The Big Game

When we think of college hoops hotbeds, we immediately think of places such as Bloomington, Ind., Chapel Hill, N.C., Lexington, Ky., and of course, San Diego.
(Although the above photo combined with the word "hotbeds" might not have us thinking about basketball for long).
We all have fond memories of our fathers and grandfathers taking us to the Sports Arena or majestic Peterson Gym or the old USD SportsCenter to watch college basketball at its finest.
Who needs North Carolina and Duke when you have the Aztecs and Toreros?
San Diego's college basketball history is rich with tradition. So much so that the most memorable college basketball player in town, to this day, is still a guy who was only a part-time basketball player.
There have been so many great college basketball moments in town over the years ...
Well, there was the NCAA Final Four at the Sports Arena in 1975, but that was really more of a UCLA moment than a San Diego moment.
Now there's a chance for more memories this week as San Diego State and the University of San Diego meet for The City Championship at Cox Arena.
When the Aztecs and Toreros clash, "America's Finest City" will come to a standstill for a couple hours Wednesday evening. Oh wait, that happens every night on the I-15 anyway.
We're pretty sure all county businesses will shut down early Wednesday, so that employees and their loved ones can either go to the game or gather as a family to watch it on TV. Shopping malls in the county also are expected to go dark on Wednesday in observance of City Championship Day. Don't even bother trying to do any Christmas shopping at Fashion Valley.
Around town, elderly men will be entertaining youngsters with stories about City Championship games from years gone by.
Last year's game, for instance, was so special, we can't remember a thing about it.
As they enter Wednesday night's game, the Aztecs are 7-0 and with a win over the Toreros, SDSU would equal the best start in school history. The Aztecs have looked very impressive and coach Steve Fisher is doing his part to divert attention away from less successful coaches on campus.
USD is 2-3 and the Toreros have looked pretty pathetic. USD is coming off a 15-point loss to perennial powerhouse Texas-San Antonio, a game in which the Toreros shot so well, they got coach Brad Holland ejected. USD's 24.5 percent shooting performance set a school record for field-goal defense for Texas-San Antonio. If that wasn't enough, Holland also was ridiculed for his wardrobe.
What does all this mean heading into Wednesday?
What else? USD will win by 15.