John Feinstein’s The
Last Amateurs is a timeless look at small-time college basketball as it plays for its one shot
at big-time glory. The Patriot League may not be well known to many outside of
college basketball circles, but at the time of the book's release, it was one of the few
leagues in the top division of college basketball where some of the teams did not
have athletic scholarships and played for the love of the game.
Feinstein’s recap of the 2000 Patriot League season and
conference tournament weaves through each of the seven
colleges and service academies as they play for one invitation to the NCAA
tournament, also profiling the coaches and players as they struggled
to balance life, basketball, and school (in the case of the players). The
culmination of the book is the conference tournament, where each of the schools
tries to win up to three games in order to get into the NCAA tournament, and where
one loss means the end of their basketball season.
The Patriot League certainly doesn’t feature the huge schools that grab your attention, but it does have kids and coaches who love the sport. The Last Amateurs is a
gripping, entertaining, fun read that will remind you about the best of college
sports in an era where many times its uglier side can be brought to light
elsewhere.
MY RATING - 4.5
