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Madness is upon us

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Joshua McClain

It is time to brush the dust off the roundball and lace up the tennies, because college basketball season is almost here.

With over 300 Division I teams to worry about, college basketball can be an overwhelming monster to swallow.

But have no fear, this column is here to break down the season for you in cute, little bite-sized chunks.

Here it is for you, the viewers guide to college basketball for the 1999-2000:

Murray State is the best team that you have never seen. The Racers currently are holding the longest home winning streak among Division I teams, at 43 games. The streak is impressive considering the company usually at the top of that list, teams like Kansas and Duke. Big programs like Kentucky and Michigan State have turned down invites to face Isaac Spencer and the MSU Racers at home. With teams in the Ohio Valley Conference not exactly basketball powerhouses, don't look for that record to be broken any time soon.

Chris Porter will be the most exciting man in college basketball this season. For fans who love the flash and dash in hoops, the Human Highlight Film Part Two will continue his show for the Auburn faithful. The 6-foot-7 senior forward looks to turn it up a notch this season to improve his draft status for the NBA.

The Big Ten Conference will be the powerhouse of college basketball this season. Coming off a Final Four with half the participants coming from the Midwest, the Big Ten will continue this season on the same foot. Michigan State are the early favorites to be the national champs. As long as senior guard Mateen Cleaves keeps his hands off of 40 oz. bottles, something he was charged with stealing last April, he should help lead the Spartans back to the Final Four.

And how often is the basketball team ranked higher than the football team in Columbus? Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd will surprise everyone by taking the Big Ten championship with their soft schedule.

Oh yeah, Arizona is going to play some good basketball this season. Already being tabbed as a future lottery pick, Loren Woods, combined with Michael Wright and Richard Jefferson, will lead one of the most dominating front courts in Wildcat history.

Wright, the Pacific 10 Conference Freshman of the Year last season, will draw most of the attention, freeing Jefferson to create and Woods to dominate the boards. The word out of practice is that last season, as Woods sat out due to NCAA transfer regulations, he and former Wildcat A.J. Bramlett duked it out in practice, where Woods apparently showed Bramlett a thing or two.

The Wildcats may surprise a team or two, especially those who make the mistake of coming into the game cocky (see Michigan State).

Lace 'em up, because it's time to play some hoops.