March Madness is upon us and everyone is pulling out their bracket sheets to follow along as… March Madness is upon us and everyone is pulling out their bracket sheets to follow along as teams advance toward the championship game. Since that day is still several games away, here are the Final Four of basketball films to provide some entertainment in the meantime — two comedies and two dramas, facing off for your bracketological speculation. First, in the Comedy division:

“The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh”

It’s common for sports teams to have their superstitions: Deluxe sandwich and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t sporting that facial hair on Super Bowl Sunday just because it kept his cheeks warm.

This ’70s sports comedy, however, goes well beyond lucky rabbits’ feet and auspicious personal grooming. When the worst team in the NBA (hailing from Pittsburgh, of course) drops out of the NBA on account of its complete lack of skills, the ball boy comes up with a plan just wacky enough to work: that the team follows the advice of an astrologer who suggests building a team composed entirely of players with the astrological sign Pisces. And Pisces just happens to be the same sign as the only worthwhile player on the team, Moses Guthrie.

Considering that Guthrie is played by Julius Erving (aka Dr. J), it’s not that bad a plan. As dated and cheesy as it is, the film is funny. How could it not be when the team is coached by Jonathan Winters and Flip Wilson?

“The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh” also features appearances by other notables besides Erving, including former leader of the Harlem Globetrotters, Meadowlark Lemon, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and sports commentator Marv Albert.

“Teen Wolf”

As many basketball players are likely to note, putting the ball through the hoop became a lot easier after puberty hit, considering how much closer they were to the basket.

For Scott Howard, played by the not 7-feet-tall Michael J. Fox, puberty held other surprises. Most notably, he started sprouting hair in new places, such as everywhere. Scott inherited the family curse and was becoming a werewolf.

While tackling such important teenage issues as self-image and social acceptance, “Teen Wolf” also uncovers a little known fact: Werewolves are amazing basketball players. On the court Scott makes flying dunks and runs circles around the other team while in his lycanthropic state. In an age before the word “metrosexual” had entered the dictionary, he also wins the hearts of all the girls at his high school who go for the whole wild and unkempt look.

– and in the Drama division:

“Hoosiers”

Based on a true story, “Hoosiers” tells the tale of Norman Dale (Gene Hackman), an ill-tempered coach who takes over a small, rural Indiana high school’s basketball program after being banned from the NCAA for life.

Despite the scrutiny of the locals — something not lessened by his decision to make the basketball-enthusiastic town drunk (Dennis Hopper) assistant coach — Dale is determined to whip the team into shape and take them to the state championship. His unorthodox coaching methods may make him an unpopular addition to the town, but his persistence pays off as the now-disciplined team starts to beat larger, wealthier schools on their way to the championship.

Considered one of the best films about sports, the underdog tale of “Hoosiers” is one to watch for a boost of confidence before any game in which your team isn’t favored to win.

“Glory Road”

Another underdog film based on a true story, “Glory Road” goes several steps forward to show how the struggle for racial equality during the 1960s extended to the basketball court.

When Don Haskins (Josh Lucas) is offered a chance to leave coaching high-school girls’ basketball for the position of West Texas University’s head coach, he decides to try something new — recruit black players and start them in a game. Facing prejudice from both outsiders and from within his own team, Haskins doesn’t give in and watches as his ragtag team comes together to form a powerhouse on the court.

As Haskins leads the previously unremarkable team all the way to the 1966 NCAA Tournament, they win one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history — and an upset for racial equality in a game where the scoreboard is supposed to reflect skill and not skin color.