(What)NIT game?

For me, this is the most wonderful time of year. Baseball is getting under way, both NHL and NBA playoff races are heating up, I can head out to play some golf (finally!), and the NCAA Men's tournament is just the icing on the cake. But it's like that cake that has way too much icing; you end up scraping off the excess on the sides.

It never fails. I'll take the corner piece, please, because the icing on the side happens to be the Women's NIT. Now, I know no one cares about the NIT. The coverage share graph looks like pac-man when comparing the NCAA to the NIT. But there is as much madness at these lady's games as there is in their male counterparts.

Imagine you're an elite college basketball player for a moment. If you are really talented (and male), the NBA awaits. If you are a female, playing in your senior year, you're done when you lose.

Kalisha Keane unleashes the emotion after draining a monster three against Kansas.

With the expectations piled so high on the men's side at Kansas the shadow cast on the women is all but black as night. In East Lansing last night, there were maybe 50 KU fans, including Chancellor Bob, Jim Marchiony, Lew Perkins, Baby Jay, and the band.

Don't they at least deserve Big Jay on the road?

It felt like Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas and Michigan State took the game down to the wire and the exciting 58-54 finish was worthy of primetime ESPN coverage. Too bad they weren't there. But KUJH-TV was. We witnessed two teams drain themselves playing in a competition virtually no-one cares about, other than their parents, coaches, and teammates.

Afterward, Bonnie Henrickson looked more exhausted, more frustrated, or more disappointed than I've ever seen another coach; she looked like she had just played in the game herself. I could feel the frustration of Taylor McIntosh; heck of a way to end a career with underappreciated all-star effort. But there was optimism in Danielle McCray's eyes, despite the loss, the lady Jayhawks will be back next year.

I'm hoping for her sake more folks take notice of this not-so-hidden goldmine of talent. Hopefully if more fans get behind these ladies, they'll get that "sixth man" effect from the crowd that their male counterparts receive daily.