Spring intramural basketball league set to begin

Students can participate in the intramural spring basketball league from Feb. 11 through March 20.

The league will be in the Whitaker Gymnasium and is sponsored by Campus Recreation. Games will be Monday through Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m.

Each team can consist of more but no less than five players. A $50 registration fee is required and teams must sign up at www.IMleagues.com/wssu. Teams are generally identified by the colors of their T-shirts that are distributed by Campus Recreation once registered.

"We have intramural basket- ball in both the fall and spring semesters," said Robert Pettice, coordinator of intramural recreation and competitive sports.

"Spring always has the largest turn-out."

Although the deadline to sign up was Feb. 4, Pettice said he will allow late registration depending on the number of teams. This will be done especially for the women's teams.

Pettice said he's been disappointed with the female turn- out and wished more female students would show a bigger interest in sports and fitness. Approximately four women teams register each semester, while the men have around 16 teams in the fall and 30 in the

spring. There are also, at most, two

staff teams. Pettice said the staff in the past has brought more competition to the league especially versus students. He said recently the staff has not been getting involved like they should.

"Many teams in the spring consist of football players because they are out of sea- son," Pettice said.

James Pegues Jr., campus recreation student director and sophomore exercise science major from Burlington, N.C., said it is "just something to do" when he is out of football season.

"The competition is great," Pegues said.

"Every semester I've been here at WSSU, I took part in intramural basketball and played with a different team every time."

Six teams will compete each night with two games being played at the same time. The teams will be placed in pools. After each team plays every- one in their pool one time, they begin playoffs. Losing a play-

off game is an automatic elimination and teams keep playing every night until one team remains.

"I enjoy it," said Jamille Jones, another campus recreation student director and senior therapeutic recreation major from Philadelphia.

"It's a chance to relive the glory days of high school."

Jones said he is eager for the league to start after his intra- mural team lost in the semi- finals last year.

Jones said he is very pleased with the spectator turnout. However, to facilitate the amount of games playing at the same time, side courts are used. Because playing on the side courts cause the built- in bleachers to be pushed back, temporary bleachers are brought into the gym to help with seating.

"It is hard for the spectators because of limited space," Pettice said.

"They have to compete to get to the front but be pushed back from standing too close to the court and players."

However, he said he is happy with the number of students who still come out and have a good time.