The Mid-Majority

The Mid-Majority Truth, justice and college basketball. http://www.compupants.com/ Copyright 2004-11 http://www.midmajority.com/ en-us <![CDATA[Epilogue, The Eighth]]> Donovan Potts http://www.midmajority.com/p/2941 I. Something Like His

Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if theyre showing you the way."
-Donald Miller, Blue Like JazzI read an article once saying the purpose of writing was threefold: to inform, to entertain, and to persuade. Good writers could do two of those three, great writers could do all three at once, and amazing writers could do all three and make the reader hardly even realize it when he takes action on the authors persuasion.

I came to the party known as the Mid-Majority somewhat late, the start of Season 7 to be exact. My friends had given it high praise in the past, saying it was a different kind of college basketball coverage than anything I had seen before. With the first essay of Season 7, I was hooked. Who else would have brought to light an eighth of an inch could have changed history? The reminder sat on the website for an entire season, eight pixels between me celebrating in a hotel room in Washington, Penn., and flopping on the bed in sad frustration for a team I had barely known until then but instantly knew I loved.

I discovered what my friends had said about this website to be accurate. The writer, this Kyle fellow I knew little of, came across to me as knowledgeable, confident but not pretentious, assured with a solid dose of humility. He said it himself he was a niche within a niche writer.

It came as a whisper among the cacophony of the damned choir of media outlets I had started to fall out of love with, a chorus of LOOK AT ME!" blaring out the quiet, the humble Look at this, not at me." Like Elijah in the desert, what I wanted wasnt in the earthquake or the fire any more. It came in the whisper.

To say The Mid-Majority is a site just about college basketball would be akin to what the menu at my favorite Mexican restaurant calls their horchata: rice water. Yeah, rice water is in it, but just putting rice water" is a heinous oversimplification. Cinnamon and milk add spice and sweetness in perfect blend.

The Mid-Majoritys spice came from the stories beyond basketball: the players, coaches, and even the traveling scribe who sacrifice health, wealth, love and even life for the sake of the fan watching or reading from the comfort of home. Despite what the banner says, this site is not about college basketball. This sweetness came from the discussion of the essential makings of life itself, the human dilemma in full display. College basketball simply serves as the filter through which we see these things.

Kyle spent seven years of his life using this filter to show us life in a way we hadnt seen before. Through lessons learned on the court, in the locker rooms and on the road between small gyms, we all saw how much the people involved in Our Game loved it, how much he loved it too, and how much he loved writing about it. Watching his love of these deepened my love for the same.

He informed, he entertained, and at the end of Season 7, came the persuasion.

Once during the offseason, Kyles name came up in a text-message conversation with my friend, Drew, the same who made several trips with me this season and waits in anticipation with us all for the day the Southern Illinois Salukis return to the glory they seem to have misplaced. Drew was somewhat unfamiliar with who this Kyle fellow was, and asked me for a reminder. In a moment of wistful desire, I replied:

Hes the guy who does the Mid-Majority site. If I could pick my life, I would pick something like his."

Without even realizing it, I had joined 121 others who had been persuaded to exactly what he wanted us to do. Pick up his torch, commit to the quest with two simple words, and personally travel roughly the distance between St. Louis, Missouri, and Perth, Australia; all to find out what most of us already knew. The best things are indeed the smallest.

We said We Will" and together we did.

We saw more than 800 college basketball games in just five months. We traveled the equivalent of nearly four circumnavigations of the earth and wrote 50 percent more words than all those contained in the Oxford English Dictionary.

We informed. Darcy Ireland became the first person Ive ever known to connect sixth-century Christian theological writings with a college basketball game. Ian McCormick enlightened us as to the tenuous inner dealings of the South Carolina university system. He also poignantly illuminated the little known, yet previously discussed, issues among the minority within the majority at the Historically Black schools.

We entertained. Raymond Curren invoked the spirit of Poe in his encounter with our dreaded enemy, the black curtain. Ty Clarks The Parting Glass" introduced Irish poetry into our mix, and from now on I shall use Good night, and joy be with you all" as a farewell. And in my personal favorite, Craig Hanford channeled his inner Seuss in Green Eggs and Frank."

