March Madness is a condition that overtakes much of the nation. It leads normally rational adults to pore over college basketball tournament brackets at work and elsewhere. West Virginia University basketball fans certainly are no exception.

The Mountaineers' return to the Sweet 16 has been a welcome sweetener for a ho-hum time of the year, giving the university and state substantial positive exposure that money cannot buy.

No one can predict the fate of the Mountaineers, but we do know this: Coach John Beilein and his players represent us well. Beilein sets the standard for his team, which has made its mark for two successive years in the nation's premier basketball showcase. They have played hard and demonstrated sportsmanship. Their coach requires them to be real students.

The Mountaineers were to tip off March 23 against the University of Texas in Atlanta, site of the Mountaineers' Sugar Bowl football victory in January over the University of Georgia. Looking at the athletics program overall at WVU, we make this conclusion: These are the good old days.

Here's hoping that Coach Beilein, architect of our basketball success, remains at WVU for many years to come.