Editors Note: This is Part 9 in a 9-part series breaking down the card for WrestleMania 28 on Sunday, 4/1.

The headline match at WrestleMania 28 is being advertised as “Once in a lifetime;” a clash of generations between two legendary WWE Superstars that have publicly voiced their disdain for each other. Both wrestlers have been teetering on the edge of scripted and reality by trading personal shots and leaving fans to question what’s personal, and what’s professional.

One thing that has become clear over the year of build this feud has been given is that the dislike each feels for the other is real. Cena and Rock have one thing in common: a love for professional wrestling and the opportunity it gives them to feel power and entertain fans. Both entered the WWE with raw talent and potential and eventually reached the peak of stardom.  Where their careers went after reaching that zenith is the foundation for the tension between them.

Cena is a company man who dreamed of becoming a WWE Superstar, and as he put it, staying a WWE Superstar. Rock reached that same level and then stepped aside for a career in Hollywood. Cena views Rock as a wrestler who forgot where he came from once his movie career started to take off and distanced himself from the business because of the stigma surrounding pro wrestlers. Cena has been an active member of WWE longer than Rock was and continues to relentless hours promoting the company while putting his body on the line for his boyhood dream To him, The Rock is an outsider who came back for selfish reasons and wouldn’t bat an eye if the company went under.

The Rock contends that Cena has been riding the same awe-shucks-Superman gimmick his whole career and is out of touch with the fans. Even though Rock left, it’s clear his love for the business is still strong and his most crucial statements over the past year have touched on the relationship he has with the fans and how Cena could never reach them in the same way. The fans alternate chants of “Let’s Go Cena” and “Cena Sucks,” while The Rock has them eating out of the palm of his hand screaming whatever catchphrase spews from his mouth. The basis of Rock’s platform is giving the people what they want, while Cena just stays the same in an act of stubborn self assurance with who he is and what he stands for.

It’s no surprise The Rock views Cena as a goody two shoes ass kisser. The Peoples Champ made his bones during the Attitude Era, a time in the WWE when it was SOP to toe the FCC line, binge drink and tell people to “Suck It.” Cena has been the poster boy for the PG era of B.A. Star anti-bullying campaigns, kiss a baby for a photo op and blood is forbidden PG era. The Rock’s biggest rival of the era was Stone Cold Steve Austin, only the most popular Superstar of all time, whereas Cena hasn’t even come close to that kind of competition.

Which brings us to the point The Rock should have been making the past three months when Cena has called him an outsider and part-timer: Rock left around the same time Cena was starting to get a push from management and if he felt his time was up in the WWE and he wanted to pursue other career opportunities, he made the right choice by stepping aside, rather than collecting a paycheck and taking up a spot on the roster. Maybe if Rock hadn’t left, Cena never would have been able to reach the heights he’s at now. While Cena says Rock could care less about the state of the WWE, you can make a case that he cared enough not to give it 50% and thwart the opportunity for a younger wrestler to get a key spot on Pay-Per-Views and the weekly shows. Just because he moved on to something else doesn’t mean his love for the business did as well.

Cena’s right when he says that he’s there at every show and representing the company in a way The Rock no longer can. Both men spent the go-home show of Monday Night Raw this week talking about why this match meant so much to them and the importance of winning it. For Rock, it’s about legacy. He’s beaten Stone Cold and Hogan, the two biggest stars of previous generations at WrestleMania and all that’s left for him to become the Greatest of All Time is to take out Cena, the biggest star of this generation. For Cena, it’s about pride and holding the throne. Since he views Rock as a “guest” he can’t let him come back and devalue what he’s built up over the past seven years while Rock was making movies.

Thats the foundation of this match. It’s not about Cena calling out The Rock for having notes on his wrist while cutting a promo on Raw or his belief that The Rock is dead and Hollywood A-Lister Dwayne Johnson is only back to promote his movies and social media accounts. It’s not about The Rock talking about Cena’s lady parts and comparing his wardrobe to a box of Fruity Pebbles. It’s not about who can insult the other more effectively in a rap or rock promo.

This main event match at WreatleMania 28 is a battle of generations, styles, personalities and – most importantly – two legends whose only way to settle this conflict is inside the squared circle on the biggest stage of them all. When you peel away the layers of the storyline and conflict that has been festering for a full year, that’s all that’s left.