"I do not like this Frank-he-is.
We just have to shut him down.
If we can stop this Frank-he-is
we'll get a win in this town."

As for persuasion, the examples were much more subtle, but they worked on all of us. We all discovered in our own way just what it means to support the small, for some of us this came at a high cost.

II. The Right Kind of History

Friday afternoon came as it usually did, with my friends and I gathered around a table at the sports bar. We had gathered in this spot, or one similar to it, during the third weekend in March every year since 2001. Our purpose: to watch all 48 games of the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament at one time, in one place, together.

Most of the time was spent in a relatively empty bar, and we enjoyed it as it meant relative peace and more control over how we could watch the games. We only saw big crowds on a couple of occasions. When the tournament happened to fall on St. Patricks Day, we shared the place with a mass of the typical college student amateurs guzzling their green beer and well-shots.

The other occasion came when the Missouri Tigers played their tournament game. This was to be expected as we were in Columbia, Missouri, home of the University of Missouri, my alma mater. All of my friends watching the tournament with me had some tie to Missouri as well.

This Friday afternoon brought a large crowd as expected, people calling it an early week and making their way to the nearest television and beer for the 3:45 tip-off between Missouri, the 2 seed in the West region, and 15-seeded Norfolk State, champions of the MEAC, a team very few people inside this bar knew little about. I had only a faint idea of them thanks this very website.

Little did we know indeed...

After two hours, made shot after made shot, threes matched with threes, rebounds easily grabbed by the underdog" in this game the Spartans controlled from the tip, it was Missouri, the favorite, the preferred brand" (in MUs athletic directors words, not mine) of myself and these people gathered in this bar, watching Kyle OQuinn corral an offensive rebound, lay it in for two points and draw the foul from Matt Pressey in the process. After the made free throw, Norfolk State had a three-point lead with 30 seconds left.

Missouri had blinked.

It wasnt quite over, though. The so-called favorite still had one last chance, down two with the ball, two seconds left, and an inbounds from just beyond the half-court line. During the timeout to set up what would be the last play, tension flowed through the place like lite beer from the taps. In my nervousness, I grabbed my phone and checked my twitter feed.

OMG THIS IS HAPPENING! GO NORFOLK!"

We are seeing history here people! Lets go Spartans."

And of course...

I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!!!"

The world outside these four neon-lit walls wanted the upset. I had split from the group which had sustained me and my travels this season. All of you wanted history. I wanted chalk.

At that moment, a wave of relief washed away my tension and carried it away like so much loose sand, a burden lifted. If Missouri, my team, was going to lose (it ends in losses above the red line, too) why not to Norfolk State? Rarely does someone get to choose on which side of history they will fall. Albeit somewhat reluctantly, I rejoined the us", the ones who wanted to see the right kind of history, and quietly lifted my head to watch the last play take shape.

I looked up in time to see the inbound pass go to Missouris sophomore point guard Phil Pressey. He launched a three from the left wing. The fate of two programs hung in the air as the clock moved to zeroes and the horn sounded.

The shot missed to the left. Norfolk State became only the fifth 15-seed to ever beat a 2. The Spartans danced at mid-court as a guttural, primal scream rose from the crowd in the bar. Expletives flew about like hand grenades, tossed without care for their damage or where they may land. Few even thought to acknowledge what we had just seen, one season extended, another cut abruptly short in a magnificently unlikely way. I looked at my friend Rod, shrugged my shoulders and smiled a little. He simply mouthed the word WOW" and smiled back as we watched the celebration continue on the floor in Omaha.

III. The Second Journey (Or, Working on a Mystery)

The second journey begins when we know we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the morning program. We are aware that we only have a limited amount of time left to accomplish that which is really important and that awareness illumines for us what really matters, what really counts."
-Brennan ManningI almost died in Nashville.

I had started the short walk back from an early dinner to my hotel to gather my notebook and make the drive down to Lipscombs campus to watch their game against Austin Peay, just the fifth game of my journey on the still young season. As I crossed Demonbruen Street, my mind drifted to the evenings plans and I forgot the instructions pounded into my brain by my parents, teachers, and Sesame Street ever since I was but a wee lad: Look BOTH ways when you cross the street!

