Wrapping It All Up

Jake Diebler, a former men's basketball player at Valparaiso, is now a Student Assistant Coach for the Crusaders, and a men's basketball correspondent for the HLN Blog.

Is it really the last week of the regular season already??? Is it just me or did this year pass us by at an abnormally fast pace? Last year went by really quickly, but I figured it was the anticipation of being my last year playing that made it seem so short. Here I am now, in my first year coaching, and we are approaching our very last regular season game. Fortunately for us, our last regular season game and first tournament game are here at the ARC. This is really a testament to the dedication and hard work our guys have shown over the course of the season. I am sure many people thought we would finish near the bottom this year, particularly when you consider our record heading into the conference season. But, we have a resilient group of young men who have greatly matured over the course of the season to help us finish with our best Horizon League record ever.

Spring Break starts at the end of this week for us here at Valpo and I woke up this morning to a car covered in snow. ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!? I will not return to that tangent again but I couldn't let it pass. So what are your spring break plans this year? I hope to be practicing and preparing for a Horizon League championship and NCAA tournament birth. And... during the wonderful month of the underdog, the month of March, anything can happen. My backup plan is to return to Ohio to watch my brother's final regular season games and then travel to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament. No offense Jon, but I would rather get to the "Big Dance" than come watch you down in Indy! Regardless, I will be rooting with all my energy for the Buckeyes to make some noise this year and I cannot wait to see who they are paired with and where they will be playing their first round tournament game.

Speaking of the tournament... I cannot wait to fill my out NCAA tournament bracket! This is one of my favorite parts of the tournament, picking upsets and following teams that I either played against myself or teams that my friends may play for. Here at Valpo, we have a rich tradition of tournament upsets. In fact, ours is one of the most famous of all. I know you have all seen the replays of when Bryce Drew hit "The Shot." That one play will forever be linked to the NCAA tournament because it was one of the most memorable upsets in tournament history. Because of such examples, the first two days of the tournament are my absolute favorite. Not only because they host the most games, but those games are the best for upsets.

Well, it's been a fun year and would really be capped off properly with an upset of Butler and an NCAA tournament birth. Those are two daunting tasks, but ‘tis the season of upsets! Thanks to all who have followed my first blogging experience here on HLN. I have enjoyed sharing my thoughts and opinions with you all! Remember... GO VALPO!

Be Blessed,

Jake