Editors Note: This is Part 8 in a 9-part series breaking down the card for WrestleMania 28 on Sunday, 4/1.

Few wrestlers have had the longevity with fans like The Undertaker. No wrestler has had a 19-0 winning streak at WrestleMania like The Undertaker and though he hasn’t wrestled sine WM 27, when he beat Triple H, if there is going to be a WrestleMania, you better believe The Dead Man is going to be there.

The only question heading into WM this year waa who would Taker defend his streak against. He returned to Raw in January to make it clear the beating he took from Triple H that forced him to need to leave the ring with assistance was still eating away at him 9 months later. The Dead Man had chosen his path to a potential 20-0, and it was a rematch with Triple H he wanted to overcome to get there.

But, it takes two wrestlers to have a match and HHH was reluctant to take on the task because he “knew what it would take to win and it would mean ending the Undertaker.” From Triple H’s new stance as the COO of WWE, he addressed the marketability and brand of The Undertaker and called it “bad business” for him to enter into the match and end Taker’s career. Undertaker continued to poke and prod at Triple H to get him to accept the challenge and Triple H’s best friend Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels even came back to Raw to plead with him to take the match. But it wasn’t until Undertaker proclaimed that Michaels was always better than HHH that he finally consented. On one stipulation, though… Hell in a Cell.

Over the next few weeks on Monday Night Raw, this group showed up to cut promo’s on each other that went a little something like this: HBK was miffed that HH only took the match because ‘Taker claimed that HBK was better than him and wondered why that  was tipping point…. Undertaker told Shawn he would end him if he had any thoughts of interfering and not leting the match have a pure ending – which ended with HHH coming to the top of the ramp to give the DX “Suck It” chop to Taker… HHH told Undertaker he should be les worried about HBK and more worried about him and over viewed their history of Hell in a Cell matches…. Taker had the final shot before Mania telling HHH – again – that HBK was always better than him which led to a show closing shot of HBK smirking and HHH looking like he was going to kill both of them.

Now THAT’S how you build up a match heading into WrestleMania. For someone like me who had an unhealthy obsession with professional wrestling for most of my life – but especially during the Attitude era when these three wrestlers were huge stars – the intrigue of seeing these three in the ring together is amazing. Everytime I heard HBK’s music hit, the gong and lights going out for Undertaker, or the “It’s time to play the game” line from HHH’s entrance, I was glued to the TV and felt 10 years younger. It’s wrestling nostalgia in its purest form and WWE was smart to infuse something new in this rematch by pulling HBK out of his life of hunting and living on a ranch.

I don’t think there’s any chance that The Undertaker loses and puts a blemish on his WrestleMania streak but the tension between all three wrestlers is palpable because it’s unknown how Michaels will call the match. Does he assist his longtime friend and D-Generation X somrade HHH? Does he feed off HHH’s jealousy of Taker saying HBK was better and screw over his buddy? Does he hit Sweet Chin Music on both guys and simply walk out?

I can’t wait to find out.

Editors Note: This is Part 7 in a 9-part series breaking down the card for WrestleMania 28 on Sunday, 4/1.

The WWE is a business made up of egocentric wrestlers in baby face (good guy) and heel (bad guy) roles. Punk and Jericho have excelled as both throughout their careers, but regardless of character arcs, both claimed to be the best in the world.

Jericho’s return to the WWE in January was foreshadowed with a series of vignettes that ended with a proclamation that “It’s the end of the world as you know it.” He began his return by coming out, firing up the crowd and then leaving without saying a word. Rumors speculated that Jericho would win the Royal Rumble and begin a feud with Punk for the WWE Title. It didn’t play out that way, but his destiny was clearly to come at Punk and he won a battle royal on Raw to make himself the No. 1 Contender.

That’s how this match came to be, but what has transpired over the past three months is what has given this feud substance and the feel of a WrestleMania main event. That these two wrestlers are two of the best workers and technical wrestlers in WWE history has many believing this could end up being the most memorable match on the card.

Punk has been coming to the ring, climbing the turnbuckles and screaming, “Best in the World,” much to the delight of his extensive fan base. It’s printed on his memorabilia and those who have followed his career would most likely agree with that he is indeed one of the, if not the, best wrestler in the world today.