I made it safely across the lanes of traffic coming from my left, but took two steps out into the two lanes coming from my right before I looked. An SUV quickly approached from roughly half a basketball courts distance.

By grace alone, the driver paid more attention than I did, and was able to slow down enough to prevent what would have been at best a life-altering injury, possibly a life-ending one.

The memory of the moment lingered with me, followed me throughout my travels. The questions laid in wait on the edges of dark, empty Illinois cornfields, hovered over the waters of the San Francisco Bay, danced among the clouds in the evergreens of the Pacific Northwest. Waiting for a moment of weakness, the most brief moment of distraction, they would strike.

What if you had died there on that street in Nashville? What would you have to show for your existence?"

The catalyst for change most often thrusts itself upon the unsuspecting in the form of a diagnosis, the actions of another, or a threat, real or perceived. In our game, coaches get fired, players get hurt, fans move on from the game. We all see change in different forms. I saw my change in the front grill of a Jeep Cherokee.

Rare is the person who has the luxury to decide when to start the next part of their life, or at the very least knows when the time will come. In Our Game, we have a taste of said luxury. The Beautiful Season is well defined, beginning with onset of winters chill and ending in the warming sun of spring.

For those actively involved in basketball, the moment of change is also clearly defined. With the final horns sounding at the end of the loss we know will come, journey one instantly ends while journey two instantly begins. We honor players for their four years of commitment to the game we love and wish them well on the next leg, men like Kyle Weems at Missouri State, Justin Bocot and Mamadou Seck at Southern Illinois, Zack Rosen at Penn, Ronald Nored at Butler, and the even lesser-knowns, the walk-ons like Matt Dorwart at Creighton.

The first journey relies on discovery and experience. We venture out, see what the world has in store for us, and soak in all we can. The young person sets out to see the world, to start to gather knowledge and do his level best to impart some along the way. We set out together to see 800 college basketball games in one season, and we did. We all have a unique set of experiences on which we may draw.

The second journey, then, becomes about applying meaning to what we experienced the first time through. It may be as simple as applying new standards to what youre already doing. It may also mean scrapping the entirety of your identity and re-starting at page one. Sometimes I think my life, the second journey I feel Im on the cusp of, will require such a re-start. Im not sure when or where, and I will make no grand statement as to the future of my life in this essay, but I am confident my life will soon not resemble anything like its been before. I know people naturally have trouble changing, but the forces repelling me from the way I am and the calling toward the new are both equally strong.

As the wisest of poets once said:

Theres something good waiting down this road.
Im picking up whatever is mine."

For our collective second journey, I encourage you to make this all about meaning as well. We now know where our gyms are, where our teams play, and have met them in at least a cursory manner. We have the basic questions answered. Your purpose for Season Nine is to answer the toughest question: WHY? Why do these athletes play against such steep odds? Why do the coaches do the same? Why do you and other fans accept and applaud your teams? Why is a certain schools pep band so good? Why are red-headed cheerleaders the best? Answer these questions for yourselves, discover the meaning hidden in even the simplest moments, then share it with all of us who will read and appreciate your revelations.

Two things excite me most about what the ninth season of the Mid-Majority will bring. First, there is no quantity attached to this next go-around. Season Nine is NOT the 900 Game Project, at least not officially. If we do hit 900, and it is entirely possible, what a testament to our resolve it would be. Instead of sheer mass, what I hope we will be looking for is quality, which we find in short supply among the descriptions of our game by other media. We have the opportunity to add meaning to the game, and hopefully will able to show that meaning to the masses.

The second intriguing difference coming in Season Nine is a simple change in pronoun. Our credo during this seasons journey has been I believe that we will win," simplified down to our primary assertion, the strenuous cry: I WILL. Brennan Manning states before the second journey can begin, the focus must always shift from the individual to the group, be it a small community or the world at large. Season Nine, our second journey as a group, makes such a shift. Next season, the focus changes: WE are, together. Its a small tweak in syntax, but a sea-change in philosophy, one much needed in todays prevalent mindset.

