The CMU basketball teams are hard working and worth watching
Students should take notice to Central Michigan University basketball — both the men’s and women’s teams are becoming relevant again.
The men’s team is currently 9-8 on the season and 4-1 in the Mid-American Conference standings. The women’s team is playing just as impressively in the conference, with a 4-2 MAC record and 7-11 overall.
The season may be early. But excitement is rising and students may have to rethink how to spend evenings with home basketball games on the schedule.
Fans should try to recreate the excitement that the football team fed off of in the fall when it went 12-2 overall and 8-0 in MAC play. If CMU can earn accolades for its game day atmosphere at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, it can do the same at Rose Arena.
The men’s team is having one of its best seasons since Chris Kaman left for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers after the 2002-03 season. That team finished 25-7 and advanced to the second round of the 65-team NCAA Tournament.
Point guards Robbie Harman and Jordan Bitzer are dominating the MAC in points and have become some of the best backcourt players in the league. Harman is fifth in scoring in the MAC, second in steals and second in 3-point shots. Bitzer is not far behind at tenth in scoring, sixth in steals and third in 3-pointers.
But Harman and Bitzer aren’t the only reasons to come out and watch. Coach Ernie Zeigler is shaping his players into a big contender for the MAC Championship this year. The NCAA Tournament is not out of the realm of possibility, either.
Quality entertainment
But the teams aren’t just playing for themselves. If the last few games have conveyed any sort of message, it’s that the basketball teams are going to continue to give fans something worth watching live during the cold winter months.
The men’s team beat Northern Illinois University 81-75 Saturday at Rose Arena, tying it for the division lead in front of what players called the loudest they have heard Rose Arena get. The women have won three games in a row and ended a decade-old losing streak to NIU. Playing Ohio (5-13) on Saturday, that winning streak may very well continue.
Students often find themselves cooped up in their apartments or dorms for most of the winter, trying to fend off the cold weather and lack of sunshine. The basketball games are a great way to escape the dismal conditions and spend some time with friends.
This season also marks the last time that students can see Rose Arena in its original glory before it is renovated into the CMU Events Center next season. Some bleachers have been removed due to construction, annoying some fans. But there is more than enough seating remaining and students should take advantage of it.
The men host Buffalo on Feb. 4 and Kent State on Feb 6. The women will host Miami (Ohio) on Saturday and then Bowling Green on Feb. 10.
Students and fans would be wise to offer the teams their support as they aim for conference championships.