Jericho would not be one of those people. When he finally did start speaking on Raw his focus started on the “Jericho Wannabes” inhabiting the WWE locker room who copied his in-ring moves and out-of-ring personality to make themselves relevant while he was away. His plight zeroed in on CM Punk for stealing his motto of being “the best in the world at everything I do.”

What has made this feud so compelling is the personality characteristics of both wrestlers. There are few professional wrestlers who can match Jericho’s mic skills, but Punk is one of them. He’s known for dropping pipe bombs when he cuts a promo and he’s returned the fire Jericho has directed toward him with equal candor and intensity. When you really get down to the core of this feud, you’ve got two wrestlers who can rightfully stake a claim to being the best of the best and it’s no surprise that when one of them says it, the other takes offense to it.

A simple match to determine who is truly the best in the world wasn’t enough for Jericho and his smarmy attitude. He decided to make it personal by questioning the integrity of Punk, who is a real life StraightEdge, by calling him a fraud because his father is an alcoholic, his sister suffers from substance abuse, and he was born out of wedlock and he has those addictive tendencies in his blood. None of those statements are actually true besides Punk being StraightEdge, but it was a way for Jericho to build the story and get under Punk’s skin by making the match personal, rather than stricly professional.

Punk’s promos in response to Jericho’s taunting have been outstanding and has built a sense of urgency around the match wherein the crowd actually feels as though Jericho deserves to get his ass kicked for his comments. That’s good wrestling promotion. Say what you want about bringing such sensitive, real life issues into the feud, but if you live in the real world, you understand the difference between making light of important problems, and letting them marinate in a wrestling storyline.

Of all the matches on the WrestleMania 28 card, this has had the best build up and if given enough time, could quite possibly be the match everyone talks about when Mania 28 is the subject of conversation in the future. WWE caught lightning in a bottle with the timing of this matchup and style each wrestler brings to the table. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jericho pulls off a shady victory and gets the WWE Title, thus setting up a rematch for the next Pay-Per-View in Punk’s hometown in Chicago.

But, I’d rather see Jericho get his comeuppance for bringing Punk’s family into this and see a match that goes back and forth with great wrestling for 20+ minutes with Punk eventually standing on the ropes holding the title high and screaming “Best in the World.” Because at ths point in time, that’s exactly what he is.

Prediction: CM Punk over Chris Jericho

Editors Note: This is Part 6 in a 9-part series breaking down the card for WrestleMania 28 on Sunday, 4/1.

Cody Rhodes has held the Intercontinental Title for what seems like forever at this point. He rarely defends it and there isn’t a better time to do that than at WrestleMania. He’s a brash, young, rising star in the business who is best known for antagonizing his opponents and showcasing a solid technical style in the ring. He’s also the son of Dusty Rhodes and brother of Gold Dust, so he’s got wrestling in his DNA.

Not even those kind of genetics are going to save you from a 7-foot gargantuan like Big Show, but Rhodes has gone above and beyond in an attempt to get under the big man’s skin. After interfering with Big Show’s chances of winning the World Heavyweight Title at Elimination Chamber, Rhodes was in the Big Show’s crosshairs. Only problem was, Rhodes had all the ammunition.

Throughout the past month, Rhodes has been popping in on Big Show’s matches and cutting promos about all the embarrassing moments Show has had at WrestleMania, including losing to a sumo wrestler and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Even though everything he’s said has been a fact, you can’t blame the Big Show for wanting to completely decimate Rhodes as his frustration has grown increasingly week-to-week.

I would like to see the Intercontinental Title get a little more shine on WWE programming because it’s historically prestigious title, but even though it’s been a bit of an afterthought throughout this feud, it’s still had a good build. I just don’t see the point in putting the title on Big Show at this point in his career. It serves Rhodes well.

It’s the classic little guy taunts the big guy for too long and it’s time for the big guy to put a pounding on him. Sometimes a simple storyline like that can provide for a great mid-card match to bridge the gap between the more main event storylines.

Prediction: Rhodes over Big Show

Editors Note: This is Part 5 in a 9-part series breaking down the card for WrestleMania 28 on Sunday, 4/1.

This match was a late edition to the WWE card and got exactly zero build on the weekly shows. Primo & Epico won the tag titles over Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne after Bourne once again got suspended for violating the WWE Wellness program for the second time.

