Three Point Play

Whatever happened to the great Tulane basketball tradition? Fogelman Arena was once a shrine to the game, feared by opponents and loved by the faithful. Now, dismal crowds watch atrocious squads lose year after year. Rumors circulate of a new, bigger, more profitable arena in the future, yet no one seems to care about the product on the court. Tulane women were once a guaranteed lock to make the NCAA tournament, and now they fail to finish in the top 12 in Conference USA. The men have had one winning season in the last five and this year needed the final regular season game just to make the C-USA tourney. To get fans back in the seats and revive Fogelman glory, there must be changes on the court, in recruiting and in coaching to bring the old tradition back to Tulane.

When the field of 65 is announced Sunday night, Tulane will not be one of the schools mentioned. Although heartbreaking, brackets must still be filled out and an eventual winner must be predicted. There is only one name to put on the final line as champion: Illinois. The Fighting Illini are the best team in the nation and have the easiest road to the final four, needing two wins in both Indianapolis and Chicago before taking the crown in St. Louis, all the while never having to travel more than three hours from campus. Huge crowds of orange and blue will cheer on the best backcourt in the country, featuring Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head. Last Sunday’s loss at Ohio State relieves the pressure of an undefeated season and gives the Illini a reason to prove how good they really are.

Two weeks ago, after the Hornets traded away Baron Davis and Jamal Mashburn, they proceeded to waive the yield of the trades, Glenn Robinson and Dale Davis. The move reflects the new age of the NBA, which values younger, cheaper talent over experienced veterans. This is no longer the classy league of MJ, Magic and Bird but one of overpaid quasi-punks who provide fans with a slow, boring game. Most nights, the entertainment outside New Orleans Arena is more exciting than the game on the court. The month ahead will provide great excitement and plenty of upsets on the college hardwood, while the NBA takes a backseat and praysthe fans return by June.

“Three-Point Play” is a weekly column that allows the “Hullabaloo” sports writers to voice their opinion on three relevant topics each week. While the topics are required to be relevant, the opinions are not. This week’s writer, Blake Roter, can be reached at broter@tulane.edu.