WOODBURY – November College Basketball; highlight reels, Duke whiteout games, Danny Hurley outbursts, and a ton of confusion as a result of college basketball’s transience.  

Sure, basketball is basketball but incoming freshman, 2 star recruits out of Idaho, transfers and redshirt freshman, it’s hard to keep up with the new lineups of Duke, Kentucky and all of the best teams in the nation. 

“It’s at the beginning,” said Ethan Butkus, a junior at Nonnewaug High School, and  sports enthusiast and college basketball superfan,”there are a few returning upperclassmen, but otherwise I don’t know many of the Illini. Give it a few weeks and I will have the roster down.”

Butkus has been following the Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team for years, his best memory was the 2023-24 season beating Morehead State, Duquesne and even beating the second seed UConn.  

University of Connecticut Basketball fan Maxton Nichols shares how college basketball “starts” for him in March.

“I don’t really follow it until the tournament,” Nichols said. “UConn is usually in the tournament so I don’t really get involved until then, that’s when it gets exciting.”

UConn sits at 5th  in the country and has a 7-1 record after the 4 point loss to #4 Arizona two weeks ago.

Nichols expresses the hype of the University of Connecticut coming into the year, they have 3-5 future NBA players, including Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed Jr. and also Silas Demary Jr.

“It would be pretty cool,” Nichols added, “winning their third title in 4 years, [Alex] Karaban is gonna have a big year, as well with Solo Ball.” 

College basketball, when starting in November and lasting through early April allows for 6 months of non-stop action. It can be confusing with the new players, but you will learn them quickly.

The madness doesn’t need to wait until March.