Primo & Epico don’t get much TV time – the tag titles in general have been an afterthought the last few years – but if WWE is going to put any legitimacy behind them again, it’s good they’re getting on the WrestleMania card. This match could go a long way in giving a push not only to the tag division, but also to the wrestlers on these three teams. WWE has been lacking good, consistent tag teams in recent years, so we’ll see if this can be the start to a rebirth.

I’m glad to see Tyson Kidd get a spot on Mania because he does great work with the company on WWE Superstars and I’m hoping he and Gabriel can pull out a victory so they get a push on weekly TV.

Without any kind of build to this match, this is clearly filler material, but it could go a long way in kicking off the careers of some of these young guys.

Prediction: Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel over Primo & Epico and The Usos

Editors Note: This is Part 4 in a 9-part series breaking down the card for WrestleMania 28 on Sunday, 4/1.

Royal Rumble winners rarely have success winning a title – be it WWE or World Heavyweight Championship – at WrestleMania, but this year could be a change of pace. After being crowned the 2012 Royal Rumble winner, Sheamus took a month to decide whether he’d go after CM Punk’s WWE Title or Daniel Bryan’s WHC Title. We got our answer the night of Elimination Chamber with Sheamus coming to the ring and taking out Bryan.

Bryan has been a special kind of snarky, sleazy, heel champion since winning the belt from Big Show when he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase while Show was knocked out. He quickly made a heel turn by being a cocky and pretentious jerk to the crowd and his girlfriend, AJ, but it’s been a good thing for WWE fans because it’s entertaining. Defending the title has been commonplace for Bryan, but it usually ends with him leaving the ring or getting disqualified, thus keeping the strap.

In terms of the way this storyline came together, this is all you really need to know: Sheamus won the Rumble…. He chose to face Bryan because he feels as though Bryan has become a dick as a champion and forgot about how he got there, much like Sheamus did in his first title run… Bryan is a bully and Sheamus used to be bullied so now he’s going to beat up the champion and get the title to prove a point to Bryan that bullying is bad and you reap what you sow in this business…

Really, that’s all they’re working with. Bryan and Sheamus have the ability to put on a show-stealing match if given the right amount of time, but we’ll see how that plays out on Sunday. I thought WWE would give Sheamus and even bigger push heading into this title match, but this entire feud has felt a little bit of an after thought since the other main even matches have taken so much time to build.

That doesn’t mean we’re not going to get our money’s worth for this match, we will. It just could have been done better. What’s most compelling about this match up is Bryan and Sheamus wrestled a dark match (off-air) at WrestleMania 27 and one year later their in a co-main event slot. Both earned and deserve it.

As much as I love seeing Bryan come out screaming “World! Heavyweight! Champion!” and “YES! YES! YES!” with AJ looking on with love in her eyes, I think the WWE wants to give Sheamus a run starting at WrestleMania 28. It’s too bad, because Bryan is one of the best heels in WWE and I hope he doesn’t get buried if he loses, but Sheamus will be a worth WH Champion.

Prediction: Sheamus over Daniel Bryan

Editors Note: This is Part 3 in a 9-part series breaking down the card for WrestleMania 28 on Sunday, 4/1.

Kane returned to the WWE as his old, masked self, full of hate and ready to terrorize the WWE as the Big Red Monster once again. His first task? Make John Cena embrace the hate the WWE Universe bestows upon him and stop pretending that it doesn’t bother him. That led to a series of attacks on Cena and concluded with Kane receiving the Attitude Adjustment off of an ambulance at the Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View. Though Kane roped Zack Ryder and Eve Torres into the feud, at one point trying to drag Ryder into “hell”  by appearing through a hole in the bottom of the ring until Cena saved him, there ended up being no feud between Kane and Ryder even though it was the logical next step for WWE creative.

Randy Orton entered 2012 feuding with Wade Barrett in a storyline that was just as much psychological as it was physical. Barrett interfered with Orton’s matches and attacked him out of nowhere, going so far as to throwing Orton down a flight of stairs which led to an injury hiatus for him. By the time Orton came back to get revenge, Barrett suffered an injury during a Monday Night Raw taping and it pulled him out of the WrestleMania picture. The timing of each wrestlers injuries threw a wrench in the spokes of storyline that could have been exceptionally played out with an end at WrestleMania.

