CINCINNATI IS home to a basketball league that doesn’t attract the limelight of NCAA March Madness or feature the million-dollar salaries in the NBA. The “Recovery League” as it is known, however, may pay dividends much greater than the aforementioned duo.

The loop lives up to its name.

The Recovery League was established in 2009 as a vehicle to get the down-and-out back on the road to a better life. Teams are composed of players alienated from society, be it drug abuse, alcoholism or homelessness.

They play one night a week in a small community center gym in the Queen City for the biggest of prizes — righting their dysfunctional life in hopes of a productive existence.

The league offers no fanfare, no glitter, no financial gain. It does, however, provide participants camaraderie and, more importantly, hope.

The players wear mismatched uniforms and second-hand shoes. They play for three teams representing social service agencies: male substance abusers, homeless veterans and chronically homeless. The fourth team is composed of youths, hoping to keep them off the streets.

The league displays athletics in the purest of forms, playing for just the sake of playing. Winning and losing is an afterthought. They are cast in a game of survival and the Recovery League offers them a lifeline.

The hoopsters are exposed to a new concept — being part of a team. Their tough luck in society has cast them in a me-against-the-world mindset. The trust they learn by being a team member helps them once they return to their real world.

Many of the league’s participants have begun to realize the benefits of the program, be it drinking less, greater self-esteem or attending church. Their lives are taking on a more positive and optimistic look.

UConn came away as national champions Monday. However, the Huskies are no bigger winners than those players who graduate from the Recovery League.