MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — James Long used to eat up the drama of Selection Sunday, hanging on each NCAA tournament unveiling before scurrying to make his picks.
“I was the kid who would fill out 10 brackets,” he said.
This week presented him a new appreciation for the survive-and-advance pressure of March Madness: It’s his first year as video coordinator for West Virginia’s basketball team.
“It’s a lot more stressful,” said Long, who shifted into information-gathering mode Sunday night the moment 12th-seeded Murray State surfaced as the Mountaineers’ first-round opponent.
Across the ensuing hours, Long downloaded video of the Racers’ recent games from the databases many college teams utilize.