Every fall, thousands of freshmen are left with the decision of whether they should purchase student season tickets for men’s basketball or join the Orange Krush, Illini Pride’s student section.

In past seasons, a number of freshmen have been unable to obtain season tickets due to the large demand. However, the 2006-07 season was different.

“We were able to fulfill all of our student orders this year,” said Assistant Athletic Ticket Manager Bethany Foss.

Student season tickets are distributed via a student seating priority system in which one collects points according to his or her year and the number of years he or she has been a season ticket holder. Students receive one point for each year in school, starting with one point as a freshman. For each year as a season ticket holder or as a member of Orange Krush, students receive three points. In addition, students receive one point for being a football season ticket holder.

John Holton, sophomore in Engineering, said he purchased football season tickets and filled out the order form the first day it was available in the fall.

“I was worried I wasn’t going to get them because everybody told me I wasn’t going to,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tom Seewald, fellow sophomore in engineering, decided to bypass the $145 price tag for basketball season tickets and raised money to join Orange Krush.

“The possibility of getting good seats is higher,” he said. “It’s the only way you can sit on the floor. The atmosphere of a bunch of fans in one area makes it much more enjoyable.”

Seewald said he would advise incoming freshmen to join Orange Krush.

“You get a lot more access to events and tickets,” he said. “It might be hard to raise the money, but in the end it all pays off.”

This past season, the Illini encountered several challenges along the way to the NCAA tournament. They ended up with finishing 23-12 overall and 9-7 in the Big Ten, which was good enough to tie for fourth place.

Despite the losses of graduating seniors Warren Carter, Marcus Arnold and Rich McBride, the team looks hopeful for next year. The core of returning players includes seniors Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle, as well as junior Chester Frazier.

The Illini look to excel with the additions of several new recruits. This winter, they will add a four-star recruit point guard in Demetri McCamey, and three-star recruits in power forward Bill Cole and center Mike Tisdale. Also, they signed four-star recruit Quinton Watkins, a shooting guard from Compton, Calif., and a highly ranked junior college recruit in forward Rodney Alexander, who comes from Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla.

If incoming freshmen hope to see the team in person, they should try to acquire as many priority points as possible.

“There is no guarantee, but your best chance is to purchase football season tickets,” Foss said.