By JOHN P. WISEOne Great Season
One thing I've never accepted in my five years living up here is the long-held belief that everything is better in New York.
But there are plenty of things superior in the Big Apple than anywhere else, and one of them is a college basketball tournament.
I've attended some December ballgames at Madison Square Garden, where the atmosphere even for two out-of-state college teams playing in a pro town is pretty impressive.
And it's 100 times better in March when Big East rivals square off at the Garden, even if it's 2 p.m. on a Wednesday. The energy is outstanding, and I'm glad I've scraped a few bucks together to catch a session each of the last couple of years.
What also makes the Big East Tournament better than any other is that the city itself is a hotbed for talented ballers. When guys go away to other Big East schools and come back to play in front of family and friends every March, there are storylines aplenty.
You can certainly say the same thing about any other league, but when those homegrown players return to their old stomping grounds for a conference tournament, they're not doing it in the greatest city in the world or at the most famous arena in the world. I mean, has any other league had a local kid light up his hometown the way Bronx native Kemba Walker is doing at the Garden this week?
Not even close.
In fact, after Duke beat Maryland at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., last night, so many fans vacated their green chairs that I thought the second game was being played at Fenway Park. Nothing but empty green in the quiet background, meaning not only that many missed a very entertaining bout between Florida State and bubbling Virginia Tech, but also that perhaps this reputation that Carolinians love their basketball might be slightly exaggerated.