Jeff Lund

After the final horn tonight, a champion will be crowned and the 2002 NCAA basketball season will come to a close. Though it has already ended for the Wildcats, it will signal the official closing of the season and the beginning of what I like to call "post-madness depression."

It hit me Saturday, 10 minutes after watching Maryland almost blow another Final Four lead - this time to Kansas. I was watching the Ronco man and the stupid, yet pretty cool, "set it and forget it" oven-roaster thing.

First of all, what in the hell is that all about? I have just been totally consumed for hours watching Final Four games, and the best CBS can do following its doubleheader is to show me how I can put three whole trout in an oven and have them come out perfectly cooked in just a short amount of time?

You have got to be kidding me. What a slap in the face.

It is true that second to college basketball, and perhaps women, food is one of my favorite things in the world, but damnit, I don't want to see an infomercial about the new 3000-T rotisserie oven when I am still on my college basketball high.

Then it occurred to me, like it has so many times before. What happens when the season is over?

After Maryland and Indiana go at it tonight and "One Shining Moment" is played along with a string of tournament highlights, it's game over for seven months.

What else will there be to watch on TV during the weekend? Since November there were games on almost all weekdays and the weekends. Then the tournament started with a first-week flurry of games that was impossible to view completely. Then week by week the season waned down as the excitement grew.

After tonight, nothing.

Yes, baseball is starting, but it is has nowhere near the same feeling, especially because October is so far away.

The NBA playoffs will begin, which, in my opinion, is the only time watching the NBA is tolerable, but there is no Cinderella factor. All the teams are professional, and are expected to be good.

Forget the Lakers and old-ass Jazz players. I want Kent State. I want the Southern Illinois Salukis.

I don't want a bunch of over-tattooed hairless players that wear uniforms because they get paid to. I want college players on scholarship, pep bands and sections of shirtless fanatics wearing body paint and making up odd acronyms to get their mugs on national TV.

I used to fill up the hours previously reserved for looking at stats on ESPN.com, Yahoo sports and any other Web site, and now what can I do · study?

Yes, it might just get that bad.

Following my daily check-up to see how many Jordan put up, and who was the latest to throw a punch in the NBA, there will be an empty feeling. Old NCAA box scores and game recaps will just not cut it.

After tonight, life changes. I will have to get my daily dose of college sports from Jennie Finch and the UA softball team, which really is far from a waste of a couple hours on the weekend. I recommend it to all college sport fans.

But back to the task at hand.

Yep, it will be another tough seven months after the crowd leaves the Georgia Dome tonight.

No more March Madness.

No more college basketball

My TV viewing choices will be reduced to four-hour baseball games and Ron whatever his last name is, and his amazing food cooker.

Just "set it and forget it."

Thanks, Ron. Nothing fills the college basketball void like watching six half-pound burgers being cooked to perfection.

That's exactly what I need for half a year in place of college basketball.