By Paul Patras, Newswire Intern

While I was aware of the opportunities to watch some pretty good basketball games as a current first-year, I was a little hesitant in getting my first ticket for Saturday’s game against Wake Forest. I was never particularly interested in following college basketball, but I decided to see what the hype was about and attend the Skip Prosser Classic. I wanted to experience something that I never really had a passion for  and cross going to a Division I basketball game off of my bucket list.  

I didn’t know much about Xavier’s basketball team. I knew they were D1 and I knew that Cintas Center was very special with its stadium design. However, I always had seen the Cintas Center as something separate from campus, as if it were a part of Xavier but wasn’t “Xavier”. Fortunately, these thoughts were quickly squashed as I saw the lines and the passionate fans who eagerly camped outside the Cintas Center from the early hours of the morning. I figured that if people are that excited to stay in the freezing temperatures overnight, then it must be worth seeing.  

I wasn’t sure how to feel when we first walked in. My friends and I were a little bit late, so we couldn’t find seats and decided to stand by the student section to cheer. At first I wasn’t sure what to think, but the feeling of energy coming from the stands quickly put everything into perspective. This was not just Xavier basketball playing against Wake Forest, this was Xavier coming together in unity to root for their team. Participating in the chants, hearing the pep band and seeing the mascots’ built up that  joy and excitement and made the game a blast. 

This game, in my mind, is integral to the college experience. You’re with your friends, you’re watching your team win and you’re excited to be there. And not to mention, we won! We beat Wake Forest by 15 points in a 75 to 60 game. However, the plays on the court were only half of the battle. It was the explosive energy of the arena that really did it for me. 

Being from New York City and being fortunate enough to visit places like Madison Square Garden, seeing the halftime shows helped me to feel at home. Seeing someone trying to make a half court shot or hitting a golf ball into a small hole were just really fun experiences to witness in Cintas. 

If there’s anything to take away from this story, it’s that even if you don’t care for basketball you should still go to a game. Even if you don’t enjoy it, you still tried it. I promise you that when you see your team beat a school like Wake Forest with an absolutely electric crowd, you won’t be disappointed.