Green is the blush usually aloof for St. Patrick’s Day, but there is abiding to be affluence of yellow, dejected and amethyst about Wichita on Friday.
In a aberration of fate, all three of the state’s Division I men’s basketball teams – Wichita State, Kansas and Kansas State – will comedy in NCAA Tournament amateur on Friday night. Kansas State defeated Wake Forest in a play-in bold on Tuesday to authorize for its first-round game.
The three teams are appointed to tip off adjoin their corresponding opponents aural 37 account of anniversary other, alpha with the 5:50 p.m. appointed alpha time for the Jayhawks’ bold adjoin the 16-seed in the Midwest Region in Tulsa.
While a accustomed St. Patrick’s Day would be a alive night for best sports bars, Friday is acceptable to be bonkers at abounding breadth watering holes.
“The bar arena in Wichita is activity to be basics with the three Kansas teams arena at about the aforementioned time,” said Connie White of the Wichita State University Alumni Association. “And it’s St. Patrick’s Day. It’s the absolute compound for March Carelessness chaos!”
The bar arena in Wichita is activity to be nuts.
Connie White of the Wichita State University Alumni Association
The association, White said, will host its official watch affair for Friday’s Wichita State/Dayton bold at Jerseys Grill and Bar abreast K-96 and North Webb Road. On a accustomed day, the affair would accept acceptable been at Blarney Stone, accepted as a Shockers hangout, but the Irish pub already had its St. Patrick’s Day anniversary scheduled.
Because the two confined accept the aforementioned owners, Jerseys fabricated sense, said Courtney Marshall, WSU alumni affiliation admiral and CEO.
“The action this time of year never gets old,” Marshall said. “I anticipate it’s abundant that all three teams are playing. It aloof adds to the excitement.”
Sharon Dopps, accepted administrator of the west-side Emerson Biggin’s at 2330 N. Maize Road, said she expects bodies to be cat-and-mouse alfresco back the sports bar opens its doors one hour beforehand than accustomed at 10 a.m. on Friday.
“Usually, the Wednesday afore Thanksgiving is our busiest day of the year,” Dopps said. “Friday will acceptable be alike added busy.
“We still accept some 10 a.m. anxiety left, but I anticipate it will be arranged by aboriginal afternoon. Hopefully, it carries over into after in the black back the amateur are over.”
Dopps said her agents has been stocking added account in preparation, and the abode will be absolutely staffed. The bar has a accommodation of aloof beneath 300 bodies and will accept three altered sections arena audio of the three amateur on Friday.
Wichita advocate Jeff Kennedy, who is alive in the University of Kansas Alumni Association, said there won’t be a KU watch affair in Wichita – partly because abounding admirers will be in Oklahoma watching the bold in actuality – but added that he’s aflame about how able-bodied the state’s teams are doing.
“I anticipate it’s abundant that K-State won in the play-in game,” Kennedy said. “Wichita State, I think, got busted with their seed. I anticipate they’re actual strong, and the success of all three schools is abundant for bounded sports fans.
The success of all three schools is abundant for bounded sports fans.
Jeff Kennedy of the University of Kansas Alumni Affiliation
“It’s not ideal to accept the amateur all at once, because I’d like to watch all three, but I’ll be about in advanced of a TV watching the Jayhawks.”
Brice Lowe of the Wichita Catbackers booster club said the accumulation isn’t accepting an official watch affair but is auspicious associates to watch the Kansas State/Cincinnati bold at Bubba’s 33 in east Wichita.
In Old Town, Heroes Sports Bar & Grill administrator Wesley Wallace said bouncers will be staffed alpha at about 3 p.m. because of the accepted rush. In accession to basketball admirers in the evening, the bar will additionally accept bagpipers assuming during the afternoon.
“We’ll accept added staff, and it will be busy,” Wallace said. “We’re activity to be ready. If you break ready, you don’t accept to get ready.”
At the Pumphouse, a abbreviate airing from Heroes, every agent is appointed to assignment on Friday, which could end up actuality a 15-hour day for bartender Tori Lewis.
“I’m activity to go to bed aboriginal on Thursday,” Lewis said. “I’m abiding it’s activity to be super-busy.”
Kansas (1) vs. North Carolina Central/UC-Davis (16) – 5:50 p.m. (TNT)
Wichita State (10) vs. Dayton (7) – 6:10 p.m. (KWCH)
Kansas State (11) vs. Cincinnati (6) – 6:27 p.m. (truTV)
