Athlon’s won the race to get its college basketball preview magazine on the shelves first. I think I fell in love with preview magazines the first time I saw Darnell Valentine on the cover of Street and Smith’s. I still own that magazine.
I learned to hate preseason magazines soon after, when Street and Smith’s (for reasons I still don’t understand) put Notre Dame’s John Paxson on the cover in consecutive years. One time, OK. Twice? What a disappointment. Street and Smith’s All-America team included Ralph Sampson, Cliff Levingston, James Worthy and Dominique Wilkins (in addition to Paxson). Why not one of them?
Stupid Notre Dame. It’s not even a basketball school.
So now you understand that I am invested in preview magazines, probably to an unhealthy degree. Even given their limitations, they are a sign basketball season is coming. In the pre-Internet, pre-ESPN age, those magazines provided a rare glimpse into strange and wonderful teams from across the country.
Athlon’s is out. I know this because I did the MVC preview for the magazine and I spend free time moving Athlon’s to prominent spots on shelves, in front of Wrestler’s Digest and Teen Beat.
My picks:
- Creighton
- SIU
- Illinois State
- Drake
- Northern Iowa
- Bradley
- Wichita State
- Indiana State
- Evansville
- Missouri State
You will have to buy the magazine (get two at the low, low price of $6.99) to get the whys. Writing these things is an interesting exercise, largely because of the July 10 deadline. A lot can happen in July and August, and it is easy to look out of touch. You push the button to send the stories, and cross your fingers nobody gets hurt or booted in the next three months.
The other issue is audience. Are you writing an MVC preview for the hard-core MVC fan? Or are you writing the MVC preview for the Big East fan who wants a quick look at who matters in the Valley? I think there is some of both. In the space allotted, there is not much I can tell the passionate Creighton fan he or she doesn’t already know. I can give the Drake fans a summary of what is going at Creighton. I can give fans an idea about where their team might sit in relation to other teams.
Regardless, the basketball season is near and the arrival of the preview mags is one bright-and-glossy sign. What are your MVC picks?