What the WWE creative team was left with was two top Superstars with no important feud heading into WrestleMania, so they took the easy way out and forced the issue by having Kane attack Orton upon his return to the ring. A series of sneak attacks ensued, until it was revealed by Kane that the reason he kept coming after Orton was because Kane shook his hand after a match last year and the humility he showed disgusted him because he’s a Big Red Monster full of hate and devilish ways.

Orton has been in previous heel roles as the “Legend Killer,” he is more over with the fans than just about any wrestler on the roster as a babyface. He hasn’t been able to build momentum due to injury in 2012 and it would serve WWE well to escalate this feud with Kane past WrestleMania if their match goes well. Their cut throat personalities could make for a string of great matches, plus, Kane can’t continue to just jump around the roster attacking wrestlers for stupid reasons or his character will become more stagnant than it already is.

So there you have it. There can be no complaints that these two got a spot on the card and in all likelihood, their match will not disappoint. But WWE could have done a much better job of building this story when road blocks were set up in their previous feuds with WrestleMania looming. In the end, I expect Orton to be victorious and look forward to seeing what WWE Creative has in store for their Big Red Monster who can’t beat anybody lately post-Mania.

Prediction: Orton over Kane

Editors Note: This is Part 2 in a 9-part series breaking down the card for WrestleMania 28 on Sunday, 4/1.

The role of General Manager of Raw and Smackdown is at stake in this 12 man tag match. Team Johnny was hand picked by Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Monday Night Raw John Laurinaitis and is captained by his assistant and only WWE Superstar with a Harvard law degree, David Otunga. Team Teddy is controlled by long-time SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long and captained by his assistant and current U.S. Champion, The Milan Miracle, Santino Marella.

Over the past two months, this feud has consisted of both general manager’s verbally sparring back-and-forth with the common conclusion of Teddy pushing or slapping a gloating Johnny after a member of Team Johnny defeats Team Teddy on one of the weekly shows. The storyline has unfortunately focused on the power struggle of these two men instead of showcasing the wrestlers who are fighting on their behalf. It’s a light-hearted, comedic addition to the WrestleMania 28 card, which is refreshing because every other feud has been pushed as the most important thing in the wrestling world.

What we basically have here is a way for WWE to shine the bright lights on some of the mid-card wrestlers who are deserving of a WrestleMania match, but aren’t currently in any of the main events. To say the teams are lopsided would be an understatement. Team Teddy is basically a hodge podge of guys who get a good pop from the crowd but aren’t viewed by management as potential huge stars. Kofi, R-Truth, Zack Ryder and Santino Marella are fan favorites that haven’t been given much TV time due to the importance of the three main event matches. The Great Khali is worthless in the ring but for some reason is still viewed by management as an overpowering monster when his in-ring work is clearly lacking. Booker T was a nice addition as the final member of Teddy’s team because he’s a legend who can bring some veteran experience and workmanship to the match. Plus, he does the spin-a-rooni, and who doesn’t love seeing that?

Team Johnny is loaded with wrestlers who have either been at the top or are making their way there. Dolph Ziggler is the most underrated wrestler in the WWE right now and can put any other wrestler over because he’s just that good in the ring. Though The Miz has been in the proverbial doghouse storyline wise lately, he deserves to be on the card somewhere, especially since just one year ago he was headlining WrestleMania as the WWE Champion against John Cena. Swagger and McEntyre were basically throw-ins for this team, but would be two of the better members of Team Teddy if they switched sides. Then there’s the World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry, who has been on a tear lately decimating opponents in under a minute and has a strong hatred toward Long for costing him the World Heavyweight Championship earlier this year. This team actually would have been stronger had Christian not fallen out due to injury and been replaced by McEntyre.

There hasn’t been a whole lot about the build up to this match that has been overly impressive, but it has done a good job of setting up the babyface (Team Teddy) vs. heel (Team Johnny) dynamic that routinely makes for a quality match at WrestleMania. If Teddy Long becomes General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown, you can expect a collective groan from the WWE Universe, whereas a victory for Team Johnny would provide a much needed shake up for the Smackdown brand with “Mr. Excitement” John Laurinaitis in charge.

The stipulation of this match holds more suspense than the match up itself because there has never been a General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown at the same time and it will be interesting to see where WWE takes that angle post-Mania. I imagine it won’t last very long, but that doesn’t take away the appeal of what we’ll see on Sunday in this match up.

