COLUMBUS, Ohio — You know what’s great? Chance.
You know what’s awful? Chance.
March Madness brings with it a certain calmness when you fill out your bracket; you pick the winners, the losers, the sure bets and the upsets.
All chance.
In 2021, 10TV spoke with Brett Norris who is the Hilliard Bradley High School boys basketball coach. His son, Braden, was in the NCAA tournament for the first time with Loyola University Chicago.
This year, he’s back.
“I personally feel a lot of support coming from back home in Columbus,” Braden said.
Loyola plays Friday against Ohio State. But Braden is not the only Norris son in this year’s tournament. Younger brother Keaton is playing for Wright State.
“Just to see him accomplish one of his dreams it’s great,” Braden said. “You know, me playing in the tournament last year, I got to feel what it’s like to play in the big dance and it’s a feeling I wanted for [Keaton], as well.”
Being a game day for Keaton he wasn’t available for an interview.
If Wright State wins Wednesday and continues in the tournament, Keaton and Braden will be in the same bracket. That means if both teams keep winning they will eventually meet up in the Elite Eight.
“I would say let’s just not even think about that right now,” Braden said. “I don’t want to think about that and I don’t think anyone in our family wants to think about that.”
Dad says it’s all part of the game.
“If you’re lucky and you work hard enough there’s a lot of celebratory, great moments,” Brett said. “But, there’s also a fair share of heartbreak. So, that would happen at the same time.”
What’s important, Brett says, is not winning or losing. It’s character. It’s representation. It’s honor.
And that, he says, has never been a game of chance.