IV: Yet

Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities filld with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renewd,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurringWhat good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are herethat life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
-Walt WhitmanRecently, the union who represents me and the company I work for came to terms on a new bargaining agreement which dictates the conditions my colleagues and I will work under for the next three years. From what I understand, the negotiations were fierce, and many feelings were hurt. The same managers we once thought were our friends turned on us with a proverbial blade aimed straight at our throats. The cuts we took were deep: less pay, less flexibility in scheduling, and among it all the real possibility of layoffs in the near future. Despite the ten years of experience Ive put in, the hours of high stress Ive given for low reward, management feels the job I do can be done by anyone with the right equipment and minimal training. Quality matters little if at all. All that matters is quantity at the lowest available cost.

This situation is not unique to my field; it is prevalent throughout this culture. We have been told by the 3,000-plus advertisements we see every day what we want is the same and it can be easily provided to us because it is mass produced. When we tire of it, the product is expendable, and the next hot thing is readily available.

The concept of expendability now applies to the most precious product: people. However subtly and indirectly we may hear it, the message somehow became such as the individual does not matter, because there are likely thousands just like you. They can do what you do. They can do it better, or at least cheaper.

The Mid-Majority has always been keenly counterculture. Every person involved is important. No one here is expendable. You matter. Your voice matters.

Without each one of you, our goal would not have seen fruition. With just a few more than 800 recaps in our final tally, we could not have afforded to lose a single one. Funny how it worked out that way, huh? Our project would have lacked not just in quantity, but quality. Each persons perspective, each ones experiences, added a unique flavor to this basketball stew, and each one could be savored individually or as a whole together.

So, thanks are in order. The first and deepest thanks go to all 122 writers who contributed to the project with your recaps. Special laud is in order for our Half Century Club" members, Matt Cayuela, Gary Moore, and Ian McCormick. I only ended up with more miles because I had the blessings of time, finance, and a couch I could crash on in San Francisco. You gentlemen took the concept of seeing games to the utmost. Matts astounding 66 games, two-thirds of a personal 100 gamer, may be a record for all time.

Next, thanks goes to the people who made this fiscally possible. I do not have the full list of subscribers handy, but I know who I am, you know who you are, and we all thank you for the continued support. Of course, all of you shouldered the burden of travel, so you have all contributed in your own way and gratitude is due there as well.

Thank you to the editing team who gave up so much time and effort to make our recaps look good, even in the wee hours of the morning. Thanks especially to Jen Ahearn (@800GP) who coordinated our efforts and encouraged us to taste the snozzberries by offering the Golden Ticket, the first of which I was humbled and delighted to receive. Let us continue to be the music makers and the dreamers of dreams.

Thank you, Kyle Whelliston, for starting this website. Thank you for loving it, your readers, college basketball and the stories it provides so much you would rather see us carry it on rather than pack it up and take it away from us all. The most loving creator is one who is willing to not only let others enjoy what he has created, but to eventually let those same others have dominion over it. We can only hope we have done the Mid-Majority name proud now and in future seasons, how ever many more Providence seems fit to give.

On a personal level, I wish to thank all of you who read and hopefully enjoyed my recaps. Thank you more to those who clicked the like button, or left an approving comment, or the few who even re-tweeted the link with a comment along the lines of A good read" or You should see this."

All of the writing manuals and websites Ive read always say the best writer is one who writes for himself, not worrying about what the reader will think or how it will be received. Its a noble concept to ponder on, but its bullsh*t. Every creative effort is at least partially ego-driven. The amount of confidence needed to overcome the resistance plotting against you grows with each work. Such confidence comes from knowing whether the reader appreciates his work. Before this season, I could count on one hand the times anyone had said of anything I had ever done, Hey, come take a look at this. This is good." My confidence in my writing, and in the direction of my life really, stood at near zero before Season Eight began, has grown exponentially during, and at the end stands stronger than ever. As poet Nikki Giovanni once said, We are better than we think we are, and not quite what we want to be."

* * * *

One of my favorite discoveries from this season is the Butler Way, the philosophy under which my newest favorite team operates.

The Butler Way demands commitment, denies selfishness and accepts reality, yet seeks constant improvement while promoting the good of the team above self."

The phrase works in all aspects of life, not just basketball. But there are three words here which stood out to me the most when I first read it, and they have rolled around in my mind since, because theyre words you almost never see in a self-affirming phrase such as this. Theyre almost hidden in there, but to me stand out more than any other.

...accepts reality, yet..."

