Basketball Starts as Football Hits its Peak

Wasn't it just last year when San Diego fans of college athletics couldn't get to basketball season fast enough because football wasn't going well?

Times have changed. With San Diego State at 7-2 and ranked 27th on the gridiron, and headed for a showdown at TCU this weekend, the beginning of the hoops season looms but seems much, much too early. Really, it only got cold at night this week. It's still fall, but the round-ballers are ready to take center stage.

Expectations are off the charts at SDSU, where the men's team is ranked for the first time ever and inspiring usually sober sports columnists to speculate on chances for a national championship. The women are unranked after losing its backcourt from last season's Sweet 16 club, but replacements are ready to step in.

The men start at Long Beach State Saturday before traveling to a showdown at Gonzaga Monday night. The women host UCLA Friday and have two more home games at Viejas Arena before Thanksgiving.

By the way, as this is written, womens' coach Beth Burns tweeted that she had a big day getting in Letters-of-Intent, so theoretically something will be announced Thursday.

The USD women announced five signees earlier in the day, including Katie Kuklok of Poway High.

The Toreros, both men and women, are in a rebuilding year, as noted in a previous post.

It's going to be a great year, but it's coming just a little too soon. We still have our attention on football.

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I loved the list of the top 50 high school athletes in the 50 years of the San Diego Section of the CIF. While everyone included deserves to be there, you can come up with a list of many others who are just as deserving. A lot of people have already chimed in with their suggestions of who else should be on the list. Here are mine:

-- Darnay Scott, Kearny, football

-- Willie Banks, Oceanside, track

-- Chris Chambliss, Oceanside, baseball, football

-- Brian Sipe, Grossmont, football

-- Thom Hunt, Patrick Henry, track

-- Brian Giles, Granite Hills, football, baseball

-- Percy Gilbert, San Diego, football, basketball

Even without those guys, the list includes three Heisman Trophy winners, a Super Bowl MVP and several Olympic gold medalists. The list is on SignonSanDiego.