Let the madness begin. Well, it’s not March but November is here and I’ve already heard the maniacal voice of Dick Vitale so college basketball has obviously begun.

Growing up in one the few basketball states still left in the union, I love this five month period that culminates with the greatest championship atmosphere in March Madness no matter professional or collegiate.

It’s like the Chicago Cubs on opening day, with everybody around the Eastern basketball team honestly believing the team can win 20 games and earn a NCAA Tournament berth.

The only difference could be that when you ask every expert how Eastern may perform, the answer is always, “I don’t know. “

Here’s what the Panthers need to accomplish to make an improbable run through the Ohio Valley Conference Championship.

No. 1. Defend its home floor: The Panthers lost two conference games at home last year and Samuels needs to sell this as a basketball program (Guess what? Illinois isn’t a football state) so fans/Blue Crew members will turn the small Lantz Arena into one of the loudest places to play in the OVC.

2. Find some sort of chemistry: Within a group of nine players that have probably played organized basketball together for a few months, the Panthers will need to establish roles for their players. Eastern travels to the NIU Convention Center, Kohl Center and Carver Hawkeye Arena and those are certainly not places you want to go to build confidence.

3. Take care of the basketball: Twenty-seven turnovers, are you kidding me? I was very pleased to hear Samuels’ first response to describe the exhibition game was on turnovers. Eastern can’t survive that type of sloppy play in those before- mentioned road tests.

4. Find a third scorer: Senior David Roos anybody? The senior flourished being the role player at Peoria Manuel High School under Wayne McClain with stars like Sergio McClain, Frank Williams and Marcus Griffin. Now, Roos must prove he can step up and provide double-digits in points and close to six to seven rebounds.

5. Defeat the instate rivals: At Northern Illinois, vs. Illinois-Chicago, at Western Illinois and, well, Illinois College. Eastern has to go 4-0 against the schools from the Lincoln state because if they wish to get solid recruits, they have to be able to sit in living rooms and say they are the second or third best program in the state.

6. Start the OVC season on fire: The Panthers play Tennessee Tech, Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri all at home. Eastern could be out of the conference race before it ever starts if they fall early.

7. Find the mystery cure for Aaron Harrison: The 6-foot-9, 290-pound center is at an obvious advantage physically in the post with any OVC school. One problem, he currently is on crutches and has a pin in his foot. This injury is the last thing the Panthers offense needed because they will be forced to rely on jump shots until the center is ready to practice.

All in all, Eastern will contend for the Ohio Valley Conference Championship but with its top eight returning scorers it’s hard to bet against the Austin Peay Governors making a second consecutive trip to the NCAA’s.

One thing is positive for the Panthers season, it’ll be exciting because even I have no idea what to expect from this team and neither does anybody else. Who knows? Maybe the Cinderella slipper will land in Charleston.