The Magical Feeling of Basketball Season

This is the best week of the year. This week is the start of the college basketball. This may be the best time of year, the excitement begins with midnight madness or in UConn's case, First Night (Though I wish it was at midnight).

This year is going to feel much differently from previous years. I won't be at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on that Friday morning of the start of college basketball. It was a tradition that I really enjoyed, waiting inside the wonderful stadium watching the players fooling around and shooting while admiring the newly updated boards of national championships. Then, watch the start of setting up the lighting, projectors, and other decorations for the night, only to get kicked out by the friendly facility staff and wait outside. This may the only time on the year when going outside to wait in line doesn't mean "Time to roll into a ball to stay warm and fall asleep" (Well, maybe it was just me that did that...)

The atmosphere is something else. The talk of basketball is everywhere, last year there was low expectations for the team coming from a season of going to the NIT tourney and losing in the second round. There was something special that I felt before the season started though, I predicted the men's team would make it to the elite eight, much further than most predictions from peers and the media. The camaraderie of the men's team was easily apparent around campus. You couldn't find Shabazz without Kemba around. You couldn't find a basketball player walking without a teammate. And somehow you knew Kemba Walker was the absolute leader of the team without question.

Then, you had talk of the Women's basketball team. What more is there to say about this team that wasn't been said before? The most prestigious women's team in the nation. Going into the season with best player in the nation, Maya Moore. After two championship seasons, UConn will flying high. But there were lingering questions of who would replace the incredible center, Tina Charles, and the under rated player, Kalana Greene. UConn country has been spoiled by the past two seasons (Really, the past 20 years or so), resulting in overlooking the problems in the depth of the team, especially with Caroline Doty redshirting the season.

My thoughts for the season are very optimistic. Maybe too optimistic for some. I'm predicting a repeat national championship for the men's team led by Shabazz Napier and Alex Oriakhi. With such a great freshmen class and experience from last year, it'll be hard not to predict another great season. As for the woman's team, how can you go against Geno and his team? With Tiffany Hayes and Caroline Doty leading the pack (Get it, pack? Huskies?), it'll definitely be a interesting season leading to another championship. I'm no expert but those are my predictions (No bias).

After waiting all day at Gampel, the anxious feeling getting the season started with the security guards preparing to let all the fans into the stadium for the first of year for basketball. The hour before getting let into the stadium always seemed to last an eternity, even worse in the cold weather. Minutes before, the dedicated fans in the front of the line converse about the plan, who's sitting where. Confirming who's making sure there are enough seats for people that deserve them, trying to best prevent the sneaky people from getting ahead of them. What is UConn basketball without the confusion and chaos of tickets (I won't get into that mess but one recommendation, Point System) and seats.

I will certainly miss all these things but all good things have to come to an end. But there will always be something to replace those things that may be better. I hope to travel to some stadiums that I have never been before. Some of the list: Notre Dame, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, and much more Big Ten games.