It seems like just yesterday that the months of anticipation gave way to the first home basketball game of the season. A preseason ranking, coupled with the rich history of a century of Hoyas basketball, left little room for any other team in the hearts of Georgetown students. Nevertheless, the somewhat disappointing season is more than half way over, with only a handful of home games left on the schedule. Thankfully, the March 3 match-up against Connecticut does not have to mark the end of the basketball experience here in the nation’s capital.
The Hoyas are not the only team gracing the hardcourt of the Verizon Center. Even the most sporadic viewer of SportsCenter may have noticed the rise of another D.C. basketball team: the Washington Wizards.
Standout guard Gilbert Arenas is averaging over 30 points a game, and has established himself in the company of Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade as a regular on the ESPN highlight reels. Earlier this week, Arenas buried a deep three-pointer as time expired to hand the Wizards the win. Such an exciting finish is something that most players might dream of achieving only once, but at this point in the season it is almost commonplace for the increasingly clutch and confident Arenas. Add consistently solid performances from Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, and you’ve got a Wizards team on the rise, owning the third best record in the Eastern Conference.
The opportunity to see one of the best players and best teams in the game right now is one that shouldn’t be passed up, and with Verizon Center promotions like “College Night,” there really is no excuse at all. On College Night, students can show their GOcards at the Verizon Center box office for a ten-dollar ticket. The next College Night will take place on Feb. 7, when the Wizards take on Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. Other ticket information can be found by calling online at www.nba.com/wizards.
It is easy to forget that there is another basketball team in this city, but it would be a shame for basketball fans or sports fans of any kind to pass up the chance to see some of the best talent in the country when it is just a short trip away.
