My first game at the JPJ

(Tonight at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville.)

ACC basketball, oh, how I've missed you.

I had no idea what I was getting into when I went to Maryland undergrad. It didn't take long, though, before basketball fever struck. The air in Cole Field House was electric most nights, especially when Duke came to town. Oh, how badly we cared about each basket, each foul, each free throw. The games were hypnotizing, a few hours of immersion into another world. Maryland basketball gets into your blood. I'm a Terp for life.

But now I'm a Cavalier, too. And way overdue for my first game at home.

Without three cases to prep for, without Learning Team meeting tonight, with a Friday Reading Day waiting in the wings, the timing was perfect. The UVA men's basketball team took on N.C. State tonight. Bonus: The 'Hoos have been pretty good so far this season.


The John Paul Jones arena, just a few years old, is a modern temple to college basketball. The hallways reminded me a little weirdly of a convention center, with carpet and polo-shirted guides everywhere. Still, it's beautiful.

Take 15 minutes before the game starts and walk around. You'll eventually reach The Hall of Fame stretch — a mini-museum of past UVA stars with timelines of both the men's and women's teams.


I learned all sorts of interesting things. Duke gets everyone's blood roiling, apparently.


Ralph Sampson, a star way before my time.

Here's a 60-second grainy clip of the event's start. The team will run out for warm-up practice, and if you listen closely, you can hear the fans spell out U-V-A later in the chant.

The student section is behind one of the nets and wraps around to the side. Here's how the scene looks when a Wolfpack player tries to shoot a free throw. I've never seen the spinning lollipop-like things before — but what a neat idea for a distracting background.


Right, I almost forgot about the game itself! The first half was close. Back and forth we went. The rebounds never seemed to go our way. In the second half, despite a string of fouls, the game started to tilt our way, until the endgame was clear. Final score: UVA 59, N.C. State 47.

Next game: Saturday against Wake Forest. (Assuming, that is, we don't get another snowstorm. There's a formidable opponent. So far, Cville 0, Snowstorm 2).