Sights and Sounds from Men’s March Madness - Open Practice
The sounds of basketball practice were in full swing at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. From the squeak of shoes to the calls by coaches to the lively bands practicing for the big day. Dickies Arena hosts March Madness for the first time when The Road to the Final Four® stops in Fort Worth March 17 & 19, 2022. Texas Christian University hosts the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA ® March Madness ® Tournament.
There was an open practice for fans to attend and see the teams before they compete in the tournament.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 – OPEN PRACTICE @ DICKIES ARENA, free entry & free parking!
11-11:40 a.m. Norfolk State (16)
11:45 a.m.-12:25 p.m. Marquette (9)
12:30-1:10 p.m. Baylor (1)
1:15-1:55 p.m. North Carolina (8)
3:25-4:05 p.m. San Diego State (8)
4:10-4:50 p.m. Kansas (1)
4:55-5:35 p.m. Creighton (9)
5:40-6:20 p.m. Texas Southern (16)
It was a lively experience with each team putting on a show with their band and cheer/dance squad. Norfolk State was focused and played as one unit and seem to be peaking at just the right time.
After watching Norfolk State in practice, I have them going deep into the tournament. Can anyone say “rooting for chaos?”
The next team to the court was Marquette and their 3 pointers were hitting from all their players. They also looked to be focused and hyped to be there with aggressive plays and a focused practice.
I wasn’t able to stay for North Carolina’s practice, but their band was ready to seize the day.
The biggest crowd of the day was for Baylor and it makes sense with Waco right down the road from Fort Worth. However, the atmosphere changed on the court. It felt more like individual players on the court and not a team. They did not feel like one unit, but rather talented players on the court who weren’t meshing. It is a practice, but there was a noticable shift.
San Diego State came onto the court, but seemed a bit disorganized there. There were coaches mingling with the crowd while players ran drills and practiced on the court. There was even an individual with a phone on the court taking what looked to be selfies. They had enthusiasm, but seemed to lack focus on the court.
The second largest crowd of the day went to Kansas and their fans were amongst the rowdiest. Although the crowd was hyped, the players seemed a bit confused and left almost 10 minutes of their practice time on the clock after arriving onto the court late.
Creighton came onto the court a bit early and were organized and systematic. Although their shots didn’t seem to be hitting. They looked like they were just happy to be in the tourney.
I wasn’t able to stay for the last practice of the day, although I was keen to see Texas Southern. They beat out Texas A&M CC for the last spot in this part of the bracket.
Overall the environment at Dickies Arena was buzzing with excitement from the teams, staff, and crowd. This stop for NCAA Men’s March Madness is sure to bring some upsets and excitement.