Finally!

That most wonderful time of the year is finally upon us. No, I'm not talking about the Christmas season, that doesn't show up for another two weeks.

What's got me all turned on and ready to go like a teenage boy on his way to a prom after party with the good girl who's just a little slutty?

Well, it's the hope, deep in my heart, that another banner like the five on our right, will be added to the rafters of the Dean Dome in April. (The actual banner won't be added for almost a year, but the NCAA championship is in April). For those of you who come looking for witty political analysis, relax, this isn't turning into a sports blog. I am, however, a UNC basketball fan and will, like the president, from time to time report to you on the state of the Tar Heels' season.

It's been a long time since a team like the Heels has been assembled. With five seniors, a deep bench and the returning National Player of the Year in 6-foot-9 Tyler Hansbrough, they should be fun to watch. So I'm going to take pleasure in each and every one of their games this year. Except, as it turns out, the first one.

Carolina played it's first game of the year against Penn Saturday (while the football team was losing up in College Park), and for some reason the networks in the D.C. area chose not to show the game. Go figure. No matter, it was a workman like effort by the boys in blue who triumphed 86-71 over the Quakers. (This was done without injured senior starters Hansbrough and Marcus Ginyard.)

Tuesday's 9 p.m. game against Kentucky is a match-up of college basketball's two winningest programs (1,966-1,950 in UK's favor). The game is the anchor of ESPN's 24-hour inaugural College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon. ESPN is calling it the "first annual," but you can't have a first annual anything, cause you never know if there's going to be a second one, so I'll just stick with inaugural for now.

Thirteen games in 24 hours in five time zones. Some good games (see above) and some dogs (Idaho State v. Hawaii? Liberty v. UNC Ashville? C'mon) and at least one potential blow-out of cosmic proportions: Florida Gulf Coast v. reigning national champion and third winningest program ever (1,943) Kansas.

It's enough basketball to make you think about buying some Depends along with the beer and chips before settling in for the long haul.

Or not. On the Depends. Definitely on the beer though. Nothing goes better with Kentucky uber-fan Ashley Judd crying as UK loses than a frosty adult beverage.

Go TAR HEELS!!