DETROIT – Kim DeGiulio: March is here!!! There are two things I love about March: 1. Warmer days and 2. March Madness!
I was too young to remember the days of Michigan’s Fab 5, but I remember as a kid I always loved filling out a bracket and I loved watching the March madness games to see how my bracket would do. My love for March madness and NCAA men’s basketball reached a new high back in 2013 when Michigan made it all the way to the National Championship. Those games were so exciting to watch and I loved the players on that squad. Trey Burke, Mitch McGary, Caris LeVert, Tim Hardaway Jr. , Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson and a very young Spike Albrecht to name a few of my faves! I remember watching that National Championship game. Spike Albrecht was just a freshman and he drained a couple of early three pointers in the first half. I was so pumped. There was no doubt in my mind that Michigan was going to win that game. Unfortunately my heart was broken in the end when they couldn’t hold onto the lead for that game but my love for Michigan basketball and March Madness grew.
Recommended Videos
Lucky for me, I didn’t have to wait too long for Michigan to make another appearance in the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship. In 2018, Michigan was back after some amazing games to get there including a last second buzzer beater from Jordan Poole against Houston and beating out the unstoppable Cinderella team Loyola in the Final 4 game. I was in love with this team too. Mo Wagner, Zavier Simpson, Jordan Poole, Charles Mathews and Duncan Robinson were a few of my faves. I remember after Michigan won that game against Houston my husband looked at me and was like “if Michigan goes to the national championship, we’re going!” Well it happened! We traveled to San Antonio to watch Michigan take on Villanova. Sadly, we lost that game but Michigan came out strong for the first 10 minutes. Being at that game for the first ten minutes when Michigan’s shots were hitting (before Villanova blew up) was the best 10 minutes I’ve ever spent at a sporting event. It was electric being there. Even with the loss, it was still an experience I’ll never forget.
This year, Michigan has a great squad... but so does every other team in the Big Ten. It’s been an exciting year to watch some new players develop like Franz Wagner and watch veteran players like Zavier Simpson completely dominate the court. Can’t forget about watching new head coach Juwan Howard do his thing too. It’s also been fun to watch other players on other Big Ten teams play well too. I can appreciate how good Michigan States squad is this year and I absolutely love watching Cassius Winston play. He’s a great player too.
I’m not sure how the Big Ten tournament will end up this year or how the brackets will look in the next couple of weeks but either way I’m excited for it! I’m hoping that Michigan’s team can stay healthy and I hope the players can start making more free throws! If that happens, watch out world!! You could see Michigan in the final four once again 😉
Here’s what we’re working on for Thursday, March 5th on Local 4 News Today --
All Morning – Waiting for the Warmup
Mostly sunny to start our Thursday, but clouds will increase and rain showers are possible late in the day (possibly affecting the afternoon rush hour…it’ll be close). Highs in the mid 40s (8 degrees Celsius).
Rain showers are likely Thursday night ahead of an approaching cold front, with lows in the mid 30s (1 degree Celsius).
Once the Thursday night cold front is off to our east, it will become windy on Friday with snow showers possible. Near steady temperatures in the upper 30s (3 to 4 degrees Celsius), combined with that wind, means that Friday will be a pretty raw, wintry day. But wait…just wait: the payoff is our upcoming weekend!
All Morning - Coronavirus Concerns
The coronavirus continues to spread across the world and here in the U.S. When you wake up, we’ll have the very latest on the fight to stop the spread and how this is impacting the country.
6:40 a.m. – Nick Jr. LIVE!
The cast of some of your kids’ favorite Nick Junior shows are coming to Metro Detroit and we’ve got your all access pass. One of the stars will be stopping by the Local 4 Studios Thursday morning and they’re giving away tickets to their upcoming show at the Fox!
6:45 a.m. - Help Me Hank
There are some great deals during the month of March and also some items you should hold off on buying until the end of the year. Help Me Hank has all the information to save you some money in the morning.
ICYMI
❓Today’s Trivia Retake❓
Every weekday morning at 6 a.m., we ask you a trivia question on Local 4 for a chance to win a prize.
- Wednesday Question: Joe Louis Arena opened in 1979. What was the first event held there?
- Answer: Basketball game between University of Michigan and University of Detroit
- Be sure to watch daily at 6 a.m. and click this link to enter for a chance to win.
National Days: March 5th
- National Absinthe Day
- National Cheese Doodle Day
- National Multiple Personality Day
- National Hospitalist Day
History Highlights:
- In 1955, Elvis Presley made his television debut on “Louisiana Hayride” carried by KSLA-TV Shreveport.
- In 1982, comedian John Belushi was found dead of a drug overdose in a rented bungalow in Hollywood; he was 33.
- In 1998, NASA scientists said enough water was frozen in the loose soil of the moon to support a lunar base and perhaps, one day, a human colony.
- In 2002, President George W. Bush slapped punishing tariffs of eight to 30 percent on several types of imported steel in an effort to aid the ailing U.S. industry.
Celebrity Birthdays:
Celebrating a birthday Thursday? Submit a Sunshine Award here and we could say your name on Local 4 News Today during our 6 a.m. show.
Here’s who you’re sharing a birthday with –
- Actor Paul Sand (“St. Elsewhere”) is 88.
- Actor Dean Stockwell (“JAG,” ”Quantum Leap”) is 84.
- Actor Michael Warren (“Soul Food,” ”Hill Street Blues”) is 74.
- Actor Eddie Hodges is 73.
- Actress-comedian Marsha Warfield (“Night Court”) is 66.
- Magician Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller is 65.
- Musicians Charlie and Craig Reid of The Proclaimers are 58.
- Actor Kevin Connolly (“Entourage”) is 46.
- Actress Eva Mendes is 46.
- Model Niki Taylor is 45.
- Actor Jake Lloyd (“Star Wars” films) is 31.