Reality has been Butlers worst enemy over the past three seasons. It has told them they cannot reach the peak, regardless of how close they came. Reality has dealt them The Loss twice just shy of the apex. In this latest campaign, reality ushered them quietly back into the realm they had once known, the one where conference tournament wins are a must rather than a luxury. Reality, or others perception thereof, will keep them there, but hopefully not for long.

This seasons reality was not especially kind to us, either. The fates have almost spoiled us really, giving us two previous seasons of unreal success, only to return to business as usual. After two teams finally climbed the wall to reach the Final Four in 2011, that wall seemed to become that much higher in 2012. Ohio alone carried our banner in to the second weekend of the tournament. In my hometown, my city by the muddy river, the Bobcats fought with steely resolve against a mighty foe, taking them to the very brink. But again, reality swooped in and took its familiar place at our table. A free throw off the mark, then a buzzer beater missed and we were brought back to the world we know.

Yet, the Bulldogs accept it. The Bobcats accept it. All of the teams in Our Game do also. We must accept it as well. Because, theres always the yet. It represents moving on, despite the harshest reality. Even if it were different, if the eighth of an inch adjustment had been made, if the parade had happened, if the banner in Hinkle Fieldhouse read something other than Finalist," the yet remains the same. It takes the focus off what has happened, and places it squarely back where it should be. What happened will not matter soon, because memory is short.

The task remains the same: Make yourself and your team better. Even with reality against us, the opportunity will come again. When we are facing realitys toughest competition once more, we have but one thing to rely upon: we believe that we will win.

As for this season, I believe that we have won. Lets do it again soon. Together.

* * * *
At this time, we'd like to thank all those who went beyond "I Will" and helped make The Mid-Majority's eighth season possible by becoming supporting Members. These are the closing credits.

An enormous Season 8 thank you to Thomas Feely, Joshua Leggette, John Templon, Ben Case, Todd Falkenberg, Kraig Williams, Tom Felice, Timothy Burke, Steve Timble, Charles Flint III, Andrew Fielding, Nelson Parker, Gary Moore, Trent Redden, Dwight Strayer, Frank Vitale, Pierce Greenberg, Alex Norris, D Coffman, Chris Palmer, Craig Hanford, Timothy Gaige, Michael Greiner, Ed Lass, Tyler Drake, Charles LaPlante, Nick Wynne, Robert Vidal, Terry Hobgood, Kevin Whitaker, Robbie Simkins, Jon Hildebrand, Daniel McQuade, Ryan Weicker, Charles Cochrum, James Prebil, Eric Reyes, Garrett Wheeler, Max Wasserman, Travis Mason-Bushman, Rhett Butler, Darin Keener, Donovan Potts, Tony Carlucci, Jeff Grubb, Cameron Rhoten, Ronald DiPaola, Andrew Gerbosi, William P. Harty, Jr., Dustin Allan German, Daniel Bradley, Christian Skogen, Mike Pettinato, Mark Giganti, Chris Dobbertean, Jimmy Timble, Ross Lancaster, Michael Petre, Michael Fountain, Darcy Ireland, Charles Fenwick, John Ezekowitz, Matthew Whitrock, Gerritt Hinnen, Brendon Mulvihill, Christopher Coffee, Hillel Soifer, Jeff Carvell, Ryan Magee, Samuel Wasson, Ty Clark, Shep Hayes, William Bohn, John Willmott, Jeff Pojanowski, Daniel Fuertges, Todd Hoppe, Patrick Byrnett, Gidal Kaiser, Nicholas Eckert, Heath Florkey, Bruce Bosley, Scott Voiss, Jonathan Morales, Matt Konrad, Griffin Pulliam, Dominic Pody, Michael Peplow, Andrew Baker, David Bykowski, Allan Lewis, Seth Hunt, Ben Kennedy, Bryon McKim, Kevin Prigge, Bill Daniels, Brendan Loy, Jen Ahearn, Joshua Guiher, Jeffrey Fitzwater, Geoff Brault, Shankar Duraiswamy, Adam Sonnett, Nicholas Reiner, Steven Langston, Paul Hampson, Brandon Steenson, Afi Ahmadi, Mike Miller, Catlin Bogard, Andrew Stern, Thomas Antonucci, Edward Pelle, Dennis Bretz, Mark Riley, Dan O'Connell, Julia Prior, David Earl, Chris Crowley, Mike Etheridge, Brendan Devitt, James Squire, John M Lee, Carl Tinkham, Jonathan Tannenwald, Michael Hadley, Greg Shaheen, Sam Tydings, Alex Keil, Zach Bloxham, Trevor Rockhill, Bob Fisch, Aaron Hanshaw, Davis Holt, Matt Carey, Allie Kline, Matthew Paul, Brandon Hickey, Nick Catrambone, Cortney Basham, Robert Roberts, Casey Collier, Joshua McCauley, Patrick Netherton, Emily Thiel, Brian Nguyen, Rhett Umphress, Gail Roche Van Wye, Ross Righter, Chris West, Jim Dingeman, Ron Julia, Chris Wirthwein, Joe Geyer, Zach Taylor, Thomas McCaffrey, Kyle Rossi, Jon Veen, and Charles Flint IV. None of this would have been possible without you.

