Seattle is Still a Basketball Town

Although the Sonics and the NBA are long gone, the city of Seattle still has a thriving basketball scene. High-school basketball has taken on a new form in the media's coverage of it and the increased amount of fans attending high school games.

Also, the Washington Huskies have been propelled to the top as Seattle's main attraction with their newfound success coupled with the absence of the Sonics. At the same time, Seattle U has splashed into D-1 basketball with relative success.

The High School Scene
The Greater-Seattle area plays hosts to some of the best talent in the country. Players like Peyton Siva, Abdul Gaddy, Tony Wroten, and Josh Smith have become household names among casual Seattle basketball fans. There is so much Divison-1 college basketball talent floating around Seattle. This season, may be one of the best collections of talent the state of Washington has ever had.

Seeing the King Holiday Hoopfest was one of the most exhilarating experiences of basketball I've ever witnessed. It was amazing to see so much talent on the floor at one-time. Not many cities and towns have the depth of good teams and good players that Seattle has. I encourage you to go see some High School games around your area, wherever you live.

You don't necessarily have to watch Rainier Beach or Kentwood play to see an entertaining game. Finding two decent high school squads go at it in a high school atmosphere is a priceless opportunity. With that said, admission is super cheap to games around the state, so it's just a matter of finding parking and a good seat in the bleachers.

As a resource, every Sunday, SeaTown Sports will release a schedule of must-see games around Seattle along with time and locations for each game.

College Basketball-Seattle U & UWI'd say with confidence that Seattle U's transition into Division-1 basketball is going pretty well. They don't look unprepared and overwhelmed against D-1 teams, which is a good sign. They lost by five against a really good Portland St. team, they lost by nine against a surprising Oregon St. team, and had a 10-point win against Loyola Maramount in a game played at Key Arena (their prospective future home court).

The buzz around this team is starting to gain momentum as they've received adequate media coverage from the local news' channels and local newspapers. The Redhawks play three more games at the Connolly Center (Feb: 7, 10, and 14), and then on March 3rd they have a game against UW at Hec Ed. Although this game figures to be a blow-out, this will be Seattle U's first "major" game. The circumstance and the history of this game will be the most important storyline, not the actual game.

Do I need to even mention the Huskies? They are currently the talk of the town. I expect a handful of games to sell-out at Hec-Ed considering the success of this team so far in Pac-10 play.


Yep, It's not that bad...
The Sonics' departure has been a blessing in disguise for Seattle basketball fans. It's given us a chance to witness and experience the high-school and college levels of basketball with new found appreciation and respect.
photo source: vagabondish