If you are a real basketball hound, you still probably haven’t seen the men’s and women’s basketball teams this year at Community Colleges of Spokane. What a pity. As of Friday, the women’s team is 16-2 overall, 7-0 in the conference, while the men’s record is 16-4, 5-2. Their remaining home games are on Feb. 4, 8 and 22. Go to http://www.scc.spokane.edu/ for more information, including game times.

The coaches of both teams have done a magnificent job working with mostly area talent. These players are so dedicated, so unselfish and hard-working on the floor that it makes for a terrific basketball value. You will really be impressed.

It’s understandable that Gonzaga, Eastern Washington, WSU and area high schools garner the vast majority of basketball media attention. But don’t be fooled. These young adults at CCS will surprise and inspire you for a lot less money. Give them a chance and support your local community college. Like me, you’ll want to come back for more.

Gary Ackerman

Spokane Valley

Mr. Whitmore (Greg Whitmore, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague athletic director and chairman of the WIAA RPI committee) was proud of the first Washington high school basketball RPI poll.

When old men enter stats into the computer, bad things will come out the end.

Take the 4A Central Valley girls, unbeaten in 1 1/2 years and yet they rank No. 2. When a team is unbeaten for that long, it should be No. 1 until it loses. Yet in the state RPI poll, the CV team is No. 23.

Maybe Whitmore and his fellow pollsters should go and watch the young women and men play the game. A lot of the time you can spot the heart of a champion, for which there is no key on the keyboard.

Louis Elling

Warden, Wash.