As Matt and Vince wrote about in their columns this week, college basketball reigns supreme at this juncture in the world of college sports—as it should. I've been to my fair share of NBA regular season and playoff games, but they do not even compare to the excitement and emotion of college basketball games.
My love for the sport was brought to a new high this past weekend with what I would describe as the greatest sports weekend of my young lifetime. It was highlighted by a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Durham, N.C., to visit the famous Cameron Indoor Arena for the Duke-North Carolina State game. Whatever you've heard about the crowd noise and the energy that is constantly on display throughout a Duke basketball game, all of that was true. The tightly packed gym is something no other arena across any college or professional level can duplicate. Coach K is everything as advertised on the sidelines. Duke and NC State played every possession like the outcome hung in the balance.
This is one of the many reasons why college basketball is so great. NBA arenas are usually scattered with fans on any given night, making it a less-than-desirable atmosphere. Players usually do not try until the four quarter, but only if the game was not already decided in the preceding quarters.
After an incredible experience in Durham, I thought I could not witness another such sporting event—it was that magical. However, I was happily mistaken. Two days later, college basketball magic struck again when Ben Brust heaved the half-court shot, hitting nothing but the bottom of the net and sending the game into overtime. As Brust's shot hit and he was mobbed by his teammates in the process, I jumped around my living room, throwing up my arms like I had just won a middle school track meet.
OK seriously, though, I thought to myself, “Can it really get any better than this?” Of course, it can. How could I have been so foolish? My whirlwind of a weekend was capped off with the thrilling, five-overtime Louisville-Notre Dame game—the most back-and-forth game I have ever witnessed.
In every single game I witnessed in a span of three days, you could sense the true emotion and pageantry of college basketball across the board—the players, coaches and fans. It started with the Cameron Crazies being choreographed as hell in their chants, spanning from “if you can't go to college, go to [North Carolina] State” to “past your bedtime” directed toward 5-foot-11-inch freshman guard Tyler Lewis, who looked like a 12-year-old. It transitioned to the Grateful Red at the Kohl Center, including some members of the football team, as they were electric as ever and topped it off with the infamous court storm (sorry, Max). It ended with the preppy and studious Notre Dame student section trading in their date with Manti Te'o's girlfriend—also known in laymen terms as a night at the library—for a marathon of a game, which they will be telling their future co-workers about for years to come.
The electricity, intensity and emotion extended to the players and coaches alike as well. Even Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan showed some positive emotion, which is a rarity, according to forward Mike Bruesewitz.
“Coach Ryan actually put his arms up. He showed some emotion, which was odd,” Bruesewitz said. “Every once in a while he’ll bring it out, and that’s when you know something big has happened.”
This past weekend could not have been drawn up any other way—and that only explains the drama of college basketball to the extent it deserves. So when people ask me what I did this past weekend, I will simply respond: “I had the best sports weekend of my life,” and I would not trade it for anything.
How many college hoops games did you catch this past weekend? Do you share Rex's passion for the sport? Send him an email at sports@dailycardinal.com.
