The Inner Edge: Feel The Energy

The NCAA basketball tournament proves to be one of the most exciting couple of weeks in college sports, mainly because of the competitive caliber that exists in each game starting with the first round leading up all the way to the Final Four.

There are rarely blowouts, but there are always a handful of upsets, which is exactly why sports fans love March Madness  — for the unpredictable nature the tournament creates, regardless of losing hundreds of dollars on brackets each spring.

From the downfalls of No. 2 seeds such as Georgetown University, emerge the No. 15 seed teams, and Cinderella stories are born.

This year, it was a school by the name of Florida Gulf Coast University that rose from the Bulldogs’ ashes.

It’s impressive in itself that FGCU has only been established for 16 years and already got into the NCAA tournament.

But even more impressively, in its first full year as a Division I program, FGCU knocked off Georgetown, a No. 2 seed, and San Diego State, a No. 7 seed, against all odds.

This marked the first time in NCAA basketball history where a 15-seed secured a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.

FGCU immediately captured the hearts of millions.

There is something about Cinderella Stories that strikes the hearts of sports fans, but the thing that is most likable about this FGCU team is the fight and charisma it brings to each game.

The Eagles are simply a thrill to watch.

Even though FGCU senior guard Sherwood Brown averaged 15.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game during regular season play, he has become renowned not for his basketball skills, but for the uncanny amount of swagger and energy he brings to the court.

Brown’s motivating pregame speeches inspire his teammates to play loose and have fun with the game they love.

Why else would he lead a breakout of the chicken dance minutes before game time?

Brown and FGCU’s swaggering, street-style play makes the game hilariously entertaining to watch and ultimately brings back an aesthetically pleasing version of college basketball that has started to fade out over the years.

With its emotionally charged play, combined with its jaw-dropping alley-oops, the energy the team gives off when it plays is contagious enough that FGCU has become an instant fan-favorite.

On top of grabbing the attention of fans for being such an amusing team, Brown and the Eagles caught the attention of San Diego State’s star player, junior guard Jamaal Franklin.

Franklin approached Brown and congratulated him after FGCU beat San Diego State, urging him to “keep the dream going.”

Franklin even stayed out on the court for a while after his teammates left for the locker room, just to watch the pure excitement the entire FGCU basketball team was exhibiting after its second win of the tournament.

The fact that Franklin was so engulfed in FGCU’s success really says something about the nature and drive of the team.

It’s remarkable how one person’s charisma can act as a game changer and how easy it is for teammates to feed off of each other’s energy.

And it’s even more remarkable that by watching the reactions of any given member on that team, you would never know who made the astonishing slam-dunk moments before.

It’s refreshing to see that each player on FGCU’s roster is genuinely ecstatic for each other’s success and how they come out of every huddle with even more heart and elation than they had before.

That’s how every team should play basketball. With as much excitement, drive and heart as the FGCU Eagles do.

Discovering teams like FGCU and watching them continuously shock the world throughout the tournament is what truly makes March Madness great.

No matter what happens with the Eagles from here on out, they’ve already written their own Cinderella story — they got just about every basketball fan in the U.S. talking about them.

Screw brackets.

FGCU’s got my vote against the Gators on Friday.