to earn a March Madness bid, I tend to disagree with that assessment. The RedHawks entered their Tuesday evening — unfortunate timing, part II — encounter versus Toledo with 29-0, and they should be 30-0 after that one.

Miami finishes its regular season against archrival Ohio University in Athens on Saturday, and that will be a definite challenge. OU would love nothing more that knocking off its hated foe and spoiling their undefeated run.

Even if the RedHawks drop their first game of the season, they will enter the Mid-American Conference tournament as prohibitive favorites, and they may just need to win it to get that coveted bid to the bid dance. At least, that’s what at least one analyst, former Auburn and Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl believes. He isn’t alone in that assessment, but to this small-town hack, my feeling is that they still deserve a bid.

It would be a real shame to see the Redhawks get snubbed, especially when you consider their unlikely journey as the most unexpected story of the entire college hoops season. You can say they wouldn’t be unbeaten if they played in a major conference, and that is true, but the fact remains this is a team that plays the game the right way, and one that I admit I am biased toward.

I’m still hopeful they run the table in the MAC tourney, earn at least an 11-seed and knock off a team or two during March Madness.

Region tourneys all around the Commonwealth

The term “March Madness” can also be applied to high school basketball, and there will definitely be a few shockers across Kentucky as teams vie for a spot in the Sweet 16.

In this area, both the boys’ and girls’ champions are heavy favorites in the 10th Region. Both teams also hail from the same town: Winchester. The George Rogers Clark Lady Cardinals should have little trouble advancing to Rupp Arena in their quest for its first state championship, and GRC boys are the consensus pick as well. The Cards will likely be challenged by either Campbell County or their undisputed rival, Montgomery County, but they appear to be heading to Rupp as well.

When one looks at the 16th Region, it seems that the same two schools are on a collision course again. Ashland and Boyd County don’t always tangle in both regional final tilts, but it sure seems that way. That could change in the girls tourney this year, with Russell being given a real shot at upending Boyd County in the semifinals on Thursday evening. Look for the top-ranked team in the region, the Ashland Blazer Kittens, to take the crown on Friday night however. They have been the dominant 16th Region team all season, and enter the fray with a 9-0 region record.

The 16th Region boys gather at Morehead State beginning Saturday, with the title game slated for Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m.

It also looks like a three-horse race featuring Ashland, Boyd County and Russell. According to the RPI rankings from the KHSAA, Boyd County leads the way, closely followed by Russell and Ashland.

One of the three will likely emerge with the championship. Ashland appears to have the easiest road to the title game, with Boyd and Russell meeting each other in a semifinal. On Feb. 4, Russell dropped a 76-73 decision to Boyd, which in turn has lost two out of three meetings to Ashland this season.

The Lions did get past the Tomcats in the 64th District championship game, and my hunch is that they will do it again, and end Ashland’s seven-year regional title run in the process.

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“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.” – Charles Dickens

“March is the month God created to show people who don’t drink what a hangover is like.” – Garrison Keillor

“In the spring I have counted one hundred and twenty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.” – Mark Twain