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We’re past the halfway point of the college football season, the College Football Playoff rankings are out, and that means one thing and one thing only. Winter, erm, excuse me… college basketball is coming. Like, tonight.

If there’s one thing that makes me feel like a kid in the candy store, it’s the start of the college basketball season. The pristine hardwood, the swish of the net, the squeak of the shoes. The cheers, the boos, the storming of the courts. There’s nothing better than college basketball. Four glorious months where every single night is packed with drama.

Wait, you’re not a sports fan? Oh, you only came here for the Game of Thrones reference? OK, well we’ve got the suspense. The unlikely heroes. The seemingly impossible outcomes. This time of year is like hours upon hours of Jon Snow coming back from the dead for us college basketball fans.

Do you remember Monmouth? The name rings a bell, but you can’t quite place them. Let me remind you.

Oh, that Monmouth. Right! The bench celebrators! They’re fun! The impressive creativity, like when they dunked on a human hoop, following it with LeBron’s famous dunk celebration. We’re looking forward to more, Monmouth, don’t disappoint us!

We’ll also get another year of surprise guests popping out from behind the curtain of distraction.

Look at those gold medals! OK, you caught me… look at those abs! Expert level distraction, Arizona State, well done. It’s a wonder anyone can make a free throw with twerking horse heads and The Village People back there.

College basketball student sections are amazing, yet so unforgiving. Oh, you airballed a shot one time? Enjoy getting booed the rest of the game! Oh, the visiting coach gets a technical foul? Here’s a rousing, standing ovation! Without fail, students make up the most spirited fanbase in sports. They never fail to give it their all come basketball season.

Don’t forget about the upsets! No, I’m not just talking March Madness upsets. I’m talking Top 25 upsets, court-storming, the unranked underdogs beating the #1 team in the country kind of upset! The kind of upset that happens when your team is at home, playing the role of David, as Goliath comes to visit and is favored to win by double-digits.

A buzz fills the arena, your team’s fans are hyped up, and the team plays off the energy. Against impossible odds, the game is close and David, your hometown hero, is in position to slay the giant. The time ticks down, 3… 2… 1…

AND DAVID’S DONE IT! Down goes Goliath! The crowd storms the court, enveloping the players, pieces of jumping human confetti, positively awash with excitement. All this on a humble Tuesday night in January. Most of them will make it to class in the morning.

Last, but certainly not least, the rivalries in college basketball are second-to-none. UNC vs. Duke. Louisville vs. Kentucky. Syracuse vs. Georgetown. Cincinnati vs. Xavier. The list goes on. These games pit families and friends against each other. They raise your blood pressure, pushing you past the edge of sanity. They have you wondering why you subject yourself to this pain and anxiety, but the answer is simple: You love it. These games are the epitome of what college basketball, and sports in general, are all about.

It all starts today, when hopeful teams begin their journey to the NCAA tournament, appropriately nicknamed March Madness. One-and-done freshmen will turn into one of Dickie V’s “Diaper Dandies” as they hope to lead their team to a championship. Seniors will defy odds and expectations, playing for their lives and their teams, turning from mediocre to monster and from D-leaguers into lottery picks. In the most exhilarating and crushing fashion, games will be won and lost on a miss or a make at the buzzer.

One thing is for sure. It’s going to be yet another exciting season. It’s the greatest time of the year! Are you ready?

MK McWeeney

MK once drew herself as Michael Jordan’s daughter for back-to-school night to tell her parents she no longer wanted to be theirs.

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