All hail March.

I've got nothing against February, but I'll be glad to see it go. It's a decent month -- better than January, short enough to know when to leave -- but it simply can't compare to the third month of the calendar year. March Madness and spring training: how can a sporting month get much better than that?

And March has even more significance for local sports fans. Whether you're an alum of UW-Milwaukee, Madison or Marquette, you're probably going to be filling out an NCAA tourney bracket with your alma mater's acronym on it. And if you're not into college hoops, the Brewers have replaced the Packers as the "it" team in the state of Wisconsin.

February ended on a high note for the hoops teams. The Badgers, who have endured their share of rough patches over the last four weeks, edged out Minnesota, 80-74, to complete their home schedule Sunday. Improving to 19-8 overall and 9-5 in conference play, the win virtually guarantees UW an NCAA berth. Many Badgers fans have probably long since assumed a bid, but you never know.

The bad news is that March comes in like a lion -- the Badgers visit Michigan State (7-7) Thursday and Iowa (9-5) Saturday to complete regular-season play. One victory assures a bye in the Big 10 conference tourney (the top five teams earn byes), but the Badgers are a mere 2-4 in league road games. The good news? UW has enjoyed a modicum of success in East Lansing and Iowa City over the last few years, so a win is conceivable. The bad news? Both MSU and Iowa are scrambling for wins to solidify their NCAA seeds.

Since the Badgers are currently ranked 15th in the RPI (according to kenpom.com), two losses won't kill them. But if they're combined with a first-round loss in the Big 10 tourney, UW is probably looking at no better than a #8 seed in the Big Dance. And with the tendency toward rewarding mid-major teams with at-large bids, Bo Ryan doesn't want to reach selection Sunday with three consecutive losses. He probably won't.

While Marquette was once more worried about earning a bid than UW, the Golden Eagles are now certain to make the field. Saturday's impressive road win against the tough-luck Irish in Notre Dame improved MU to 18-8 overall, 9-5 in conference and #18 in the RPI. They also have wins against UConn, Georgetown and Pitt. They're a lock; wins this week at Louisville or vs. Providence would just be seeding bonuses.

Why is MU more of a lock than UW? The Golden Eagles have a signature win over UConn, for one, and they've been a better road team in conference play.

As for the Big East tournament, a bye is still possible. MU is currently in sixth place at 9-5, but they're only a game out of third place (Pitt and W. Virginia are tied at 10-4; G'town is 10-5). The top four teams earn byes to the quarterfinals, while first-round action begins for the rest on Wednesday, March 8. Tom Crean might not mind the extra day of work for a team that relies heavily on underclassmen.

Alternately, UW-Milwaukee relies heavily on upperclassmen, including seven seniors. After a strong performance on Senior Night last week, UWM breathed a sigh of relief when Butler lost by a bucket Saturday to give the Panthers the outright league title. Had the Bulldogs won, the tiebreakers would have given them home-court advantage throughout the Horizon League tournament.

Instead, UWM will open semifinal play at U.S. Cellular Arena this Saturday at 6 p.m. against either Youngstown State, Loyola, Cleveland State or Detroit. The championship takes place Tuesday, March 7 at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Any league tourney is a crapshoot, but you have to like UWM's chances. Dominated by seniors who've done it before and playing at home, the Panthers have everything going in their favor. Injured forward Adrian Tigert is expected to be ready for play this weekend, though no official word on his status has been announced.

If all that's not enough for you, the Brew Crew opens Cactus League play this Thursday. Single-game tickets went on sale at Miller Park Saturday, and the team sold a single-day record total of 94,000. The fan base is no longer waiting for a winner -- it's expecting one.

Still, the Brewers seem to be flying below the national radar. A couple of writers have pegged them as a possible surprise pick, but the early spring focus seems to be falling where it typically does -- on the Yankees, on Roger Clemens in Houston, on the Nationals in D.C., on the Cubs in Chicago. The Crew can still sneak up on people with a hot start. But it won't take long for word to spread.

How's that for a month? April doesn't stand a chance.