And Now, We Dance

On a Wednesday in November, I paid a visit to Merner Fieldhouse to go say hello to a women's basketball team preparing for a new campaign with something to prove. Hearing from many people around that team, there was a lot of talk about something special brewing.

Three and a half months, 22 wins, six weeks of Top 25 appearances, three weeks of high regional ranking, 143 loud yells of "THREEEEEEEEE!" and about 872 rants about how good this team is later, this happened.

We aren't done yet!! #NCC #tourneytime 💪🏀 pic.twitter.com/uRqRht1TCB
— Jamie Cuny (@jamiecuny) March 2, 2015

It's been 31 years since the last time North Central made the NCAA Tournament. Just to reference how long it's been, my parents were still in college back in North Dakota the last time this program made it to The Dance. Of course, that team went to the Final Four, a nice follow up to winning it all back in 1983, their only two prior visits. This year's team has a chance to join that pantheon of great Cardinals women's basketball teams.

Of course, it won't be easy; it never is. 63 teams all have the same dream this Cardinal team does. In a few weeks in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one of them will take home the crown. But that's a few weeks away. Right now, the focus turns to the road ahead.