It’s that time of year again. College basketball is now in session.

This season of collegiate hoops will be exciting for many reasons: the notable absence of an NBA season, the high number of  talented players in college basketball and, for the Saint Louis University men’s basketball team, a possibility to make it into the NCAA tournament. However, walking around SLU, there is not much excitement for this upcoming basketball season.

There seems to be apathy or disinterest in our men’s basketball program, and it is a shame after the University invested so much in Chaifetz Arena and hired Rick Majerus. Some claim that Majerus has not delivered and that his time is running out. However, Majerus has had to deal with a number of issues, like having to work with Brad Soderburg’s players for his first three years, coaching without a full roster of scholarship players until this year and the suspension of SLU’s top two players last season.

Majerus will deliver this year with the talent and players that finally match his coaching style. Majerus has a team that will be able to supplement the starting lineup after some of the bench players started or played significant minutes, this year. Our progress was delayed by a year, but now, our team is experienced and ready for this season’s challenges, trials and tribulations. Some older students still hold a grudge or resentment against the basketball team after the suspension of Kwamain Mitchell and Willie Reed last year. Reed is gone, but Mitchell has stayed.

I can understand why some students would still hold a grudge; the reason for the suspension was a sensitive manner and affected many people. However, the problem is that if we hold a grudge, we may become consumed by it. Kwamain was not convicted of any criminal charges. He served his punishment and fulfilled his obligations to get back on the team, and he aided the team while on the bench by mentoring his teammates. For the older students, it is time to let the past be the past and move on to the bright prospects the team has this season.

I will admit that I was surprised when I went to the Tennessee State game last Friday. I thought it would be poorly attended, like the previous two exhibition games. But the game was well attended. It is nice that students attended the first game, but it needs to be sustained throughout the entire season so the team knows that the student body is fully supportive of the team.

But I must remind students that the season is not a sprint. It is a marathon.