Basketball is in the air

Jayadev Athreya

Ah, fall! The crisp air, the World Series, football and could it be…yes, it is! Basketball season is almost upon us. The beauty of a game that has non-stop, gravity-defying, heart-stopping action must be appreciated.

How nice it will be to see Michael Jordan soar through the air, Malone and Stockton (uh-oh, I just got news that he’s blown out his knee) execute a pick and roll, Glen Rice drain a three-pointer, and Kevin Garnett slam it home. We must not forget college hoops either, and though we will have a familiar face gone from the sidelines, the clash for supremacy, which will culminate in March, remains as thrilling as ever. Who doesn’t like ACC dogfights, Big 12 shootouts, and Big 10 … Well, I really don’t have anything good to say about the Big 10 (or the “We can’t count” conference).

Let’s preview the NBA first. If there is any doubt that the Bulls will win their sixth championship in eight years, it would stem from the fact that they are old and not particularly healthy. However, the only injury right now is to Scottie Pippen, but he is expected to comeback after the first month of the season. So I am going to go with the Bulls to win it all.

I think the Miami Heat will grab the Eastern Division again, by beating up on the Knicks, and the Magic will finish third again. Rounding out the playoff lineup will be the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves will win the Midwest Division, ahead of Utah and Houston. No, I am not crazy, but I figure my reputation as a predictor has been ruined by saying Colorado would win the national championship in football and the Panthers would win the Super Bowl and so I can say whatever the hell I want.

The Lakers will take the Pacific Division ahead of the Blazers and the Sonics. The Lakers will lose to the Timberwolves in the West championship, setting up an all-Midwest championship series between the Bulls and T-Wolves. The Bulls will sweep for the first and last time in their great dynasty.

In college, the ‘Clones will be going all the way. They will be the Arizona of 1998, defeating veteran opponents with a young, exciting team. Hey, how can you not love Marcus Fizer (a McDonald’s All-American), Martin Rancik (the best prep out of Minnesota), Lee Love (he’s smooth, baby!), and of course, Stevie “Wonder” Johnson? Although ISU won’t finish first in the conference (more shades of the Zo-cats) because Kansas will, they will win the tournament, and then they will trample all opponents they face at the big dance.

In the other major conferences, UCLA wins the Pac-10 by stunning Arizona a couple of times, Duke wins the ACC over Smith-less North Carolina, Kentucky still wins the SEC, Minnesota wins the Big 10 over a rudderless Michigan, and Rhode Island wins the Atlantic-10 conference.

And now a chance to rescue my reputation as a predictor, with mid-season predictions. Michigan State will be the national champion in college football, and the Green Bay Packers will defend their title successfully. The Florida Marlins will win the World Series, and the Cyclones will beat the Baylor Bears (in football). They will also beat the Colorado Buffaloes and Kansas Jayhawks (because Darren Davis goes berserk, having 300-yard games to miraculously rescue the season.)

Using this as a platform, they will make a bowl game next year. Hey, anything can happen!

Jayadev Athreya is a sophomore in mathematics from Ames.