This is such a wonderful time of year in the sports world. I mean, there are plenty of great times for sports people like myself, but this month is one of those top two or three occasions.

While the sweet contest of baseball gets prepared to start its grueling season, football is in the throes of its offseason, and the NBA is wallowing in the part of the season that no one really cares about (i.e. not the playoffs), college basketball now has center stage. And boy do they know how to put on a show.

What I am talking about, of course, is March Madness, otherwise known as the NCAA Tournament.

For two weeks, culminating April 2, 65 teams will battle for the top spot in the nation. Right now, all schools have a shot, from Michigan State to Creighton, from Illinois to Cal State Northridge (Yes, they are in it!).

Actually, not all the teams have a chance. There are two schools that will certainly make the final four, and they are Stanford and Duke. The teams in their brackets are pretty much out of luck.

The third will probably be North Carolina out of the Midwest bracket, though don’t count out Michigan State or Florida.

The fourth team, and the school I think will win it all, will be Arizona. Their seven losses and their second seed because of these are a mirage. They went through some serious trouble this season, stemming from some serious distractions.

Illinois, the top seed in the Midwest, I believe is slightly overrated. They are good, but not as good as Arizona.

Arizona will beat Duke in the final. Does this have anything to do with the influence of both of my parents, who are proud Wildcats? Nah, not at all. (Are you happy now, Mom and Dad?)

My sleeper of the tournament is Hofstra. I think that this 13th ranked school will down UCLA in the first round and will make it to the Sweet 16. Why? How about an 18-game winning streak and four seniors starting.

These predictions, if true, can really help my pocketbook.

Yes, there is a little bracket pool happening that I got myself into. Is it for money? No officer, of course not, not at all, wink, wink.

I dream sometimes of having a Division I basketball team at UCSD. Then we could all gather and cheer on our Tritons in the NCAA tournament. We could place our bets and look for our guys to bring home the trophy. We could watch Hungry Moses hanging out with the Stanford tree, showing what a real mascot is.

UCSD does have its own madness, and that is the dominance of certain squads on campus such as the men’s water polo team and the women’s soccer team. In fact, I would not exchange them for any Division I team.

As for March Madness, let’s get ready for two weeks of upsets and showdowns. It’s time for some fun.