While Sydney is in the midst of the build-up to the history-making Major League Baseball matches at the SCG this weekend, four Australian basketballers are in the States hoping to etch their names into American sporting folklore in the famous NCAA tournament known simply, and aptly, as March Madness.
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Knox Grammar brothers Sam and Michael Rowley, another Sydneysider in Newington College's Luke Devlin and Adelaide's Peter Hooley will suit up for the University of Albany in the first round on Wednesday (AEDT) when the Great Danes take on Mount St Mary's of Maryland in Dayton, Ohio.
Much like the burgeoning tradition at NBA star Patty Mills' alma mater, St Mary's College of California near San Francisco, the University of Albany is establishing a reputation for promoting young Australian basketball talent.
Devlin was the trailblazer. "They took a bit of a leap of faith with me," said the 203cm forward who is in his senior year.
In the modern way, Devlin sparked their interest via some YouTube clips and after Australian coaches gave him a strong recommendation, he went on a tour of US colleges with his dad, he signed with the New York college.
This is Albany's second successive trip to The Big Dance after registering 9-7 records over the past two seasons. Hooley has led the team in most categories and was named the outstanding player of the America East tournament. He's shooting at over 40 per cent from three-point range.
The Adelaide guard will be an integral part of coach Will Brown's game plan as the 16th seeds look to better last year's effort of a 73-61 second-round loss to the famous Duke Blue Devils.
Albany made it into this year's tournament with a 69-60 win over fellow New Yorkers, Stony Brook, last Saturday in a match that was so intense, the rival mascots - dressed in Great Dane and Seawolf costumes - got into a courtside scuffle.
If they get past Mount St Mary's, the No.1 overall seeds, the Florida Gators, will be waiting. Hooley, who was scouted after starring for South Australia at the 2011 Australian Championships, said the Great Danes had a great chance of doing something special.
"If we can manage to get past that [first game] then we have the mighty task of taking down the overall No.1 seed in the tournament in Florida on their home turf, but our team prides ourselves on always believing when our back is against the wall. We finished fourth in the conference and beat the two top teams on the way to a championship for the second year in a row, so we just continue to fight, scrape and claw."
March Madness is exactly that. The scrutiny on these amateur varsity sportspeople is as intense, perhaps more in some respects, than America's professional leagues.
"It really is an incredible experience," Devlin said. "It's a great time of year to be involved with basketball, as the whole country just becomes engulfed by it. On our arrival in Dayton we were greeted by quite the welcoming party, even involving bagpipes."
Hooley, who has two more years ahead of him in the college ranks after a broken foot ruined his freshman season, adds: "It's hard for people who aren't familiar with college basketball to understand how crazy the fans follow it in the US. People bleed their school colours and it makes it fun to play in. Every team has one dream in mind, only 68 get to live it. It is the second trip for me now, and I just soak it all in and enjoy the experience, because you never know when you will be back."
The sister and parents of the Rowley brothers have travelled to the US to get a first-hand experience of Albany's hoped Cinderella run.
"I am a freshman so playing my first year was a big learning curve," Michael Rowley said. "I need to get stronger and improve my all-round game. I think I will spend a lot of the time after the season unwinding as we have been non-stop for 6-7 months, which has been crazy."
Rowley says the four Australians on the Albany squad "really are a family over here looking out for each other".
Adds Hooley: "It makes you feel like you are at home when you are really so far from it. You have guys you can crack jokes with, that the Americans wouldn't understand, and you have blokes who you can chat to about all the Aussie sport and news. We really do embrace all being together and we take great pride in having the most Australians on a team."
Devlin, who says the Albany coaches are on the lookout for more talent Down Under, graduates in May. In bad news for NBL clubs keen to bolster their roster, he plans to return home and work in finance or IT because his "basketball days will be behind me though, body is too broken now".
