College basketball season is just around the corner as teams prepare for another exciting year of hoops. The UCLA Bruins are set to play in a new venue- the Sports Arena- this season while renovation takes place at Pauley Pavilion, and center Joshua Smith is not happy about the venue, according to a report by ESPN LA.
Smith voiced one of his concerns after walking through the arena for the first time last week: "You sit on the chairs in the locker room and dust and dirt is coming off the chairs." The Sports Arena, located downtown, was built all the way back in 1958.
A bigger concern for Smith, though, is the Sports Arena's proximity to USC. The Trojans actually hosted games there until 2006, and some Trojans gear still lines the walls. Smith put it this way: "It's just like, we're in SC's old gym. What really threw me off is I knew it was close, but I didn't know that it was this close to their campus."
Tough break for Smith, but he and his teammates need to start preparing for the season at hand. The Bruins are ranked the top team in this year's preseason media poll and will need to be sharp if they want to justify the ranking.
The Bruins are scheduled to play 14 home games at the Sports Arena this season.