'It's really special' - Fulton ready for March Madness

Belfast basketball star CJ Fulton says it is a "a dream come true" to play in college basketball's 'March Madness' tournament.

Fulton plays for Charleston Cougars, who will face Alabama in the first round on Friday in Spokane, Washington.

The NCAA Division One knockout tournament, known as 'March Madness', involves the best 68 teams in the US.

"I think a lot of people in America would say it is the largest sporting event here," he told BBC Sport NI.

"Even including the Super Bowl and the NBA finals, the month of March is all about college basketball and it is really unique as there are a lot of upsets.

"It is the main event with the whole world watching it, it is massive and it should be a lot of fun."

The competition, which is broadcast on network television across the US, features 68 college teams, 32 of which automatically qualify by winning their conference tournament.

The other 36 teams qualify through their performances during the season, with the teams then competing in seven rounds of a single-elimination games until the national champion is crowned in the final.

Fulton, who plays as a guard for Charleston, helped his side win the CAA Conference Tournament to qualify for the end of season finale.

The 21-year old is relishing the chance to play in a tournament he grew up watching with his grandfather in Northern Ireland.

"My granda got me into it and I remember as a kid growing up watching March Madness and filling out the brackets [wall charts] with him. He always had the magazines to get the right predictions, so it's definitely a cool moment."

He continued: "It's really special, I haven't really thought about it, but I think after March Madness I will reflect on my journey from where I started to making the tournament and hopefully winning a few games.

"Being able to impact winning is really special at this level as not a lot of Irish people have done it before."

Fulton established himself as one of the major talents in the Basketball Ireland Super League, helping Belfast Star to their first title in 21 years in the 2019-20 season and being named young player of the year.

He moved to The Wichendon School in Boston before landing a collegiate scholarship with Pennsylvania-based Lafayette University.

The Irish underage international then transferred to Charleston last summer and has embraced the "winning culture" at the college.

Charleston, who are ranked 13th out of the 68 teams this year, will look to go one better in the NCAA Championship after losing in the first round last year against eventual runners-up San Diego State.

Fulton is under no illusions as to how difficult that will be against Alabama, the number four seeds in the tournament.

"I think in Charleston there is a tradition with winning. We've had a good year this year, we've won 27 and lost seven, but we won our league and conference tournament and it has been a really successful.

"There's a lot of buzz around the city, everyone is really excited and walking about, you get a bunch of people wishing you luck.

"We've got Alabama, who are one of the best teams in the country. They are a good side, they play a good style, really fast, similar to us and we know we have to play well, but we can definitely beat them, he acknowledged.

"We want to win as many games as possible, it would be very special and that is our aspiration."

It will be a family affair in Spokane with his parents and sister making a gruelling long trip across the Atlantic to watch Fulton in action.

"They're going from Dublin to London to Seattle to Spokane," he explained.

"I'm really excited for them to come, they managed to come for a few games in February and that was really great, but for them to get to go to March Madness, is a whole different level.

"There was a lot of talk about whether they would come especially when we got the draw of it being in Spokane on the west coast it's another six hours on a plane for them, but they thought they couldn't miss it."