The most wonderful time of the year is here

Even though the Kansas weather could be cruel in March, it always seemed to be kind when the NCAA Tournament started.

So when I was in college, it became a rite of spring to take the television into the back yard, spread a few blankets on the grass and watch basketball. We’d do it from the start of the conference tournaments until the end of the NCAA Tournament, but nothing was better than the first two days of the NCAA Tournament.

Back-to-back days of wallto-wall ball.

And so it will be starting Thursday.

As we tip off the most wonderful time of the year, here’s a look at some of the people, places and things you’ll be talking about in the coming days.

Three storylines you’ll learn

• Wichita State got jobbed. All of the analytics say the Shockers shouldn’t be any worse than an eight seed, but instead, they are a 10. They will beat Dayton on Friday, then might just do the same to Kentucky on Sunday.

• Freshmen rule. Lonzo Ball at UCLA, Josh Jackson at Kansas, Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox at Kentucky, Justin Jackson at North Carolina, Jayson Tatum at Duke and Lauri Markkanen at Arizona all have a chance to lead their team to the Final Four, then become lottery picks this summer in the NBA Draft. • LaVar Ball isn’t going away. The outspoken father of the aforementioned Lonzo has never turned down an interview, and with UCLA primed to win a few games, LaVar has only begun to be a constant in our lives.

Three players you’ll love

• Mike Daum, South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits aren’t likely to survive a first-round matchup against Gonzaga, so be sure to catch Daum while you can. The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging 25.3 points a game, second nationally, and shooting 41.6 percent from behind the arc.

• Keon Johnson, Winthrop: He’s only 5-7, but inch-for-inch, no player in the country scores more. He’s averaging 22.5 points, and if Winthrop scores an upset (or two?), Johnson will be a big reason. • Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame: Who doesn’t love a guy named Bonzie? But he’s way more than a great name. He plays center despite being only 6-5, but he averages 17.5 points and

10.5 rebounds, anchors Notre Dame’s defense and proves every game that size isn’t everything.

Three random facts you’ll need to know

• Where truTV is on your TV. This is not a drill. Four games Thursday and four games Friday will be on the Turner Broadcasting System offshoot, so you’d best figure out if you have the littleknown channel.

Public Service Announcement: truTV is channel 48 on Cox, 760 on CoxHD, 242 on Dish, 246 on DirecTV and 112 on U-verse.

You’re welcome.

• Dunk City is back. Florida Gulf Coast is in the tournament for the third time in five years even though it wasn’t a Division-I program until 2008. Andy Enfield and his Mustang-born wife, Amanda, may be gone, but Joe Dooley is coaching and doing quite well.

• Northern Kentucky is 1-for-1. In its first year as a Division-I program, the Norse made the tournament — and should they knock off Kentucky, a Cincinnati restaurateur has promised to buy a steak for every Northern Kentucky undergrad. All 15,000 of them.

Three coaches you’ll appreciate

• Will Wade, VCU: He looks like he should be teaching middle school science, but the babyfaced coach knows what he’s doing. Don’t be surprised if his Rams score at least one upset.

• Kermit Davis, Middle Tennessee State: He’s been the head coach in Murfreesboro since 2002, which is super cool in a profession where no one stays put. What’s more, he notched his biggest win a year ago with a first-round NCAA Tournament ouster of Michigan State.

• Leonard Hamilton, Florida State: Hamilton didn’t work out at Oklahoma State, as we all know, but the 68-year-old hasn’t slowed down. And this is one of his best teams.

Three Cinderellas you’ll cheer

• Northwestern: It only took the Wildcats 107 years to make their first NCAA Tournament. Next thing you know the Cubs will win the World Series.

• Vermont: The Catamounts (what a great mascot) are on a 21-game winning streak, best in the nation. They play lots of guys, shoot well and defend hard.

• East Tennessee State: The Buccaneers force a ton of turnovers, and T.J. Cromer has some serious firepower. He scored 41 points in a conference tournament game.

Three names you’ll have on your tongue

• Semi Ojeleye, SMU: It’s pronounced Shim-e Oj-a-lay. Could there be a better name in the Big Dance? Even better, the Duke transfer has become an SMU star. Should the Mustangs make the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1967, Semi will lead the conga line.

• Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga: This could finally be the year the Zags make the Final Four, and Williams-Goss is a big reason why. He transferred from Washington and blossomed into one of the most versatile and entertaining guards in the country.

• Lauri Markkanen, Arizona: Wildcat guard Allonzo Trier has ties to our fair state, but Markkannen has drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. The 7-footer can shoot it.

Three quirks you’ll notice

• Kansas’ road to the Final

Four is short. Geographically anyway. The Jayhawks will be in Tulsa for the opening rounds, 217 miles from their homecourt, and if they win, they’ll only have to go 47 miles from Lawrence, Kan., to Kansas City for the regional semis and regional finals.

• Folks in Tennessee better know where the recall button is on the TV remote. All three in-state teams play at the same time Thursday. East Tennessee State tips at 2:10 p.m., Middle Tennessee State at 3 p.m. and Vanderbilt at 3:30 p.m.

• Mascots are the best. There’ll be Blue Raiders and Golden Flashes. Wildcats and Bearcats. Cyclones and Hurricanes. Gaels and Friars. Commodores and Musketeers. Tigers and Bears. Oh my!

Enjoy these coming days and weeks, sports fan. There’s nothing else like it.