Survive and advance. That's the motto 68 teams will adopt for the NCAA Tournament. Shortly after the field was announced Sunday, Michigan head coach John Beilein was asked what he knew about the bracket. He knew the Wolverines were playing Montana. He knew the game was in Wichita, Kansas. "One of the other teams was Houston or something?" he asked, sincerely.
It's the time of year when teams talk about taking it one game at a time, and they mean it. Looking ahead to the next opponent is asking to get bounced before getting there.
That's fine for coaches and players.