You can learn more about Season 9 and the #TMM9 Membership package here.]]> Mon, 2 Apr 2012 17:00:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Mid-Majority Season 8 Closing Ceremony Chat]]> Kyle Whelliston http://www.midmajority.com/p/2940 Mon, 2 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400 <![CDATA[The Power of First Impressions]]> Steven Langston http://www.midmajority.com/p/2939

Game #8-559: Loyola Marymount Lions at Portland PilotsFebruary 9, 2012 11:00 pm
Chiles Center
BBState Stats/Recap
After the last few games, I had become disillusioned with the student section's lack of effort. the LMU game came to a head. Even though it was a Thursday night, one should not be leaving a game at the half. The open seats, facing the LMU bench allowed for a rather annoying set of confrontations.

Are you going to be standing the entire time? an older man asked me at the beginning of the second half. This is the student section, and we tend to stand the entire time, I replied, taken aback by what seemed like an obviously uninformed question.

Through the first eight minutes of the second half, I could not focus on the game, as this man kept heckling me and not admitting to what he was doing. I turned to him after he said nice play, I wish I could have seen it! I told him firmly, you can sit anywhere else in this section, why do you have to sit here? I wasnt talking to you! was his snide reply.

Over four years, I have experienced heckling down in San Francisco, which was expected as a visitor, and have had the entire upper bowl and 75 percent of the arena filled with BYU fans, but this for whatever reason was the greatest indignity I have encountered at a basketball game: a visiting fan acting like I had no right to be in a section exclusively designated for the students and having little to no students to support my efforts.

I approached one of the ushers and pointed out the situation at the under-12 media timeout. He told me that it was too late to do anything. Frustrated, I admit I became petulant and felt like I had to defend that space for the sake of my pride, the fact I had been attending games for four years, and someone has to defend the student section. During the second half, I came to the conclusion the guy behind me might have some cognitive issues, which made my outbursts and mental threat to physically pull the guy from his seat and move him to a seat where I was out of his vision, but I lack the sufficient upper body strength and merely decided to count down the minutes until I got to meet a good acquaintance.

Even though the game in LA was decided by a superhoop with 14 seconds remaining in regulation, this game was decided in what was becoming standard operating procedure for the Pilots at home: be aggressive at the start, but give up a large run, miss shots and turn the ball over to keep the deficit around eight to 10 points.

After the game, I managed to visit with Jeff Lampe, the LMU play-by-play voice since 2001. Lampe also serves as the host of WCC Live, the weekly call-in show about the conference's sports, mainly focusing on basketball. Last year, they hosted a series of shows from the Orleans Arena in between the sessions. In what is becoming a recurring theme for me and games, I had extra time before the sessions, so I served as their lone live audience member Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Interested in radio myself, I talked with Mr. Lampe about his time behind the mic and inquired about ways to get involved. He recommended the normal route of asking the SID and working through the system. After this season, Lampe retired from his LMU duties but will still host WCC Live next season.

Over the course of the year I have not been able to make much progress on my future, but depending on how things go in terms of employment and living arrangements, I might be sticking around Portland to help out the radio broadcast for the womens team. If not for Lampe and his informed, conversational style, I might not have been able to put aside my issues and remember that every game features highs and lows, and that broadcasters cannot leave early, regardless of how bad a game might get.

