Raymond Curren :: The Mid-Majority

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S8 March 22, 2012 Game #8-783: Robert Morris Colonials at Fairfield StagsMarch 21, 2012 8:00 pmArena at Harbor YardBBState Stats/Recap “Just like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” - Benjamin Disraeli The patterns of games get monotonous over time, teams do ... [more]

2. Back From The MAAC Dead?

S8 March 20, 2012 Game #8-777: Manhattan Jaspers at Fairfield StagsMarch 18, 2012 5:00 pmArena at Harbor YardBBState Stats/RecapIt seems in my travels that The Simpsons are either loved or hated, there’s not much in between. But at the risk of offending our loyal readers, the best analogy I could make to how I felt S... [more]

3. America East Final: Two if by Sea

S8 March 12, 2012 Game #8-737: Vermont Catamounts at Stony Brook SeawolvesMarch 10, 2012 11:00 amHartford, CTBBState Stats/RecapFor what will likely prove to be my final game for the 800 Games Project, I figured that I’d bring back a concept that seems to be very popular when I do my high school writing: the running ... [more]

4. MAAC Final: Row, Jimmy, Row

S8 March 11, 2012 Game #8-745: Fairfield Stags vs. Loyola (Md.) GreyhoundsMarch 5, 2012 7:00 pmSpringfield, MABBState Stats/RecapAs the final horn sounded Monday night and Loyola had officially won the MAAC, I half-expected Jimmy Patsos to run to the middle of the court and rip off his suit, revealing a white T-shirt... [more]

5. A Young Coach and the Struggle

S8 March 11, 2012 Game #8-744: Vermont Catamounts vs. Hartford HawksMarch 4, 2012 7:15 pmHartford, CTBBState Stats/Recap When I last left Hartford coach John Gallagher, he was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to get his team better as the season turned toward the all-important homestretch. When I first met ... [more]

6. MAAC #8: Lactic Acid

S8 March 11, 2012 Game #8-743: Siena Saints vs. Loyola (Md.) GreyhoundsMarch 4, 2012 4:30 pmSpringfield, MABBState Stats/RecapLactic acid has gotten a bad rap over the decades. Long thought to be the source of muscle fatigue, in the past few years it has been shown to be critical to fitness and energy in athletes. O... [more]

7. MAAC #7: Poor Mike Glover

S8 March 11, 2012 Game #8-734: Fairfield Stags vs. Iona GaelsMarch 4, 2012 2:00 pmSpringfield, MABBState Stats/Recap“History is written by the victors.” - Winston Churchill In wandering the halls of the MassMutual Center after Fairfield’s 85-75 upset of Iona in the MAAC semifinals, I came across a scene which hurt... [more]

8. MAAC #6: After Midnight

S8 March 11, 2012 Game #8-742: Siena Saints vs. Manhattan JaspersMarch 3, 2012 9:30 pmSpringfield, MABBState Stats/Recap“Whoever thinks of going to bed before twelve o’clock is a scoundrel.” - Samuel Johnson Back in my college days, and probably for a while thereafter, my friends and I would go out on a random... [more]

9. MAAC #5: Ten Minutes To Patsos

S8 March 11, 2012 Game #8-741: Niagara Purple Eagles vs. Loyola (Md.) GreyhoundsMarch 3, 2012 7:30 pmSpringfield, MABBState Stats/RecapThe announcement came over the PA system at the end of the Iona-Marist game that they were going to clear the MassMutual Center, as the next game between Loyola and Niagara started a ... [more]

10. MAAC #4: Marist Doesn`t Have a Machado Gear

S8 March 6, 2012 Game #8-710: Marist Red Foxes vs. Iona GaelsMarch 3, 2012 4:30 pmSpringfield, MABBState Stats/Recap There was a slight break between games, so I got to check out the MAAC's version of the FanFest, which was significantly better than America East, primarily because going to it was a strictly volunta... [more]

11. MAAC #3: Destination Springfield

S8 March 6, 2012 Game #8-709: Rider Broncs vs. Fairfield StagsMarch 3, 2012 2:30 pmSpringfield, MABBState Stats/RecapWelcome to Springfield:No, not that Springfield. Springfield, Massachusetts.Other than being the birthplace of basketball, Springfield, Mass. was a curious choice for the MAAC Tournament. Traditional... [more]

