by Cassie Florido

photo by MCT campus

It’s finally here. It’s like Christmas has come early this year. It’s the best time of the year in sports. Basketball season is finally here. SportsCenter is rollin’ with highlights and fans are breaking out the basketball jerseys. If you aren’t excited about the new basketball season, what is wrong with you? I have been waiting for this since April. And finally, it’s time. Basketball…it’s good to see ya again.

Basketball season is the only thing that keeps me sane during this time of the school year. I get into basketball more than any other sport. Let’s just say my email address may or may not have the words “bball” and “freak” in it somewhere (it does). But that was from 5th grade, so I can’t be held responsible for that anymore. But I guess “bball freak” is a pretty accurate way to describe me.

Basketball games are some of the most emotional things I have ever experienced in my life. I have put blood, sweat and tears into watching basketball games. Sometimes I get into the games a little bit too much. One second, players can be cheering and celebrating and the next, they can be heartbroken and defeated. And the fans tag right along for this emotional roller coaster.

Both the NBA and college basketball are underway. For NBA, it’s time to see the new and improved teams for this season. It’s time to see how all the trades and draft picks fit into their teams. But most importantly, it’s time to hear Charles Barkley say “terrible” every half-time show (it gets me every time).

Even though the NBA has some of the most exciting players in basketball, the games really don’t get exciting until later in the year. Yeah, from time to time there are those games that are a big deal. But even those games don’t get intense until the fourth quarter. But you best believe, I get pumped up about the NBA Finals. The finals are the best part of NBA basketball. The rest is kinda just another basic NBA game.

The NBA just doesn’t compare to college basketball, and it never will. It’s just impossible for any sport to match the feelings that college basketball brings along. Sometimes I don’t know how I survive the basketball season, or even a single game, because it gets crazy intense. (I think last year I might have even had a mini heart attack when I was watching a game. I literally couldn’t breath and was about to puke. It was bad.)

But let the college basketball hype begin. College basketball doesn’t officially begin for another seven days. But exhibition games are good enough for me. Even though teams have only played exhibition games, the season predictions are flowing like crazy. I can’t tell you how many tweets I have seen saying “so-and-so” is going to be the player of the year. “This team” is going to be unstoppable. The obvious champion is “blah blah blah.” Well guess what…people really have no idea what’s going to happen this season. How about we let the teams play a real game before we predict a National Champion. Then, once we get further into the season MAYBE you can tell me who is going to win it all.

Now is the time when all the college basketball fans get to talk up their team like they are the best team in the world. But you know what, get it all out now while you can. Because at the end of the season, only one team gets to hold up the trophy. Only one team will be left “dancing” come April. So for now let’s enjoy the ride that is college basketball.

One of the best things about college basketball is that anything can happen. Buzzer beaters, crazy comebacks, and Cinderella stories can happen during any game. You could be a number two seed in the NCAA tournament and lose by two points in the second round to a 15 seed from the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (ugh). Literally, ANYTHING can happen. That’s why college basketball is so great. Unless it’s your team that loses, then it’s the worst thing in the world. But that’s college basketball for you. There is no telling what will happen by the time we reach March.

So let this basketball season be filled with crazy dunks, Cinderella stories, comeback kids, upsets, buzzer beaters, and crazy Dick Vitale punch lines.

Let the madness begin.