As RTC heads into its 12th season covering college hoops, it’s time to begin releasing our annual compendium of YouTube clips that we like to call Thirty Reasons We Love College Basketball. These 30 snippets from last season’s action are completely guaranteed to make you wish the games were starting tonight rather than 30 days from now. Over the next month you’ll get one reason per day until we reach the new season on Tuesday, November 6. You can find all of this year’s released posts here.

#17 – Where Troll So Hard Happens.

We also encourage you to re-visit the entire archive of this feature from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17  and 2017-18 preseasons.

With the 2016 Election now mercifully behind us, we are on the verge of the new college basketball season. We will be unveiling our team-specific Twitter follows over the next few days, but be sure to add these ACC writers and personalities to keep up to date on the latest stories in the conference. And of course follow us on our microsite feed @rtcACC. If you have any suggestions for additions or corrections (several prominent writers no longer cover the conference), feel free to tweet at us or leave a comment below.

General ACC Follows

Our ACC Twitter follows will keep you informed and entertained (Credit: ESPN Video)

• @accmbb The official Twitter account for ACC Men’s Basketball.
• @ACCSports covers both ACC basketball and football; also located on accsports.com.
• @theACCDN: Features clips from the conference’s Digital Network
• @accbballnews: Chatham Journal’s ACC Basketball News
• @_andrewcarter: Andrew Carter, writer for The News & Observer/Charlotte Observer (see more in our interview with him earlier this year).
• @rickbozich: Rick Bozich, WDRB Sports journalist in Louisville.
• @ericcrawford: Eric Crawford, WDRB Sports journalist in Louisville.
• @lebrownlow: Lauren Brownlow, Durham-based writer/radio personality.
• @scacchoops: Jon Pence, creater of SCACCHoops.com.
• @jwgiglio: Joe Giglio, writer for The News & Observer.
• @stevewisemanNC: Stephen Wiseman, writer for the Durham Herald-Sun and AP voter.
• @stephenschramm: Stephen Schramm, writer for the Fayetteville Observer and AP voter.
• @aaronbeardap: Aaron Beard, AP writer in North Carolina.
• @DavidTeelatDP: David Teel, ACC writer for The Daily Press.
• @joeovies: Joe Ovies, radio personality for 99.9 FM The Fan in Raleigh.
• @LukeDeCock: Luke DeCock, writer for The News & Observer.
• @ArmstrongABC11: Mark Armstrong, ABC11 sports anchor in North Carolina.
• @AGoldFan: Adam Gold, radio personality for 99.9 FM The Fan in Raleigh.

Rush the Court ACC Microsite Team

• @rtcACC: Our conference microsite with discussion of major stories in the conference
• @bradjenk: Brad Jenkins
• @mpatton0: Matt Patton
• @MAuerbach24: Matthew Auerbach
• @TheMickMcDonald: Mick McDonald
• @CharlieMaikis: Charlie Maikis
• @pengriffey_jr: Brandon Jefferson

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Here we go… headfirst into another season heralded by our 2015-16 edition of Thirty Reasons We Love College Basketball, our annual compendium of YouTube clips from the previous season completely guaranteed to make you wish games were starting tonight rather than 30 days from now. Over the next month you’ll get one reason per day until we reach the new season on Friday, November 13. We’ve captured what we believe were the 30 most compelling moments from last season, some of which will bring back goosebumps and others of which will leave you shaking your head in astonishment. You can find all of this year’s released posts here.

#20 – Where Hairanoia Happens.

We also encourage you to re-visit the entire archive of this feature from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 preseasons.

The 2014-15 college hoops season is here, and we all know that Twitter is a must for keeping up with all that is happening.  Here is a list of SEC basketball must-follows:

If You Follow These SEC-Related Accounts, You’ll Be Covered

Start with all of your favorite Rush the Court SEC Microsite writers:

• Brian Joyce (@bjoyce_hoops)
• Christian D’Andrea (@TrainsIsland)
• Greg Mitchell (@gregpmitchell)
• David Changas (@dchangas)

Alabama

• Drew Champlin (@DrewChamplin) – al.com
• Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) – al.com
• Andrew Gribble (@Andrew_Gribble) – al.com
• Kevin Scarbinsky (@KevinScarbinsky) – al.com
• Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) – TideSportsExtra.com
• D.C. Reeves (@_DCReeves) – TideSports.com
• Travis Reier (@travisreier) – BamaOnline.com

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As the season inches closer, we’re going to be rolling out more and more of our usual preseason analyses, but one of the best ways college basketball fans can stay informed throughout the season is by following the right people and sources on Twitter. I’ll presume you’re already following all the contributors here at the Big Ten microsite: myself (@AlexPMoscoso), Deepak (@dee_b1g), Brendan (@berndon4), and Jonathan (@jcbatuello). But aside from the four of us, there are a plethora of beat writers and team-centered blogs that post well-written stories on the everyday going-ons of all the squads within the league. For your convenience, we’ve come up with a list of the Twitter must-follows for Big Ten basketball and organized them by team below. Enjoy!

