It’s March Madness and Texas Southern University is part of it – twice.
Both the school’s men’s and women’s basketball teams made it to the NCAA tournament.
For the TSU Lady Tigers, it’s the first time. The men’s team is in it for the seventh time.
The odds to make it past the first round are clearly against them.
The men are facing last year’s national runner-up North Carolina on Friday and the women will play Baylor on Saturday. Both are top-seeded teams.
But that’s not dampening excitement on the TSU campus in Houston’s Third Ward.
“I’m just really overwhelmed. I’m bubbling with joy,” said TSU alumnus Maxie Tarver, who is now a manager at the student center. “I’m proud of both the women’s and the men’s basketball team.”
Valerie Madison, a public relations major in her last semester, is especially excited about the women’s team.
“It’s always good for TSU to be in the spotlight for something positive being that TSU is the only one in the city of Houston to make the NCAA rounds was really good,” she said.
Both plan to watch the games at the university’s official viewing party at the student center. Madison hopes to travel to Waco to see the Lady Tigers play on Saturday.
Will either of the TSU teams stand a chance?
Accounting major Luis Murillo thinks so.
“I really believe that they can do it,” he said. “I believe they can pull it off.”
Either way, students and alumni are already in celebration mood.