Women’s college basketball is back. That means I can often be found at Loyola’s Gentile Arena, DePaul’s Wintrust Arena or Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena.

It was a long few weeks between college fall softball and women’s basketball. Excited for the season, I circled all the home games on my calendar. I’ve seen plenty of roundball action already and will see a lot more over the next few months.

I really enjoy collegiate women’s basketball. I see the players relying on more basketball skills than pure athleticism, although they are all excellent athletes, too. Pure passing, tight defense and controlled ball-handling replace 35-foot shots and half-court dunks. Over the last few years, basketball and softball have really moved up on my favorite sports list. There is a unique energy in women’s college sports. Maybe it is partially because they are often overlooked and must create their own buzz.

I also have fun talking sports and catching up with the other media folks. Most recently, I saw broadcaster Kacy Standohar at Northwestern. A longtime friend from our time with the Chicago Bandits pro softball team, Kacy was broadcasting the game for the BIG 10 Network.

Another added benefit of attending games is dining at area restaurants. I already enjoyed Giordano’s pizza and chicken poblano soup from Edgewater Tacos and am looking forward to more great meals.

— John Wroblewski, online writer