City 6 basketball is back, and, hopefully, it'll bring excitement

OH, MY! It is truly the winter of our discontent. For Philadelphia sports fans, it is a very bleak picture.

The 76ers have lost their first 12 games, provoking comments that they are the worst professional sports team in American history and raising doubts that they could beat Kentucky head to head. The Flyers seem inconsistent, at best, and don't appear ready to make a serious run for the Stanley Cup. Pat Gillick, a truly great baseball mind, has told us the Phillies won't contend until 2017, at the earliest. The Union staggered toward the season finish and managed to miss the playoffs. And even our beloved Eagles were embarrassed and humiliated by Aaron Rodgers and a Packers team that is mediocre in many ways.

But it's mid-November and now we can turn our attention to one of our city's greatest sports assets - the Big 5, or, more correctly, the City 6, given Drexel's rising status.

I look forward to college basketball season with great anticipation and love watching our local teams. There is something about a college basketball game that is tied up with 2 minutes to go at a sold-out arena, where 10 athletes leave everything they have on the court.

The Big 5 has given me many moments that I will never forget. I've been fortunate that my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, has been a premier basketball program for almost 40 years. Younger college fans might find it hard to believe, but Penn went three full seasons, losing only six games; in 1970-71, the Quakers were the nation's last undefeated team. They finished 27-0 and were ranked No. 2 in the nation before they broke our hearts by losing, 90-47, to a Villanova team they had beaten in the regular season. I believe that my last thought on this Earth will be 90-47.

So as soon as this year's election was over (where, again, my team got trounced), I turned with anticipation to college basketball and our local teams. Alas, here too, the outlook is somewhat bleak. The City 6 were a combined 8-8, entering last night's game Temple game against Duke. But the truth is that might be the high-water mark for the season:

Penn: The Quakers are 0-2, losing twice at home, including the opener to Delaware State, which was ranked 288th in the Sagarin ratings. It will be a long season for the Quakers, but there are some rays of hope on the horizon, as they play four freshmen in their eight-man rotation.

St. Joseph's: The Hawks managed to beat Drexel, but were stunned by Fairleigh Dickinson at home (you read that correctly, Fairleigh Dickinson) and lost at Gonzaga, 94-42, after trailing, 48-10, at halftime. This is not too surprising, because the Hawks lost Langston Galloway, Halil Kanacevic and Ron Roberts Jr. - who accounted for nearly two-thirds of their points last season. They do have a potential star in DeAndre' Bembry, but it is too much to ask him to carry the load. A long season for the Hawks and the great Phil Martelli.

Drexel: The Dragons are 0-4, but give coach Bruiser Flint credit. His first four games were against Colorado, St. Joe's, Miami and Southern California. That's not an easy opening schedule for any team, no less the embattled Dragons. The Dragons lost Frantz Massenat and Chris Fouch - their two best scorers, who accounted for 35.8 points a game last season. Damion Lee and Tavon Allen are quality players, but it appears the Dragons will be overmatched most of the season.

Temple: The Owls beat American and Louisiana Tech, but playing Duke is a reality check. The Owls lost Dalton Pepper and Anthony Lee - two of their top four scorers - but do have quality players in Will Cummings and Quenton DeCosey. And most of all, they have the great Fran Dunphy as their coach. Dunph can preform miracles, and he might need one to guide the Owls back to the NCAA Tournament.

La Salle: The Explorers were the talk of March Madness in 2013, when they made an improbable run deep into the tournament. This season's team lost two stars from that group to graduation - Tyreek Duren and Tyrone Garland, two of their top three scorers. But the Explorers have talent in two returning starters, 6-8 Jerrell Wright and 6-11 Steve Zack, and might have the sleepers of the year in guards Jordan Price and Cleon Roberts. The Explorers are 2-0 and will likely be undefeated until their first real tests coming from Nov. 28 through Dec. 6, when they play Virginia, Villanova and Temple. When the smoke clears, we will know a lot more about La Salle.

Villanova: Last, but certainly not least, are the Wildcats, who are favored in the Big East and should make a real run in the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats return seven of their eight top scorers from last season's team, including the brilliant Darrun Hilliard and JayVaughn Pinkston, and have a raft of three-points shooters in Hilliard, Ryan Arcidiacono, Josh Hart, Dylan Ennis and Kris Jenkins. The 'Cats also have a quality big man in 6'11 Daniel Ochefu. They are deep and fast, can shoot and rebound and are, as usual, a well-coached Jay Wright team. Expect the 'Cats to carry the City 6 banner throughout this winter.

So we are not totally hopeless. But it does not look like a banner year, to say the least. Maybe the Owls and Explorers will exceed expectations. Maybe the newcomers can create some good news for the Dragons and Quakers. Maybe Bembry, who is fun to watch, will carry the Hawks to a decent season. And maybe, just maybe, those sharpshooting 'Cats can make this a heck of a March and bust a few brackets across the nation. But no matter what, Philly basketball is back, and, as I'm writing this, I can hear that wonderful squeak of sneakers across the hardwood floor.

On Twitter: @GovEdRendell