12. The Game`s The Thing, America East

S8 March 6, 2012 Game #8-708: Binghamton Bearcats vs. Stony Brook SeawolvesMarch 3, 2012 12:05 pmHartford, CTBBState Stats/RecapThe America East conference can’t thank the Binghamton men’s basketball program for much in last couple of seasons. By now, most of you know the scandal that has pretty much crippled the Be... [more]

13. MAAC #2 - Scouting With Our Friends

S8 March 3, 2012 Game #8-673: Canisius Golden Griffins vs. Niagara Purple EaglesMarch 2, 2012 9:30 pmSpringfield, MABBState Stats/Recap“The readiness is all.” - Hamlet When you get a No. 7 seed against a No. 10 seed, tip-off isn’t until 9:45 p.m., and the two teams in question come from six hours away (and that’s... [more]

14. MAAC #1 - Rage Against the Dying of the Light

S8 March 3, 2012 Game #8-671: Saint Peter`s Peacocks vs. Marist Red FoxesMarch 2, 2012 7:30 pmSpringfield, MABBState Stats/Recap “Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright ... [more]

15. Diehard Night

S8 March 2, 2012 Game #8-664: Fordham Rams at Rhode Island RamsFebruary 29, 2012 7:00 pmRyan CenterBBState Stats/Recap“I hope you would support who were are, not who we are not.” -Coach Norman Dale The confluence of events that led me to the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I., Wednesday night are vast and would take fa... [more]

16. No Justice, No Peace

S8 February 29, 2012 Game #8-642: Cornell Big Red at Yale BulldogsFebruary 25, 2012 7:00 pmJohn J. Lee AmphitheaterBBState Stats/Recap “Injustice, if it is on a large enough scale, is stronger, freer, and more masterly than justice.” -Thrasymachus (Plato’s Republic) Part of the fun for me this season with the Mid-Maj... [more]

17. Schadenfreudely Delight

S8 February 28, 2012 Game #8-638: Wagner Seahawks at Central Connecticut Blue DevilsFebruary 25, 2012 3:30 pmDetrick GymBBState Stats/RecapDespite Connecticut being among the smallest of our nation’s united states geographically, there’s no easy way to get from Fairfield to New Britain, meaning it was an hour drive (I’m... [more]

18. Dead Team Walking

S8 February 27, 2012 Game #8-629: Saint Francis (PA) Red Flash at Sacred Heart PioneersFebruary 25, 2012 12:00 pmWilliam Pitt CenterBBState Stats/Recap “I am but a shape that stands here, A pulseless mould, A pale past picture, screening Ashes gone cold.” - Thomas Hardy, the Dead Man Walking The St. Francis of Pen... [more]

19. What the Hell`s a Jasper?

S8 February 25, 2012 Game #8-616: Canisius Golden Griffins at Manhattan JaspersFebruary 24, 2012 7:00 pmDraddy GymnasiumBBState Stats/Recap“What the hell’s a Jasper?” Actually, to do that justice you have to say it in chant form: “What - the - hell’s – a – Jas – perrrr?” When I was eight years old, that was the funnie... [more]

20. The Walk-On and the Real No. 1 Fan

S8 February 24, 2012 Game #8-609: Saint Francis (PA) Red Flash at Quinnipiac BobcatsFebruary 23, 2012 7:00 pmTD Banknorth Sports CenterBBState Stats/Recap“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.” - C. S. LewisIt was 60 degrees in southern Connect... [more]

21. Succeeding In Poverty

S8 February 17, 2012 Game #8-577: Saint Francis (NY) Terriers at Quinnipiac BobcatsFebruary 16, 2012 7:00 pmTD Banknorth Sports CenterBBState Stats/Recap“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you’re doing the impossible.”- St. Francis of AssisiYou get the feeling that St. Francis of Assi... [more]

22. YOU THINK YOU KNOW....

S8 February 13, 2012 Game #8-562: Yale Bulldogs at Columbia LionsFebruary 11, 2012 7:00 pmLevien GymBBState Stats/Recap“I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance,”- Socrates, 400 B.C. There used to be a show on MTV -– back when I used to watch MTV -- called Diary, that began “You think you know, but you have no id... [more]

23. WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

S8 February 12, 2012 Game #8-555: Dayton Flyers at Fordham RamsFebruary 11, 2012 1:00 pmRose Hill GymBBState Stats/Recap “A safe but sometimes chilly way of recalling the past is to force open a crammed drawer. If you are searching for anything in particular you don't find it, but something falls out at the back that is... [more]

24. Invisible Determination - Or Lack Thereof

S8 February 9, 2012 Game #8-534: Central Connecticut Blue Devils at Quinnipiac BobcatsFebruary 8, 2012 7:00 pmTD Banknorth Sports CenterBBState Stats/Recap“The difference between one person and another, between the weak and the powerful, the great and the insignificant, is energy – invisible determination.” - Thomas ... [more]

25. Quoth the Curtain: Nevermore

S8 February 7, 2012 Game #8-523: Siena Saints at Fairfield StagsFebruary 5, 2012 3:30 pmArena at Harbor YardBBState Stats/Recap “And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me -– filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before” - Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven I had no plan to hit the Fairf... [more]

26. Warm Blood - Up Close And Personal

S8 February 7, 2012 Game #8-522: Loyola (Md.) Greyhounds at Saint Peter`s PeacocksFebruary 5, 2012 12:00 pmYanitelli CenterBBState Stats/Recap“When our actions do not, our fears make us traitors.” – Lady Macbeth I choked. I could sit here and make the usual list of excuses for you: it’s hard to simulate the pressure,... [more]

27. An Ode To Hard Work

S8 February 6, 2012 Game #8-516: Princeton Tigers at Yale BulldogsFebruary 4, 2012 7:00 pmJohn J. Lee AmphitheaterBBState Stats/Recap"Follow your dreams." "Don’t let anyone stand in your way." "You can be whatever you want to be." If you’ve been involved in sports (or likely even if you haven’t), you’ve heard them a... [more]

28. The Family Business

S8 January 29, 2012 Game #8-480: Wagner Seahawks at Quinnipiac BobcatsJanuary 28, 2012 2:00 pmTD Banknorth Sports CenterBBState Stats/Recap The blizzard had subsided enough for me to make my way down to Madison Square Garden for the 1993 Big East title game between Seton Hall and Syracuse. There wasn’t much to cheer ... [more]

29. The Hangover

S8 January 29, 2012 Game #8-478: Dartmouth Big Green at Yale BulldogsJanuary 28, 2012 7:00 pmJohn J. Lee AmphitheaterBBState Stats/RecapAs the Yale basketball team awoke with a giant headache Saturday morning, they probably had the usual questions. What happened? Did I get run over by a truck? No, that was just Harva... [more]

30. The Mount Is Going To The Dance (Well, Not This Year)

S8 January 28, 2012 Game #8-468: Mount Saint Mary`s Mountaineers at Quinnipiac BobcatsJanuary 26, 2012 7:00 pmTD Banknorth Sports CenterBBState Stats/Recap “Let the celebration begin in Emmitsburg. The Mount is going to the Dance.” - ESPN’s Mike Tirico; March 5, 1995 The ties to the athletic teams we support are oft... [more]

31. No Country for Last Men Here

S8 January 25, 2012 Game #8-455: Boston University Terriers at Hartford HawksJanuary 22, 2012 4:00 pmThe Sports CenterBBState Stats/Recap“I say unto you: one must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star. I say unto you: you still have chaos in yourselves. “Alas, the time is coming when ma... [more]

32. New York State Of Mind - Part Two

S8 January 23, 2012 Game #8-441: Cornell Big Red at Columbia LionsJanuary 21, 2012 7:00 pmLevien GymBBState Stats/RecapI debated just going back to Grand Central Station and home after the conclusion of the St. Francis game. It was just about 7 p.m., and I really had no idea how long it would take or how lost I would g... [more]

33. New York State Of Mind - Part One

S8 January 23, 2012 Game #8-440: Mount Saint Mary`s Mountaineers at Saint Francis (NY) TerriersJanuary 21, 2012 5:00 pmPhysical Ed. CenterBBState Stats/Recap“I was sure you’d be on foot because you always say public transportation is for losers.” - Marge Simpson (to Homer) The original plan, in place for a few weeks ... [more]

