Primed for Excitement at Levien in 2004-2005

'Tis the season.

The NBA season is finally in full swing. ESPN has shifted from
boring baseball highlights, in which one sees a strikeout, a home
run, and then a strikeout (and perhaps another home run if you're
lucky). Alley-oops, throw-downs, and reverse lay ups have now
invaded the Top Plays list. The media's obsession with the Shaq vs.
Kobe drama has heated up. New Yorkers have grown cold and depressed
as their Knicks hit the hardwood face first.

This season--when NYC collectively sulks through months of
frigid weather and even more frigid offense in the
Garden--Columbians can look forward to a newfound basketball
tradition. For those of you around last year, you probably know
what I'm talking about. But to all you newcomers, allow me to
briefly lay out the events that transpired during basketball's
2003-04 campaign. You may want to take notes.

Last year, Levien Gymnasium, in all its cinder block splendor,
saw what can only be described as a coup d'etat. Joe Jones, in his
rookie year as men's basketball head coach, oversaw the dethroning
of former czar--I mean head coach--Armond Hill's Princeton Offense,
and Columbia basketball laid the groundwork for a new historical
trajectory. The call: players and fans of Morningside, unite!

Jones made energizing the Columbia community a top priority,
spearheading Midnight Mania. While the team eventually grabbed some
historic wins, last season's major accomplishment was bringing hope
back to the masses who have lingered around Dodge Fitness Center in
disgust for too long.

This year, Jones has extended his drive to make Columbia
basketball an honorable institution by bringing a season-opening
tournament to Levien--the Columbia Classic. The Classic commences
exactly a week from today and will officially kick off Jones'
sophomore season--the season that a lot of us Ivy insiders have
targeted as the break-out year for the Light Blue. J

ones will be facing some pressure this season, and deservedly
so. A new recruiting class has arrived, only one starter has
departed, and the Lions will be expected to improve after their
final two upset wins over Brown and Yale last season. And while
you, the fan, should acknowledge the accomplishments of yesteryear,
don't be satisfied. It's time to lay out some demands. So with the
basketball season soon upon us, I would like to propose a few
(mostly reasonable) demands to Jones and the Lions. Here they are:

1. A Winning Ivy Record: Last year, the squad went 6-8 in the
league, sweeping Dartmouth and Harvard--the dredges of the Ancient
Eight--and stealing a win from Brown and Yale. Now, with a
formidable presence in the paint in first-year Ben Nwachukwu and
some fresh guards to replace Maurice Murphy, the team should be
capable of getting one or two more wins this time around.

2. A Sweep of Yale: One of the biggest stories around the Ivy
League last year (it even found its way to Sports Illustrated) was
the Jones sibling rivalry (James Jones, Joe's brother, is head
coach at Yale). In their two meetings in 2003-04, the Lions split
with Yale, winning at Levien in overtime to end the season. This
year, we want complete domination of the Bulldogs, even in the
intimidating realm that is New Haven.

3. More Dunks: I seem to recall only two Light Blue dunks from
all of last season--both from sophomore forward Gerard Barrett.
This year, I want to see some more. I know this is a tall order,
but I really think the Ivy League would benefit from a couple
rim-shakers now and then.

4. A Fight Against NC State: While I can't demand a win in this
game, I can call for an impressive fight against the 19th-ranked
Wolfpack. This game, played at Madison Square Garden, will be a
chance for the Lions to say something on a grand scale in the
larger Division I world.

5. A Win Against Either Hofstra or Lehigh: Last year, the Lions
nearly beat both of these teams. In fact, they probably should have
beaten at least one of these teams. Against Lehigh, for instance,
Columbia lost because of a last-second three that was deserving of
ESPN. So there they are: my list of demands. A tall order perhaps,
but this team has proven that they are ready to take on new
challenges.

Here is one final demand, this time to the fans ...

6. Come to Levien at Least Once: While the team will probably
not satisfy all of these demands, it deserves your attention. Who
knows? Maybe you'll like what you see.