No more interview requests, stat sheets and late night deadlines. College basketball season is over after Florida’s win in the national championship game against UCLA Monday.
Time has come for some real basketball. I’m talking about the annual collision between the Emerald sports staff and the Athletics Department’s Media Services division. The contest, held within the confines of McArthur Court, awaits a day and time.
To the game’s winner, provided anyone’s still breathing at its conclusion, go the bragging rights. Remember now, these rights are important, as we sports writers work with Media Services on a daily basis.
The Emerald’s rag-tag group of sports journalists showcases the soft shooting touches of Luke Andrews, Shawn Miller and yours truly. It also features the inside muscle of Scott Adams and Spencer Crum.
Gone is the height and bulk of former sports staff members Clayton Jones and Jon Roetman.
Four months of college basketball has created toned, fit basketball players on a diet of pizza, leftover hot dogs and pretzels, and Quiznos, courtesy of covering men’s and women’s home games.
I’ve learned from playing basketball for 12 years that jump shots come and go. Weight is gained. Interest wanes. Basic understanding of the game, though, never seems to go away.
Finding misplaced basketball skills is another matter.
Our practices have been rigorous, consisting of scrimmages at the Student Recreation Center. Half all-out effort and half the time spent walking up the court, I’ll admit the competition’s not the level of New York’s famed Rucker Park, but it’s where media-game champions are made.
When we started practicing in March, it marked the first time in seven months I touched a basketball. The last I played competitively was in a men’s basketball league in my hometown last summer.
That memory brings me to this year’s matchup. The game, I’m told, is a full-court contest. Here are my wishes for this year’s game: Don’t cherry pick (yes, it’s true that a larger adult team can probably guard college students with four people and free up a player for the easy basket, but it’s lame), guard your beat writers (makes for ideal post-game trash talking when one or the other gets schooled), and watch the Emerald’s sweet jumpers fly.
I predict that my post-game interview will go something like this: “When’s the last time you shot the ball like that?” I will ask myself, responding, “Last night. Of course, with the shooting skills of a 6-foot, 140-pound pasty white shooting guard, who wouldn’t expect eight three-pointers a night?”
So now I say to Media Services that we’re ready. Are you?

[email protected]