A few minutes prior to tip-off of Monday night's game, my friend and I were meditating at our top-row mid-court perch in preparation for the all-out can of whoop-ass the forces inside Cassell were about to unleash upon Tony and his good boys, when our tranquility was interrupted by visitors to our near-private domain-Coach Brent Pry and many of the new football staff. [How about that "James Joyce" length sentence?] They hiked to the top in a stack formation and plopped down in the empty row in front of us. Pry, himself, was perched beside us by the steps munching on his popcorn, smaller than I imagined for a Power 5 football coach.

The guys didn't do much cheering. They seemed to be taking a lot of photos and texting-no doubt working on recruits. Obviously, they were able to tap into some special internet band reserved for VIP's as I had almost no service. Pry headed down about 3/4 of the way through the half to secure the Commonwealth Cup to toss to Red Panda. The staff got up en masse at halftime and marched in formation down the steps. No doubt, they were heading out on important recruiting missions.

I kept my gawking to a minimum. My photos were sneaky and blurry. Others further down would occasionally glance over and share whispered recognition between them.

As for the actual game. What a contest. Cassell bludgeoned DSU with energy from the rafters to the court. Keve Aluma was magnificent. I mildly criticized Keve for not being strong enough with the ball against Syracuse. Monday night, he was a monster. Diving for loose balls, making enlightened passes, rebounding with determination, blocking shots like a crazed animal, and driving to the hoop with wisdom and authority.

The team didn't get flustered at anything that DSU threw at them. They repelled and frustrated their opponent. One little play just after Cattoor was called for a foul when has pushed out of the way by #4 (@5:20 left in the 2nd I think) that made me smile was when Storm brought the ball up court dogged by Clark. Murphy made a little twitch and Keyhole went flying off in the other direction. The crowd went "OOOOHHHHHH". TV missed the play because they were busy replaying the Mike and Tony hug at mid court.

Great energy. Great game. Winning sure is fun.

Beat UNCheat!
[Post edited by Newt at 02/16/2022 6:11PM]