Admittedly, I’ve never been a huge basketball fan.

It’s one of the few sports I just couldn’t get into as a youngster. When you are just a shade more than 5-foot-8 and can’t dribble, basketball just isn’t a good fit.

My only interest in the sport came when Spud Webb burst on the scene. Spud could do it all.

He could shoot, dribble through defenses and DUNK!

Because of Spud Webb, I still like to check in on the Atlanta Hawks from time-to-time to see how they are doing.

Of course, Spud couldn’t play forever and when his career came to a close, so did my interest in basketball.

During the same time period Wimp Sanderson’s tenure at the University of Alabama came to a close, which ended my interest in the college game as well.

Until last year, basketball had been on the back burner for me.

Watching Dallas County teams make playoff runs brought back the thrill Spud Webb and Wimp Sanderson provided. I again became invested in teams and watched closely to see how well they faired in state tournaments.

Ellwood Christian Academy brought home the ultimate prize, and the Keith High School men’s team narrowly missed a title of its own.

All of our other Dallas County teams made a strong push as well.

This year, the prospects look just as strong. Keith is rolling through its schedule, as are Ellwood, Dallas County, Southside,

Keith and Selma High School.

The Selma High School girl’s team might be one of the best we’ve seen in the Black Belt in a long time.

The Lady Saints have rolled to a 21-3 record — and many of their games have not even been close.

Over the next week, the final pieces of the puzzle will come together. Area champions will be crowned and regional tournament pairings will fall into place.

It will be interesting to see if any of our teams can bring the big trophy back to Dallas County.

For only the second time in my life, I care about basketball. I can’t wait to see our local teams unleash punishment on the rest of the state.

It’s hard to say right now how far our local teams will go, but I am certain they will make us all proud.