It’s a wonderful time of year. If you live in the northeast, we finally got a little spring tease this week and most importantly college basketball is starting to heat up.

We’re 16 days from selection Sunday so let’s dive into some hoops talk. First you have the two favorites. Auburn and Duke have truly managed to separate themselves over the course of this season. Auburn is loaded with experience. The Tigers average age is 23.4 years old. They are led by Johni Broome who’s having a monster season despite battling injuries. They also have depth with have six players averaging at least 10 points per game.

Then you have the Duke Blue Devils, who are more youthful but laden with your typical big name future NBA stars. You’ve likely heard the name Cooper Flagg by now (future number 1 pick) but the name to watch for the Blue Devils is guard Isaiah Evans who has started to breakout in a huge way. Another factor to watch for Duke is the health of lead guard Tyrese Proctor who recently suffered a knee injury. Proctor is an experienced point guard who can bring a calm demeanor to a young Duke squad.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight a college from the borough I was born in. Rick Pitino has performed miracles at St. John’s and they look poised for a tournament run. They have all the hallmarks of a classic Pitino team. Relentless, tenacious defense and an old school mid-range and drive offense.

As conference tournament week approaches I’ll have more gambling centered thoughts heading into the tourney.

Last but certainly not least I want to talk about one of my favorite days of the year. The first Sunday of March we get the Belmar St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Truly a tradition like no other.

If I’m being honest the main attraction isn’t the pipes and drums, it’s Bar A. I want to make sure your Sunday is as good as mine will be so here’s some tips from me to you.

1. Bring cash- Bar A loves slapping you with a cover at the door and you don’t want to risk leaving a card behind. Do yourself a favor and hit the ATM.
2. Stick together- Bar A is a massive spread and I promise you it’ll be jam packed come noon. With such a crowd makes it nearly impossible to send or receive texts. If you have a few stragglers using the bathroom stay firm where you’re at and you’ll be fine.
3. Wear Green- Self explanatory but just wear it. Even if you’re one of those Italians who has to make it abundantly clear that they are Italian and not Irish by wearing some obnoxious shirt about being Italian. Thanks pal, the gold chain, excessive hair gel and beard lineup didn’t give it away.

4. Mix in a water- This is one I learned the hard way. I have only been escorted out of one bar in my life. Bar A St. Patrick’s Day 2020. Tough scene. You’re drinking you’re in the sun maybe you had a big breakfast but do yourself a favor. Don’t be the guy security has to drag to an Uber please there’s children around.

If you get to Bar A and find maybe the line is too long or it’s overwhelming there are other options. D’Jais will be open and throwing down. Anchor Tavern, Beach Haus and Boathouse are all there on Main Street. Plenty of options for those in search of a good time.

On Twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!