7 Eyewitness News Sports Anchor Shawn Stepner is tracking all the action at the epicenter of March Madness ... Providence, Rhode Island.
Tonight, the U.B. Bulls will be looking to upset mighty Miami in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
So, how will the men's team approach the high-flying Hurricanes? Head coach Nate Oats says, they're not going to slow it down. "That's not the way we play", says Oats. "We're not going to win a slow down game."
Player Blake Hamilton agrees, "As a team, that's how out roster is, to play up-tempo. I think we're good playing up-tempo speed.
But, no matter what this Bulls' team faces on the floor Thursday night, it pales in comparison to what they've had to overcome off the court this season. Coach Oats' wife, Crystal, was diagnosed with cancer, she is set to undergo a bone marrow transplant in April.
Freshman Nikola Rakicevic also lost his mother who lived in Serbia.
When speaking of these obstacles, Blake Hamilton says, "I think it made us tougher as a team. We feed off the energy of Coach Oats."
Tip-off is set for 6:50pm. You can follow Shawn on Twitter @StepnerWKBW