Prediction: Team Johnny over Team Teddy

Editors Note: This is Part 1 in a 9-part series breaking down the card for WrestleMania 28 on Sunday, 4/1.

Divas Champion Beth Phoenix has been the only bright spot in the division since Kharma left in 2011 due to pregnancy. The quality of wrestling showcased by the Divas in the past few years has been tough to watch and the storylines haven’t been much better. Many wrestling fans were expecting a small push for the division heading into WrestleMania if Kharma was able to return and challenge Phoenix for the belt, but that’s out of the question now.

What we’re left with is a thrown together match of the three most popular divas and a celebrity host who recently injured her ribs on Dancing With the Stars (Menounos). It’s no surprise this match has been received with very little hype or response from the WWE universe. Unless there’s a GlamSlam from Beth Phoenix off the top rope or through a table, unfortunately the best part of this match will be the visual appeal rather than wrestling ability. There’s nothing wrong with bringing in a celebrity at WrestleMania to boost exposure, but at some point the WWE will need to rethink the direction this division is going in. It’s never a good thing when WrestleMania ticket holders are scheduling their bathroom breaks for whenever this match hits on the card.

The feud between Eve/Beth and Kelly/Maria came out of nowhere as well. Apparently Beth and Eve felt disrespected that Kelly appeared on Extra with Menounos, so they confronted them, an awkward exchange broke out on television and the next thing you know, we’ve got ourselves a Divas tag match. WWE’s motto seems to be if you can’t give a story line tons of time to build, give it virtually none at all. I haven’t heard read any opinion from one of the wrestling news outlets about how this match is going to contribute positively to the show, but maybe we’ll be surprised. The lighter and fun the match is, probably the better.

I’d love to be proven wrong, but when only one of the four wrestlers has the ability to wow with wrestling moves, rather than wrestling outfits, it’s not a good sign. Yet, that is the state of the WWE Divas division. A simple Natalya vs. Beth Phoenix match for the Divas Title would have been the best bet in terms of working a quality match, but leaving Eve and Kelly off the card must have been forbidden.

Prediction: Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres over Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos

Just four schools remain in the March Madness 2012 hunt, and, just like many other years, the No. 1 overall seeds did not fare too well. Is the pressure too much? Were they deserving of that seeding in the first place? Does seeding even matter in the NCAA tourney? The answers to those questions are yes, yes, and yes. With only Kentucky left to vouch for top-seed bragging rights, Michigan State, North Carolina, and Syracuse would tell you an important secret to winning it all: keeping your players on the court.

Four teams are ready to gear up and travel to New Orleans. The Kentucky Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes, Kansas Jayhawks, and the surprise team of the field, Louisville Cardinals all earned the right to play in the season’s final weekend.

Every No. 1 seed made the Sweet 16 round, and the Spartans were the only top-seed not in the Elite 8. Both the Tar Heels and Orange could not grasp that Final Four bid. Why? The injury (and eligibility) bug bit.

It would be too easy an excuse to say they lost simply because a player got hurt, because let’s face it, every team faces injuries. But how many teams lose not just key players, but some of the best players in the country, at the wrong time? Every No. 1 seed that lost had already lost a key cog.

Syracuse: It would not be a stretch to say the Orange were perhaps the best-looking team in the regular season. Then, right before the tournament opens, center Fab Melo is ruled ineligible due to academic reasons. No team can withstand losing the heart and soul of its defense and hope to run the tourney.

Michigan State: The Spartans have less of an excuse, because they lost Branden Dawson during the regular season. But East Lansing, Tom Izzo, and every Spartan fan out there has to be disappointed in a Sweet 16 knockout. I hated to see Draymond Green go out like that.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels were a  title-contender before point guard Kendall Marshall took an awkward spill and fractured his non-shooting hand. Many thought he could possibly give it a go after surgically implanting a screw into his right wrist, but Stilman White was forced to stand in. Contrary to popular belief, White actually played admirably in the two games he replaced Marshall, recording 13 assists and 0 turnovers.

Any team could point to something and play the “what if” game, but a combination of skill, determination, and plain dumb luck all factor into what is known as the Madness of March. As college basketball analyst Seth Davis says, “March happens.”