Having waited 11 months since the conclusion of last years thrilling four-week campaign, millions of Americans are gearing up for the start of college basketball season on Mar. 18, sources confirmed Monday. I love college basketball, so its just great knowing that its almost back, said 28-year-old Collin Shuster of Skokie, IL, echoing the thoughts of fans across the country who spent the winter excitedly reading various preseason rankings and team previews. Obviously itd be great if the season werent so short, and it sucks that once a team loses a single game their whole year is over, but I suppose thats part of the reason college basketball is so exciting. I cant wait for the first game. Many Americans confirmed, however, that they only start closely paying attention halfway through the season, when only 16 teams remain in the field. 