My favorite time of year is here again; the day I have been praying for since the start of the college football season. College basketball is back, and it is an exciting time both at Saint Louis University and around the nation.
This college basketball season will provide a lot of excitement for SLU. The Atlantic 10 is the strongest basketball conference in the nation. New opponents like Butler and VCU will make their first appearances at Chaifetz Arena, while old foes like Xavier and Dayton will return, looking to bring down this year’s media darling, the Billikens.
Nationally, college basketball is going to be very exciting. Nearly 21 million people watched the NCAA National Championship last year with Kentucky and Kansas. This year, teams like Indiana, Louisville, Ohio State, Michigan and Kentucky battle for the top spot in the polls this season.
However, everything is not perfect in college basketball; the conference and team realignment, while beneficial to the A-10, has destroyed some traditional rivalries in college basketball. There will be no more “border wars” between Kansas and Missouri, no more traditional rivalry between Kentucky and Indiana, and many other traditional games in other smaller conferences like the Horizon League, Colonel Athletic Association and many other leagues around the nation are lost.
Yet, there are plenty of key matchups for fans around the nation to watch this season. The biggest game to open the season is Duke vs. Kentucky. It is one of the biggest rivalries; Kentucky still holds a deep grudge about Christian Laettner. It will be a great way to kick off the intense college basketball season.
Another interesting matchup this season is North Carolina State and Michigan. Not exactly the traditional power matchup, but both teams are very good. Michigan returns with Trey Burke, one of the best point guards in the nation. However, NC State has a very talent laden team as well. Head Coach Mark Gottfried, CJ Leslie and Lorenzo Brown have done an amazing job at NC State. This team will compete with Duke and North Carolina for the Atlantic Coast Conference title.
I got to see NC State last year in Columbus and it was an amazing sight. The team had incredible athleticism and poise. They might compete for the national title when all is said and done.
Finally, the last big game marked on my schedule is Louisville vs. Kentucky. I’m biased for including Kentucky twice, but the battle for the Bluegrass State will be the biggest rivalry game of the year. The two teams absolutely hate each other, and Louisville will be seeking revenge after their defeat by Kentucky in last year’s NCAA Final Four. Will a Cincinnati-Xavier-type brawl ensue from this game? It could happen, considering these two teams and their recent history on the court.
That’s what to watch for on the national stage. However, there is also a lot of excitement around the campus for the upcoming men’s basketball season.
The Billikens will defeat Texas A&M, will win the Atlantic 10 conference, will be part of the NCAA Tournament and will go to the Sweet 16. I know this seems a bit bold, especially with many people counting out the Billikens with Head Coach Majerus being gone. But it can be done.
The team returns with four of its starters from last season. Kwamain Mitchell will be out for a while with his injury, but the team is loaded at the guard position so they can sustain a blow like this temporarily. The team will have to answer questions about its front line all season, but coaching staff and players haven’t expressed great concern.
SLU has a very deceiving schedule. It doesn’t look tough at first glance, but the Bills scheduled to improve their strength, which was a major problem last season. They will run into teams like Valparaiso, North Texas and USC Upstate. These three teams are likely to be the conference champions for the Horizon, Sun Belt and Atlantic Sun conferences, respectably. These non-conference games, combined with the strength of the Atlantic 10 conference schedule, make SLU’s season very entertaining and fun to watch from start to finish.
The best part about the conference schedule is seeing the new additions to the conference. Butler and Virginia Commonwealth University make their first appearances at SLU. Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart are two of the hottest names in college basketball coaching. It will be interesting to see how they matchup against the Bills, particularly VCU, which prides itself on a “havoc” style of defense. It will be interesting to see how these teams adjust to the new conference.
Finally, expectations are high around campus. Students seem very excited for the upcoming season. The players have faced setbacks this offseason but are ready to take meet expectations head on when they begin their season on Friday.The tip-off of the college basketball season is almost here, and I for one can’t wait to watch one of the most interesting teams in college basketball, our very own SLU Billikens.
