isn't anyone who isn't excited about Saturday's US college basketball game here.

In fact, "excited'' was the word du jour yesterday ahead of Bermuda's first encounter with big-time Division I hoops.

You can start with the teams, American University Eagles and the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens, whose players, coaches and alumni will escape Washington D.C. for a Thanksgiving holiday that does not involve shovelling snow.

"I know we're really looking forward to it,'' said Delaware assistant coach Sean Kearney.

So too apparently are the Island's basketball-starved sports fans, who, despite minimal exposure, have already snapped up all 400 available tickets -- at $10 and $15 a pop -- for the 7.00 p.m. tip-off at Bermuda College.

The game is being billed as Bermuda's first time NCAA-sanctioned Division I game. There have been Divison III and NAIA games in the past, "but nothing like this,'' said promoter Freddie Evans, who will see two years worth of work come to fruition. "You can safely say this is the best basketball that's ever been played in Bermuda.'' Evans, the coach at Whitney Institute, runs a summer basketball camp every summer and it was through this that he befriended Art Perry and Mike Brey, head coaches of American and Delaware, respectively. He also got support from American's assistant athletic director, Peter Sawyer, who has also made several appearances at Evans' camp, and, in turn, AU director of Athletics and Recreaton, Lee McElroy, who got NCAA approval.

"If the NCAA didn't think we could've hosted the event, it wouldn't have happened,'' said Evans.

Evans then approached the Ministry of Tourism, which supplied an undisclosed amount of money to help pull the game off. "You have to give credit to Freddie for having the vision to bring an event like this to Bermuda,'' said Wayne Smith, manager of sports promotions with the Ministry.

Other sponsors are the Ministry of Youth Development, Sport and Recreation and John Barritt's and Sons.

Said McElroy, "This trip is a wonderful opportunity for the AU basketball programme and all the student-athletes involved. We look forward to continuing this relationship with Bermuda as well as broadening the scope of our programme.'' Milestones aside, there is a game to be played and it's an important one for both teams. The Eagles are 0-3 after losing a 58-56 heart-breaker to Boston University on Tuesday night; the Hens are 1-3 following their 64-57 loss to Virginia, also on Tuesday.

The teams have met 20 times in their storied history, but not since the 1985-86 season. There is another connection: Perry, who recruited Joe Smith and Walt Williams for powerhouse Maryland teams, was head coach last year at Delaware State, who lost 91-63 to the Hens in their season opener.

Brey is in his thrd year at Delaware, coming over from Duke, where he helped the Blue Devils win NCAA titles in 1991 and 1992.