Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
December 19, 2003, Washington Post

Hoops, There It Is

College hoops is hot. Last week, the University of Maryland men knocked off the No. 1 team in the nation, Florida, in a 69-68 overtime thriller. But unless you already have tickets or know someone who does, it is tough to get seats to see the Terps men play.

Still, there are plenty of good teams to go see around the area. College basketball games are fun and a lot cheaper to watch in person than the pros. So if basketball is your game, here's a quick guide to teams you (and maybe your parents) can see.

Best Teams: The Georgetown (7-0) and George Washington (6-2) men's teams are off to their best starts in years. Sure, the Georgetown schedule has been easy, but Coach Craig Esherick has the Hoyas scoring lots of points and playing hard-nosed defense. And GW played tough against nationally ranked Gonzaga before losing, 96-91. These teams may be the real deal.

And don't forget the other "George," George Mason University. The Patriots (4-2) are favored to win the Colonial Athletic Association.

On the women's side, Joe McKeown always seems to have a tournament team at GW. This year is no different. What is different is that the Georgetown (4-2) and Maryland (6-2) women's teams are improving. The Hoyas beat GW, 67-62, and the Terps' only two losses have been to ranked teams.

Best Games: Some of the best times to attend a local college game are when the top teams and players come to town. Here are some hot hoops dates to mark on your calendar.

• Dec. 30: The powerhouse Tennessee women's team takes on GW. Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt's Volunteers are always loaded with talent.

• Jan. 28 and Feb. 18: The GW men play Xavier and Dayton at the Smith Center in Downtown D.C. These are two of the toughest squads in the Atlantic 10 conference.

• Feb. 22: Two-time all-American Alana Beard and the Duke Blue Devils invade Comcast Center to play Maryland. Beard is a do-everything guard who is one of the best female players on the planet. The Dookies also have Brittany Hunter, last year's high school player of the year.

Best Deals: Hooray for GW! It has special prices for kids 16 and under. For men's games, kids can sit behind the baskets at the Smith Center for only $6. Want another great deal? You can see two games at American University for just $7. On several weekends this season, the AU men play at 1 p.m. and the women follow at 3 p.m. It's an old-fashioned doubleheader.

Women's games are super-cheap. For most games, groups of 10 or more can watch GW for $2 a person. So get your rec team and go.

But the absolute best deal of all may be at Catholic University. The Cardinals' men's team is once again a powerhouse among small colleges and plays a high-scoring style that's fun to watch. And, oh yeah, the games are free (though the school suggests a small donation).

You can't beat that. And you can't beat watching college hoops.