Just when everyone is crabby and the economy is still lousy and winter seems like it will never end, here come the national basketball championships to lift our spirits.

While it’s the men’s game that will get most of the ink, there is at least one good reason to pay attention to the women’s tournament this year.

Her name is Jenn Warkenthien, from a tiny town very close to where I grew up in South Dakota. And while South Dakota State University is not a typical basketball power, anyone who reads this story will join me in cheering the team on.