The Feb. 3 deadline to sign up for the spring basketball season is quickly approaching, said sports assistant Matthew Wright, who oversees the intramural sports program at OCCC.

Wright said this sparks a busy semester for intramural sports.

“Of our spring sports, the basketball season is easily the most popular,” he said.

Wright said giving students the first two weeks after school started Jan. 20 to organize teams or apply as a free agent and be added to an existing team was a fair amount of time.

“Usually we have at least four or five teams, and each team will have between six and eight guys,” he said.

“I think we have five game days and depending on how well the season goes — like if we have a lot of participation — I’ll probably have an end of the season tournament.”

The season is listed at IMleagues as lasting for one month, from Feb. 4 to March 4.

Wright said all sign-ups for the league are done through the IM Leagues website.

“You just go on there and create an account,” he said.

“Once you have that account, make sure it’s linked to OCCC, and find the sport you want to do.

“You make your own team. … You [can] be a team captain, you can join a team, or you can be a free agent.”

Wright said a free agent, similar to professional sports, is someone who does not originally start with a team.

Those who register as a free agent would be put onto any team that needs more people.

“If we have a lot of free agents, we will put them on one team together, but if there are just a few we will put them on the existing teams,” he said.

The basketball season gives students an opportunity to meet other students with similar interests, and to have fun while doing it, Wright said.

Diversified studies majorAusten Harris frequents the OCCC gym. He said the competitions sound fun.

“The best part about playing would be meeting new people and just having fun playing with people you’ve never played with before — and the competition of the whole thing,” Harris said.

Wright said for others, the season is a chance to team up with friends and enjoy some competitive basketball.

For more information, contact Wright by phone at 405-682-1611, ext. 7684, or by email at matthew.j.wright@occc.edu, or contact the Recreation and Fitness department directly at 405-682-7860.

To contact Clayton Mitchell, email sportswriter@occc.edu