The Halfcourt Trap Vol. I, No. 15

With the holiday season kicking off this week, it’s a time for reflection here at the Trap. With that in mind, here are a few of the things I’m thankful for in college hoops:

1. Bob Knight: the John Wayne of college basketball.

2. March Madness: A system where the champion is decided on the court, not in a computer lab.

3. Early season tournaments: So many games, so little time.

4. Majestic Old Bulidings: Rose Hill Gym, the Palestra, Allen Fieldhouse, et al are college basketball’s versions of a time capsule.

5. Fabulous Freshmen-Beasley, Love, Gordon, Mayo, Rose. There isn’t a group of five upperclassmen who can compete with that unit. Thank you, David Stern.

6. Old Faces, New Places. Bob Huggins, John Beilein, Mark Turgeon. The coaching carousel always makes for great storylines when it finally stops. You think the folks in Morgantown have the game with Cincinnati circled?

7. Chris Lofton. A walking testament to the value of hard work and self confidence. Humble and classy, he’s the poster child for what is good about college basketball.

8. LA Story. The budding rivalry between the Bruins and Trojans will be great for college hoops. Great coaches, future NBA talent, and a major media market.

9. Rivalries. Duke-Carolina, Missouri-Kansas, UCONN-Syracuse, Indiana-Purdue. The list goes on and on. There’s no atmosphere in sports like a sellout crowd packed into a college gym to watch two teams that detest each other go at it.

10. The Missouri Valley Conference. Proof that great basketball doesn’t require a consistent spot in ESPN’s lineup.

Here’s hoping everyone has a safe, healthy holiday. Stay classy, VolNation.