PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — For just the second time since 1999, Division One men’s college basketball is being played in Pinellas County. While the Final Four and national championship games took place at Tropicana Field at the turn of the century, this week the spotlight shifts to Eckerd College for the Showdown in St. Pete.

What You Need To Know • For just the second time since 1999, Division One men’s college basketball is being played in Pinellas County • The event was planned to be in the Tropicana Field • It will now take place at Eckerd College

Inside the MacArthur Center, teams from Central Michigan, Coppin State, and South Alabama are preparing for tipoff — marking a major milestone for local sports fans.

“This is really surreal,” said Nima Omidvar, event director for the Sh

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