34. Thinking About MLK On MLK Day

S8 January 17, 2012 Game #8-404: Rider Broncs at Fairfield StagsJanuary 16, 2012 7:30 pmArena at Harbor YardBBState Stats/RecapAfter three hours of early-morning basketball practice (watching so much mid-major basketball has led me to put in about 40 new plays, at least two of which have actually worked), I had a rare ... [more]

35. Our Rich Friends Below the Red Line

S8 January 16, 2012 Game #8-400: Saint Joseph`s Hawks at Massachusetts MinutemenJanuary 14, 2012 4:00 pmMullins CenterBBState Stats/Recap My head understands why the University of Massachusetts (and the rest of the Atlantic-14, sans Xavier) is below the Red Line, but when you’re used to the low-income housing of the NE... [more]

36. Ghosts of Days Gone By

S8 January 10, 2012 Game #8-372: Iona Gaels at Marist Red FoxesJanuary 8, 2012 2:00 pmMcCann Recreation CenterBBState Stats/Recap“Do you feel the same For what was remained Yesterday is gone, we can't go back again Do you ever cry for the ghost of days gone by” -Alter Bridge Time can be a funny thing as it pertains t... [more]

37. Third Choice Is Better Than No Choice

S8 January 8, 2012 Game #8-365: Saint Francis (NY) Terriers at Sacred Heart PioneersJanuary 7, 2012 3:30 pmWilliam Pitt CenterBBState Stats/Recap"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” – Robert BurnsI call it the Connecticut Triangle (feel free to give me a better moniker, that’s not terribly creative). I... [more]

38. What`s Next For Shaka of the Year 2011

S8 January 4, 2012 Game #8-335: Virginia Commonwealth Rams at Hofstra PrideJanuary 2, 2012 7:00 pmHofstra ArenaBBState Stats/Recap With apologies to former winners Shaka Khan, Shaka Hislop, and Shaka Zulu, the runaway Shaka of the Year award for 2011 went to VCU coach Shaka Smart. This isn’t the forum or time for a f... [more]

39. Say It Ain`t So, Sydney

S8 January 2, 2012 Game #8-329: Canisius Golden Griffins at Fairfield StagsJanuary 1, 2012 1:00 pmArena at Harbor YardBBState Stats/RecapThrough sheer happenstance, I was sitting about 20 feet from Princeton’s Doug Davis as he hit one of the most memorable shots of the 2011 college basketball season: a buzzer-beater t... [more]

40. Mixing A Little Basketball With A Little History

S8 January 1, 2012 Game #8-316: Saint Francis (NY) Terriers at Army Black KnightsDecember 31, 2011 2:00 pmChristl ArenaBBState Stats/RecapThere is always a mental checklist of things whenever you’re getting ready to go to a game, particularly if you’re making a drive of any decent length. Directions? Check. Game time... [more]

41. It`s Not Easy Being Winless

S8 December 11, 2011 Game #8-223: Niagara Purple Eagles at Hartford HawksDecember 10, 2011 6:00 pmThe Sports CenterBBState Stats/RecapI remember my first coaching victory well. A decade ago as a recent college graduate, there was an ad in the local paper for a volunteer to coach in the local middle school league.It soun... [more]

42. Yale at Sacred Heart 12/5/2011

S8 December 6, 2011 Game #8-193: Yale Bulldogs at Sacred Heart PioneersDecember 5, 2011 7:00 pmWilliam Pitt CenterBBState Stats/Recap“You gotta play hurt,” as Den Jenkins semi-famously titled his book two decades ago. Of course, Jenkins wrote it as fiction and largely lampooned sports journalism, but I digress. At abou... [more]

43. We`re In The Army Now ... But Not For Hoops

S8 November 20, 2011 Game #8-077: Army Black Knights at Central Connecticut State Blue DevilsNovember 19, 2011 2:00 pmDetrick GymBBState Stats/Recap NEW BRITAIN, Conn.- As the public address announcer asked for a moment of reflection to “remember those serving to protect our freedoms both home and abroad”, the guys in... [more]

44. Quinnipiac continues its march toward the "Big Time"

S8 November 15, 2011 Game #8-033: Yale Bulldogs at Quinnipiac BobcatsNovember 15, 2011 7:00 pmTD Banknorth Sports CenterBBState Stats/RecapIt’s now been 15 years since Quinnipiac first announced it was going to the promised land of Division I. That sentence looked about as out of place in 1996 as the Bobcats’ new home –... [more]