If You Follow These Big Ten-Related Accounts, You’ll Be Covered Throughout the Season

Big Ten- General

• Dan Dakich (@dandakich) – ESPN
• Jim Jackson (@BTNJimJackson) – BTN
• Stephen Bardo (@stephenbardo) – BTN and Fox Sports 1
• Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) – BTN

Big Ten – Analytical

• Big Ten Geeks (@bigtengeeks) – bigtengeeks.com
• Shot Analytics (@ShotAnalytics)

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Craig Robinson said these words following Oregon State‘s season ending loss against Radford, a game played in front of fewer than 1,500 fans in Corvallis.

As he got up from podium, Robinson said, "If I get fired, it's been nice knowing you guys." Added that he was joking.

— Connor Letourneau (@ConnOregonian) March 20, 2014

That game ended his sixth season in Corvallis, with no single campaign resulting in a postseason finish higher than the CBI, and comprising the lowest attendance totals in Gill Coliseum history. Needless to say, Beaver fans aren’t happy and would like to see a change. Still, with that all laid out on the table, I thought Robinson’s joke was hilarious. Timely, self-deprecating, and unexpected — a perfect combination for a laugh in my book. Unfortunately, his boss, athletic director Bob DeCarolis, did not find it as humorous, which is understandable since he has been in Robinson’s corner since day one. “A bad joke at a bad time,” he said the next day. A little over a week later, DeCarolis penned a letter to his biggest boosters, telling them that he had chosen to retain Robinson as head coach for another season.

The relationship between Robinson, the athletic department and Oregon State fans has grown incredibly awkward. The coach needs fans to buy tickets in order to attract recruits. The fans have stopped coming until they start to see a winning product. And there won’t be a winning product until the recruits head to Corvallis. It’s a vicious cycle, one that Robinson has been tasked with breaking. What he doesn’t seem to understand is that his mouth is getting him in trouble. And I’m not talking about his joke to reporters last month. It’s the other quotes like, “Next year’s team could be ranked in the Top 25.” Not likely when he loses Roberto Nelson, Devon Collier, and Angus Brandt. Or, “If Eric Moreland returns, we will be one of the top teams in the conference.” He’s already building in excuses for next season six months before practice even starts. No one wants to hear that. And then there is his agent, Rick Giles, saying that the 2013-14 Beavers were “two wins away from the NCAA Tournament.” Um, try two wins away from the NIT — maybe. The empty promises, excuses, and over-inflated expectations aren’t cute anymore. It’s annoying and a waste of time.

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The college basketball season has begun and Big East teams are ready to battle it out for another exciting season. Here at the RTC Big East microsite, we attempt to get to all the news in the league, but with 10 teams and so much going on, it’s impossible to report and analyze everything. Here is a list of relevant websites and Twitter follows that will keep Big East fans up to date on all the happenings on the Big East this season.

Big East

• BigEast.com – @bigeastconf
• BigEastCoastBias.com – @becb_sbn
• BigEastHoops.com – @bigeasthoops
• HolyLandofHoops.net – @HolyLandofHoops
• Adam Zagoria – Zagsblog.com @AdamZagoria
• DalyDoseofHoops.com – @DalyDoseofHoops
• @BigEastTweets
• RTC Big East: Dan Lyons, George Hershey, Todd Keryc

Marquette Golden Eagles

• Marquette Athletics – @muathletics
• Marquette Basketball – @MarquetteMBB
• Buzz Williams @TeamCoachBuzz – Head Coach
• Brad Autry @BradAutry – Assistant Coach
• Isaac Chew @CoachChew– Assistant Coach
• Mike Broeker @MikeBroeker – Deputy Athletic Director

Bloggers,Beat Writers & Fan Sites

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Michael Hunt @MichaelHuntMJS
• PaintTouches.com: @painttouches
• Anonymous Eagle: @anonymouseagle
• Crackedsidewalks.com: @crackedsidewlks
• Marquettehoops.com: @marquettehoops
• Jim Ganzer: @theIWB
• Marquettewatch.com
• muscoop.com
• ESPNMilwaukee: @540ESPN

Georgetown Hoyas

• Georgetown Athletics – @georgetownhoyas
• Georgetown Basketball – @Georgetownhoops
• Kevin Sutton @CoachSutton – Assistant Coach
• Tavaras Hardy @CoachTHardy – Assistant Coach
• Lee Reed @HoyasAD – Athletic Director

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We live in the Twitter era, where following certain beat writers and correspondents with direct access to Big Ten programs will help you as a fan keep up with your respective teams throughout the season. At the Rush The Court Big Ten microsite, we will also attempt to provide insightful opinions and analysis about the Big Ten over the next five months. You can follow our writers – Alex Moscoso (@AlexPMoscoso), Deepak Jayanti (@dee_b1g), Brendan Brody (@berdnon4), Jon Batuello (@jcbatuello), Max Jakubowski (@airmax11267) –  for all the latest articles about Big Ten hoops. The following is a list of writers who consistently provide excellent coverage about specific Big Ten teams and should be followed on Twitter by all Big Ten fans.

