Citizens nearly got a March Miracle. Not that Mizzou or SLU fans would have been fashioning themselves in blue and orange if the Fighting Illini had been able to pull out that Big Ten Tourney championship, but at least it would have given us more of a reason to watch the NCAA Tournament.

OK, like no local flavor is going to keep us from endless men’s college basketball coverage.

Still, had Illinois gone dancing, it would probably have spared us from watching the Jayhawks in the first round.

So here’s a tour of the tournament with STL Sports Nation ties. If I overlook someone, please share with the rest of the citizenry. After all, I had no idea our first coach had any connections.

Dave Loos, head coach Austin Peay State University

Online sports editor Mike Smith made sure to have me include this hometown representative (Mehlville). Check out Governors coverage from their school site or the Clarksville (Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle site at theleafchronicle.com. Thanks to APSU sports information page for directing me to the Clarksville paper.

Kevin Stallings, head coach Vanderbilt University

We stay in the Volunteer state to remember the former Valley coach (Illinois State University Redbirds) and Collinsville hometowner who’s arguably helped set the table for Bruce Pearl at the University of Tennessee, turning their state into a hotbed of men’s college basketball. Find Vandy coverage from their school site and the Nashville Tennessean site at tennessean.com.

Matt Painter, head coach Purdue University

With the Indiana Hoosiers making more off-the-court headlines (not to mention the NCAA Tournament), this former Valley head coach (SIUC Salukis) and Bruce Weber protege has quietly returned the Boilermakers to the top of the Big Ten tier and national prominence previously enjoyed under Gene Keady. Find coverage from the school site and the Indianapolis Star at indystar.com. Check further into Painter’s staff and IHSA boys basketball fans will find a pair of recognizable names: assistants Cuonzo Martin (Lincoln H.S.) and Paul Lusk (Wesclin H.S.).

Lon Kruger, head coach UNLV; Bill Self, head coach Kansas

Fighting Illini faithful still cringe when hearing these names, but pragmatically, if it wasn’t for them, there would be no 2005 NCAA Tournament final, brought to you by Bruce Weber. However, find coverage of the Runnin’ Rebels from their school site, the Las Vegas Review-Journal (lvrj.com) and the Las Vegas Sun (lasvegassun.com). There’s coverage from the Jayhawks’ school site, the online sports page of the Lawrence Journal-World (ljworld.com), for which they also have their Kansas sports page at KUsports.com. On the upside for Champaign’s finest, the cruel, twisted humor of the Selection Committee paired these first-round winners in a second-round showdown. One former Illini coach will be eliminated from the tourney by the end of Saturday.

Mark Turgeon, head coach Texas A&M

Our third Valley alum (Wichita State) is a first-year success story in College Station, guiding the Aggies to an at-large invite to The Dance. Find coverage from the school site, the Bryan-College Station (Texas) Eagle online sports page (theeagle.com) and The Eagles’s A&M page, Aggiessports.com. Also, thanks to the Texas A&M links page for the newspaper coverage listings that guided me to The Eagle.

Drake Bulldogs

Sadly, the Valley’s automatic bid winner was eliminated by mid-major counterpart Western Kentucky Friday afternoon in a thrilling 101-99 overtime loss, the first OT game of the tournament. But don’t think first-year coach Keno Davis, nor his squad, are one-year wonders. Find the season’s final coverage from their school site and the Des Moines (Iowa) Register at desmoinesregister.com.

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina Tar Heels

We know you know Tyler, but how well do you know the Poplar Bluff native and honorary STL Sports Nation citizen? You’ll find out from the Post-Dispatch’s extensive coverage of him, but also check out Heels coverage from the school site and the Durham (N.C.) Herald-Sun at herald-sun.com.

Ben Hansbrough, Mississippi State Bulldogs

This is what I mean. I didn’t know Tyler a) had a brother and b) that also played Division I basketball, until aforementioned Editor Smith revealed the fact to me. See more coverage from the school site and the Starkville (Miss.) Daily News at starkvilledailynews.com.

Lance Stemler, Indiana Hoosiers

Another Metro East-sider, he is from Columbia. Follow coverage from the school site and the Bloomington (Ind.) Herald-Times online sports page at heraldtimesonline.com and their full-on Hoosiers coverage site at HoosiersHQ.com.