As an old-timer, I miss the buzz that the State Finals used to generate. I had the privilege of attending two girls Final Fours as a student, prior to class basketball. The experience was incredible.

There's a lot of blame to go around for what's happened with the State basketball tournament, and I don't really want to get into it here. However, one gripe that I will air: the coverage of it in the mainstream media is horrible, if it exists at all. Maybe it's better with the Indy Star. Here in Fort Wayne, there's just not much. There is some for a local team, but even then it's kind of sparse.

So I turn to you, internet, the great democratizer of information, to fee my jones.

I know nothing about any of the teams in the Finals, with the exception of Norwell, a participant in the 3A finals. Norwell is a great example of a grass-roots basketball program, that has taken several kids with good talent, and has worked them together as a team since they were kids. The parts are not bad, but the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. It's the kind of team Coach Knight would love.

I know nothing of Guerin Catholic, their opponent. I don't even know where Guerin Catholic is.

As for the other participants, I know that Yogi is at Park Tudor. Are there other D1 prospects at any of the other schools? How did Carmel get this far without Hammons? Were Pike's 7 losses an aberration, or is their run in the tournament an aberration?

Let me know what I should be watching for, and who I should be cheering for. Thanks for your help.