If You Follow These Big Ten-Related Accounts, You’ll Be Covered

• Diamond Leung (@diamond83): covers Michigan State basketball at www.mlive.com/spartans
• Dylan Burkhardt (@umhoops): covers Michigan basketball at www.umhoops.com
• Alex Bozich (@insidethehall): covers Indiana hoops at www.insidethehall.com
• Chris Johnson (@ChrisDJohnsonn) and Kevin Trahan (k_trahan): cover Northwestern hoops at www.insidenu.com
• Robert (@ALionEye): covers Illini hoops for www.illiniboard.com
• Amelia Rayno (@AmeliaRayno): covers Minnesota basketball for Star-Tribune
• Eleven Warriors (@ElevenWarriors): Ohio State basketball
• Tim Miles (@CoachMiles): Nebraska basketball
• Bucky’s Fifth Quarter (@b5q):  Wisconsin basketball
• Iowa Basketball (@IowaHoops)
• Big Ten Geeks (@BigTenGeeks)
• Penn State basketball (@PennStateMBB)
• Marcus Jackson (@MarcusJ_NG): Beat writer for Illini basketball
• Official B1G men’s basketball: @B1GMBBall
• SB Nation B1G: @SBNB1G
• Big Ten Network’s Brent Yarina: @BTNBrentYarina
• Big Ten Network’s Tom Dienhart: @BTNTomDienhart
• ESPN’s Eamonn Brennan (covers B1G for the most part): @eamonnbrennan
• Indiana’s Rivals Jeff Rabjohns: @jeffrabjohns
• Purdue’s Rivals site: @goldandblackcom
• Purdue’s Basketball SID Chris Forman: @chrisforman12

Enjoy the Big Ten season by following these writers and staying close the Rush The Court Big Ten Microsite!

As we approach the start of the 2013-14 season, we think it’s important that you have access to all the latest news you can get about the SEC, and we all know that Twitter is the best way to do that. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of must-follows for all 14 SEC squads.

If You Follow These SEC-Related Accounts, You’ll Be Covered

Alabama

• Vasha Hunt (@photovman) – al.com
• Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) – al.com
• Andrew Gribble (@Andrew_Gribble) – al.com
• Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) – TideSports.com
• D.C. Reeves (@_DCReeves) – TideSports.com
• Travis Reier (@travisreier) – BamaOnline.com

Arkansas

• Whole Hog Sports – (@wholehogsports) – Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
• Bob Holt (@BobHoltADG) – Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
• Robbie Neiswanger (@NWARobbie) – Arkansas News Bureau
• Trey Biddy (@TreyBiddy) – HawgSports.com

Auburn

• Justin Hokanson  (@JHokanson) – Rivals.com
• Jay G. Tate (@JayGTate) – Rivals.com
• Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) – Birmingham News

Florida

• Kevin Brockway (@gatorhoops) – Gainesville Sun
• Bryan Holt (@Bryan_Holt) – Rivals.com
• Pat Dooley (@pat_dooley) – Gainesville Sun
• Edgar Thompson (@osgators) – Orlando Sentinel
• Adam Silverstein (@onlygators) – OnlyGators.com

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In the third and final segment of RTC ACC’s Twitter must-follow series, we take a further look at the remaining eight teams in the ACC. This list is not all encompassing but a quick look at some of the more prominent accounts to follow for news and insight on teams around the ACC. This may include coaches, players, writers, and/or bloggers. So without any further delay, Rush the Court brings you the part three finale of our ACC Twitter rundown (click here for Part I and Part II).

Malcolm Delaney of Virginia Tech finds himself in the ‘Alumni Spotlight’

Virginia

 Cavaliers Starting Five

• @UVAMensHoops The official account for UVA basketball.
• @VirginiaHoops Great source for UVA hoops and recruiting news.
• @virginiabuzztap A blogger’s take on Virginia athletics.
• @EvanNolte An entertaining follow and player’s perspective.
• @UVaHooCrew The Twitter account for the UVA fan section.

 Other Official Accounts

• @miketobey10 Sophomore center poised for a breakout campaign.
• @CoachWillyUVA Assistant coach Williford.
• @ajmitchell25 Akil Mitchell.
• @joeharrisuva Fan favorite Joe Harris.

 Alumni Spotlight

• @mikescott Mike Scott currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks and with a little over 17,000 tweets, he is certainly active on social media.

Duke

Blue Devils Starting Five

• @dukeblueplanet The official account for Duke basketball run by their recruiting and communications coordinator.
• @BlueDevilNation Run by Mark Watson, the publisher of Blue Devil Nation.
• @BlueDevilLair Adam Rowe (RTC alumnus) runs this account that represents 247sports.com and provides great insight into recruiting and Duke basketball news.
• @laurakeeley The Duke beat reporter for The Raleigh News & Observer as well as the Charlotte Observer.
• @dukebasketball Coverage of Duke hoops from The Chronicle, Duke’s independent student newspaper with their own articles.

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