If you follow me in the social Twitter, you’d know that last week I was very curious of the date. I mean I knew it was September but on that day I received an Outlook meeting request. This gathering of the minds was to be held on October 1 and I began to think, “What an oddly advanced meeting request. October is forever away but it is my birthday month and that’s pretty great. I wonder what I should do to celebrate that? What could this meeting be? Isn’t it Brad’s birthday soon, too? Probably should do something for that cat. Is October that far away? Do the Cats have a bye week? Is Saturday’s football schedule really that bad? I think I’ll have Pho for lunch. But sando sounds nice..” Yeah, I got distracted. Yet when I came to realize that October was tangibly close, this:
Oh hey. Hey guys? Hey #IsItNovemberYet
— Adam Butler (@pachoopsab) September 20, 2013
Of course begging said question is less a matter of calendar as it is a matter of competition. You, being the bright fan you are, recognize that November marks the first of 20ft-9inches for three, 35-seconds to shoot, questionable court rushes, scrubs waving towels, ubiquitous charges, and shining moments. COLLEGE BASKETBALL.
You need it and you want it and this week, because it is indeed not November yet, I present: THE WEEK THAT PRACTICE STARTS! Earlier this summer, the NCAA announced that practices could begin six weeks (42 days) prior to a team’s first game. They’re allowed to squeeze 30 practices into that window and now let’s pour one out for Midnight Madness.
[is this where I link or reference to Allen Iverson’s practice presser?]
Your team, their practice:
| First Practice | First Game | |
| Arizona | 9/27/2013 | 11/8/2013 |
| ASU | 9/27/2013 | 11/8/2013 |
| USC | 9/27/2013 | 11/8/2013 |
| UCLA | 9/27/2013 | 11/8/2013 |
| Colorado | 9/27/2013 | 11/8/2013 |
| Utah | 9/27/2013 | 11/8/2013 |
| Cal | 9/27/2013 | 11/8/2013 |
| Stanford | 9/27/2013 | 11/8/2013 |
| Oregon | 9/27/2013 | 11/8/2013 |
| Oregon State | 9/29/2013 | 11/10/2012 |
| Washington | 9/29/2013 | 11/10/2012 |
| WSU | 9/29/2013 | 11/10/2012 |
And while there may not be a Midnight Madness (was anyone really running one of those anyway?) you might notice that nine Pac teams are in action on 11/8. Opening day? Kinda feels like it.
But this is a post about practice, the three man weave and running suicides where they don’t count unless everyone touches the line. Practice where every jumper is counted and gold jerseys are handed out. Practice where minutes are earned and lost. Blood, sweat, and tears. Hell maybe a fight?
It may only be practice. And it may not be Novermber yet. But it’s a start.
The start.