So, it’s no secret that Hutchinson Community College isn’t in the tournament this year. Hutch will somewhat support Pratt Community College, being from Kansas, but they will be looking for a team to root for.

As the Hutch News pointed out (a good article, please read), there are a few top teams to choose from: Indian Hills, Vincennes, South Plains, Paris, NEO, Salt Lake… There is, however, a secret that the crowd holds: The Underdog. After watching basketball here for all my life, I have seen the crowd get behind a longshot against a “top ranked” team. A great example would be Salt Lake CC in 2009, coming from behind to beat Midland College. The crowd got excited, and was in Salt Lake’s corner most of the second half.

They want a team to get behind, someone that’s a surprise. And while the top seeds deserve to be here, and we will certainly be dazzled by the Indian Hills aerial show, keep an eye out for that “underdog” team that is a Hutch rallying point.

Because there’s nothing that this crowd loves more than an exciting comeback victory.