October Flashback

By Greg Herenda,

Fall is upon us, the leaves are finally turning, and October 15th comes and goes as just another date on the calendar for most people. But for the old guard of college basketball players and coaches out there October 15th was once the day the season truly began. It was the first official day of practice for college basketball programs across the country.

I vividly remember being unable to fall asleep on the night of October 14th. The anticipation was real. A new team, new drills, new offenses, new defenses, and a whole new year of possibilities were waiting just around the corner. There was something special about that feeling, knowing that when you woke up the next morning, the journey toward a new season would finally begin.

At many smaller schools, coaches and managers would spend the night before opening boxes of brand-new basketballs and inflating them for the first practice. The balls were often overinflated, bright orange, and incredibly bouncy. Even putting on a freshly laminated, reversible practice jersey had a special feel and smell to it. These little things might seem insignificant to some, but they were part of what made October 15th so memorable. The entire day carried a sense of excitement and newness that spread throughout college basketball.

There is no longer a clear line of demarcation between one college basketball season and the next. The moment a national champion is crowned the transfer portal opens, and the madness begins all over again. Teams practice during the entire spring and summer. There is no real end. October 15th was like hitting a restart button for college basketball and now that is gone. So, for many people, October 15th is simply another ordinary fall day. But for those of us who remember what it once represented, the date will always mean something more.

I slept like a baby last night. There was nothing keeping me awake, nothing to worry about, and nothing to get overly excited about. October 15th arrived without the anticipation that once made it feel like Christmas morning for college basketball. It is a little bit sad but in my dreams I can still smell the new reversibles and see the bright orange balls bouncing off the rim and I knew it was time for a new season to begin …….

Peace