Last night I watched a regular season college basketball game.

Big deal, right?

Well, for me it is. You see, I used to be a pretty huge hoops fan. I was weaned on Larry Legend and Magic. Came into my own in Jordan’s heyday. Was captivated by Clyde, wowed by Worthy, and dazzled by Dumars. Scottie, The Dream, Isiah, The Mailman . . . I knew them all well.

And it wasn’t just the pro game. Some of my first college sport memories were of the March Madness variety: the epic Georgetown/Houston matchup in ’84; Bob Knight’s Indiana team in ’85; the Running Rebs’ of UNLV in ’90; Duke’s run with Hurley, Hill, Laettner, et. al. There was a time when I loved college hoops. But something happened on the way to “middle-aged.”

I lost interest in the game.

I can’t figure out exactly why this happened. I have tried to pin it on the emergent hip-hop culture that pervades the NBA. I have wondered if being a nearly thirty, middle-class white guy makes it hard to relate to the mostly young, mostly black, mostly wealthy athletes who play the game. But I’m convinced this isn’t it. When I have followed basketball sporadically over the last few years, I have been watching AI, Ben Wallace, KG, LeBron. These men definitely represent a culture to which I cannot relate very much. But when you watch them play, you don’t see culture, you see game. Besides, I never identified with Stockton's tighty-whities either.

I think maybe the changing nature of the pro-game has something to do with it . . . the departure from the fundamental team game and the prevalence of the “1-on-1 at the top of the key, clear out the lane, drive to the hole” playground mentality. But even this complaint seems flimsy. There will always be good teams playing sound basketball. And this only explains the reason for not watching the pro game. College ball is still fairly solid in terms of fundamentals.

So, I don’t know exactly why I stopped watching the game. Maybe it’s a combination of things. But I do know this. I know why I tuned in last night, why for the first time in years I made a concerted effort to be in front of the TV when a basketball game tipped off.

The reason? Simple. Adam Morrison.

I know, I know. Some of you hoops aficionados out there might scoff: “He’s not a complete player.” Yeah, I’ve heard that. And it may be true. But I’m not interested in all that right now. I’m just trying to see if this kid is for real. And you know what? I think he may be.

Like many, I tuned in to the Memphis-Gonzaga matchup hoping to see a game that lived up to the hype. But unlike many, I cared less about the game itself and more about Morrison. I had heard the comparisons to Bird, and was intrigued. Other than Morrison going stone cold in the last 9 minutes (due to Memphis lock-down D), he lived up to my expectations. But it’s funny . . . there’s something about the way Morrison carries himself that reminds me less of Bird and more of Pistol Pete. Obviously, Maravich and Morrison’s game aren’t reminiscent of one another, but there is something about Morrison’s swagger that reminds me of that air of confidence that Maravich had. Not ego, per se, but confidence in the skill, confidence in the ability to beat you, to hit the clutch shot, to go off for 40. Morrison has that.

Morrison is averaging 28 a game, and last night against Memphis, went for 34. He is so fun to watch. The way he moves away from the ball, his high release, the moppish hair, the Freddie Prinze ala “Chico and the Man” moustache . . . He draws in the casual fan and reminds me why college hoops are so enjoyable. (He also reminds me a lot of Jimmie Fallon, but that is beside the point.) But I think the comparisons to Bird are not completely accurate. Bird played relentless, tenacious defense. Morrison admits he doesn’t care to D-up. Bird wasn’t necessarily an assist machine, but was the master of the timely “dime.” Morrison could use some improvement in this area. But when it comes to shooting . . . dang. The boy’s a gunner. And I can definitely understand the Bird comparisons there.

Will Morrison lead ‘Zaga to the Dance? I don’t know. Will he be able to make the leap to the pros? Can’t say. But I do know he has helped a former fan find new interest in the game. That should count for something, right?