Can you feel it? That sense that with a new season, anything's possible - whether you're a
defending conference champion (
Lehigh), a
program on the rise (
San Diego State).
somewhere in the middle (
Miami (Oh.)), or
a hapless doormat (
San Jose State).
Can you smell it? Yeah, that's pretty gross. But don't worry,
it's just the mildew in
Bradley's arena.
Can you see it? It's difficult to visualize American basketball players
sticking jump shots anymore, but if we all join hands and work together, we can help make this dream a reality.
Can you taste it? That
bitter tang in the average college hoops fan's mouth when they think of Cincinnati.
And can you hear it? That's the unmistakable sound of hundreds -
thousands - of basketballs whooshing through nets in arenas and gymnasiums from sea to shining sea, in
tropical paradises and
icy outposts too. Yes, today is the true beginning of the college basketball regular season. There are still some of those showcase tournaments yet to be played out, but this is the first calendar date upon which schools can put one another on the schedule. And as you can see by the long list of games to your right, many have chosen to do just that.