April showers bring May flowers. This much is obvious. Like the sprouting flora around campus, there are some things in spring that happen each and every year. Some of the joys of watching sports include the jaw-dropping moments that astonish and surprise, but there is also a facet of fandom that appreciates and anticipates the traditions that persist through the years like clockwork. The month of April is no stranger to ritual, and like the rain that pounds windows and soaks stadiums, here are some other unique traditions that belong to this month.

April NBA Draft whispers bring May …

Underclassmen departures. “Hiring an agent.” They are the three most feared words on college campuses this time of year. Three years ago ,Villanova was stung by the early entry poison when Kyle Lowry made the jump to the NBA after his sophomore campaign. This year, it’s the other Big East schools that are desperately trying to hang onto their stars. Pitt and Louisville have already lost DeJuan Blair and Earl Clark, respectively. Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn, Georgetown’s DaJuan Summers and UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet are all likely candidates to be top picks in the draft. Meanwhile, the Wildcats say goodbye to four seniors and welcome four promising freshmen and one solid sophomore transfer.

April Tiger Woods losses bring May …

Tiger Woods wins. Well, in June at least. Tiger doesn’t lose often, but after falling to Angel Cabrera in the Masters Tournament, a Woods win at the U.S. Open seems like a lock. The Open returns to Bethpage State Park in June for the first time since 2002. It was at the Black Course that Woods not only won, but completely dominated. Woods finished the tournament as the only golfer under par. If Tiger can get up and down without any arguments from his putter he’ll win his fourth U.S. Open at Bethpage.

April hitting woes bring May …

Hitting shows. Some major leaguers have major league hangovers in April. These slow starters need extra time for their spring training sunburns to heal and for their swings to return.

This April, Mark Teixeira, Jimmy Rollins, B.J. Upton, Dustin Pedroia and Prince Fielder have all found themselves in slumps to start the season. The cold starts are not limited to hitters. Star pitchers Cliff Lee, Chien-Ming Wang and Cole Hamels have struggled with both location and velocity early on in the season. All of these struggling stars should heat up with the weather.

April home court domination brings May …

Home-court advantage. The Cleveland Cavaliers have not only dominated on their home floor at Quicken Loans Arena, but have been nearly perfect. After the Cavs’ 107-76 Easter Sunday dismantling of the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics, King James and company improved to 39-1 at home. Their performance in Cleveland during the regular season will go down as one of the greatest in history, but the importance of home court goes beyond record books.

All signs lead to a Cavs-Lakers NBA Final, and home court will be a huge factor in the series. Cleveland battled the Lakers twice during the regular season and lost both games, as James was held to just 31 percent shooting. Head Coach Mike Brown will need every last matchup at the arena if the Cavs hope to bring Cleveland the first NBA Championship in team history.

April unemployment rates bring May …

Kentucky Derby bets. The run for the roses has always been a staple of the American sports landscape, and this year’s installment will be the 135th time a horse will be adorned in the blanket of red. After last year’s favorite Big Brown took the race by over five lengths, racing enthusiasts searched for this year’s diamond thoroughbred. Old Fashioned was the early favorite this year but recently bowed out of the competition after an injury.

Other names that will be heard as the Derby approaches are Friesan Fire (grandson of 1977 triple crown winner Seattle Slew), Quality Road, Pioneer of the Nile (trained by the legendary Bob Baffert), and Dunkirk.

April NHL playoffs bring May …

Detroit Red Wing championships. The defending Stanley Cup champions won the West’s Central division title for the eighth consecutive season. Entering the playoffs as the second seed in the west, the Red Wings are a heavy favorite to repeat as champions. Led by two dynamic centers in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit is tops in the conference in scoring.

If there is a chink in the Red Wings’ armor it is their goalkeeping. The duo of Ty Conklin and Chris Osgood is shaky at times and has the potential to offset the excellent play of veteran defensemen Nicklas Lidström and Brian Rafalski. When all is said and done, Hockeytown, U.S.A., may very well have their twelfth Stanley Cup Championship.

April NFL draft picks bring May …

NFL mini-camps. Many teams will fill holes this weekend at the draft in New York City, and the public will see the rookies for the first time in May. How will Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford look in blue if he is taken with the first selection by the Detroit Lions? Where will sophomore receivers Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin land? Along with these queries, other pressing questions will be stabbed at for the first time. The Buccaneers will be looking for a new signal-caller, and the nation will see Terrell Owens as a Buffalo Bill for the first time.