Continue reading »]]> I have been a fan of college basketball for as long as I can remember. From an early age I have loved this sport and have made an effort to get to any game I could. So on a recent vacation to Nevada and Arizona I made it a point to check out the local hoops scene (okay it was actually the point of the trip but don’t tell my lady friend she thinks we were visiting friends and family). I would encourage any sports fan to travel outside of their region and watch some random teams at least once in their lifetime. It can be an eye opening experience. For a guy who has lived in the midwest his entire life to see an Arizona State fan fly into a rage at jump ball call in a non conference game it’ll make me think twice about doging Pac 10 fans for being flighty, and disinterested.

My first stop was in Las Vegas to check out UNLV v. Kansas State at the Orleans Arena. The Orleans Arena is like Rhett’s personal venue since he was watched so many WCC, and exempt tourney games there since becoming westie, and he assured me that it was a different environment at the Thomas and Mack where UNLV usually plays its home games. I was a little apprehensive about the fan base when I saw a rebel fan in the parking lot with a sideways visor freestyle rapping next to a bunch of trucks and RVs but those concerns were quickly put to rest as the game began. Vegas is an entertainment town. There is tons to see and do, and if you are going to compete for the entertainment dollars in that town you have to put on a show. Even though they were not at their home arena the UNLV people did everything they could to make the game a spectacle. They had a pyrotechnics display and a celebrity video to fire up the crowd (it was Carrot Top though). The crowd was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and very very intense. I thought the guy behind me was going to start challenging the Kansas State fans to meet him in the parking lot for either a fight or a rap battle. But the enthusiasm died down as the game wore on and K State started draining 3 pointers. That K State team is really good by the way. So I guess it isn’t fair to judge a fan base based on 1 game at a pseudo home arena when they are getting beat by double digits but I think they are passionate and in a certain sense demanding because there are so many other ways for them to be entertained if they choose. The passion can turn to frustration pretty quickly. But it looks like it is fun to root for UNLV when times are good.

The arena was literally in a casino, which was strange and you could get a beer which I did but didn’t really feel good about it. The program was tiny and free, and there were alot of people wearing vintage UNLV gear that they probably purchased when Anderson Hunt was a freshman. You could sense that most of the people who filled up this place were the diehards, and there was a pretty impressive contingent of Kansas State fans as well as a few cowboys. Not juiced in local cowboys, but actual cowboys in town with the rodeo. I won’t go into the specifics of the game because Rhett already did that but I will say once again K State is good and very impressive in person. It was a different environment than I was used to and I would like to go  back for a big conference game at the Thomas and Mack sometime.

With Arizona State I think I got the gist of what they are and what they can be with one trip and probably don’t need to go back. First off I think they used the same architect to build the Wells Fargo as they did to build Crisler Arena. It is a round, bland building with a few trophy cases and not much ambiance. It lacked the impressive collection of NIT banners that can be found at Crisler but you could build your own burrito at the concession stand so I guess that part is a wash.

I was there for the game against San Diego State and my old buddy Steve Fischer who has recreated his patented brand of undisciplined gangster ball on the west coast to finish out his tainted abortion of a career. They had 23 turnovers on the game and ended up on the losing end despite dominating on the glass 39-21. It was a sloppy 55-53 Arizona State victory that will probably be significant in March as both of these teams will  be someplace on the tournament bubble.

What I took away from this game and this fan base was a sense that Herb Sendeck is a very good coach who is building a program and the fans at ASU are lucky to have him since they aren’t exactly Kentucky. For a game against a good SDSU squad they had an announced attendance of 10,055. There is no way there were that many people there even though in all fairness most of the students were away for Christmas break and its a pro sports town full of transplants and good weather outside. The people that did show up were loud and enthusiastic even though it wasn’t always at the appropriate time, and seem hungry for a winner. I think they are a rising power in the Pac 10 and will supplant Arizona as the dominate team in that state very soon if they haven’t already. They are just an impact player away from making a real statement on the national scene as well.

So that is my feelings on the random places I visited to watch hoops on my vacation. I recommend strongly going to any random game when you are in a new town. Not only is it kind of fun and interesting but it makes you appreciate your home teams that much more. I know I can’t wait to get to the Convocation Center tonight in Ypsilanti to watch Samford take on Eastern Michigan. There is no place like home.