High School Students Talk College Hoops

Jose Arredondo
TBS Staff Writer

The NCAA basketball season has officially started and a lot of fans are noticibly even more excited given the absence of professional basketball due to their player’s strike.
College basketball is very special to a lot of people who claim that it is where true Cinderella stories of great comebacks are formed. The March Madness NCAA mens national basketball tournament being the centerpiece for these Cinderella teams to shock the nation by going further and winning more games than anyone expects.
Basketball fans need something to be excited about as the lockout in the NBA does not appear to be ending anytime soon.
“The NBA lockout is still on, but college basketball is just getting started for us, so that’s exciting for fans of the sport,” Edward Lagunas, sophomore, said.
Lagunas is not alone in sharing his excitement for hoops season.
“So many great exciting teams and matchups, baby,” Dick Vitale, ESPN national commentator said recently when speaking of the upcoming season. Vitale and Lagunas enthusiam towards the season is equally matched by fans all over the country blogging their opinions of who is the true condenders and pretenders in this year’s field of Division I teams. Facebook.com has become one of the largest sites for college basketball blogging along with Yahoo and Google.com.
The recent reshuffling of teams in conferences has also built up the level of excitement for fans across the nation. Syracuse and Pittsburg Universities have left the Big East Conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is regarded by many as the best basketball conference in the nation with such hoops powerhouses as North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Duke within its ranks.
The defending champion UConn Huskies are currently ranked no. 4 behind North Carolina who has the highest ranking in the nation. Many think that Kentucky out of the Southeastern Conference and coached by John Calapari will dominate play on the hardcourt this season.
“College basketball is all we have right now, but it’s more fun and exciting than the NBA,” Jordan Valle, sophomore, said.
The upsets and surprises are always especially fun in college basketball. Watching an underdog take down a college powerhouse program makes college basketball unpredictable and the kind of entertainment that will keep fans on the edge of their seats.
“Watching game winners, the crowd and students all rush the court is exciting. It is the best thing to watch and this year should have all of that. College basketball equals excitement,” Derrick Ray, junior, said.
Since the NBA hasn’t started its season, the exciting and nail-biter games of the NCAA should equal a great season of hoops for everyone needing sports thrills.