Bill Johnson (purple), Portland's radio voice and Jeff Lampe (right) converse after the game.

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 76, at PORTLAND 62
02/09/2012

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 16-9 (9-3) -- J. Ostrowski 5-10 1-2 15; A. Ireland 5-15 3-5 15; D. Viney 3-8 7-7 16; A. Hamilton 1-3 0-0 2; G. Okonji 4-4 2-6 10; L. Armstead 4-6 4-6 13; J. DuBois 2-6 0-0 5; C. Blackwell 4-5 0-0 11; A. Egbeyemi 1-1 0-0 2; A. Osborne 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 25-49 16-24 76.
PORTLAND 6-19 (3-9) -- T. van der Mars 0-1 5-5 5; D. Rodgers 2-5 0-0 5; T. Riley 5-10 0-0 13; K. Bailey 4-11 1-2 11; D. Cason 0-5 0-0 0; D. Carr 1-4 0-0 2; R. Nicholas 6-7 1-2 13; T. Douglas 4-5 2-2 11; N. Mitrovic 1-6 0-0 2; J. Bailey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-54 9-11 62.

Three-point goals: LMU 10-19 (D. Viney 3-5; L. Armstead 1-3; J. DuBois 1-2; A. Hamilton 0-1; A. Ireland 2-5; C. Blackwell 3-3), PORT 7-22 (N. Mitrovic 0-5; T. Riley 3-6; T. Douglas 1-2; D. Rodgers 1-2; K. Bailey 2-4; D. Carr 0-1; D. Cason 0-2); Rebounds: LMU 28 (G. Okonji 9), PORT 21 (D. Cason 4); Assists: LMU 13 (A. Ireland 5), PORT 16 (D. Rodgers 4); Total Fouls -- LMU 15, PORT 18; Fouled Out: LMU-None; PORT-None.

]]> Mon, 2 Apr 2012 16:45:00 -0400 <![CDATA[I Want to Swear at You So Much!]]> Steven Langston http://www.midmajority.com/p/2938

Game #8-533: Brigham Young Cougars at Portland PilotsFebruary 4, 2012 10:00 pm
Chiles Center
BBState Stats/Recap
Even after the disappointing turnout before the Gonzaga game, I thought BYU would actually get a large turnout, even if the lone dance of the semester overlapped with the second half. Since the game took place before the official start of #LastMan, I thought I would perform my own version of First Student and Ballz to Get into the BYU game. However, clearing out ones Saturday afternoon made for some rather boring waiting. I got to see most of the team leave for pregame, Track members go out and return from their runs, watch the ushers arrive, see the pregame house get setup, and absorb as much vitamin D as possible on a February afternoon in Portland could offer. My next partners in line came about 30 minutes before the doors opened long after one of the door guys offered to let me in and Eric Waterford, injured senior guard asked what I was doing. Apparently, this school is still not accustomed to arriving hours before an event. Hopefully this team can change that over the next few years.

My interactions with BYU got off to an oddly supportive start with my tweeted photo of the student section 20 minutes before tip, normally filled before Gonzaga, and the caption claiming the student section's spirit was willing even if the numbers were weak, which earned a retweet by the assistant editor of the Daily Herald in Provo:

The somewhat noticeable sweater vests in the picture are members of Padre, one of the all-male dorms on campus that hopes to be like Villa for basketball. This time they learned their lesson about showing up early for a big game. They walked up to the front row for the Gonzaga game under the assumption seats would be saved for them but that claim went over like claiming a seat in advance on Southwest flights. This time they talked with me before the game, and they were able to annoy the aforementioned Daily Herald editor thanks to his tweets before the game. Ah, social media, a great way to unite fanbases and create cheeky havoc.

Padres spirit was definitely willing, but their lack of experience with possession management actually mirrored the game rather nicely. They were competitive for a bit, but by the end, devolving into number chants and the same tired, Here We Go Pilots, Here We Go! Pilot Riot came late, as expected and offered the same obvious attacks at Brandon Davies, even if he happened to be on the bench. For big events, extra event security has patrolled the front of the student section, just hoping to spot people who had pre-gamed.

By the second half, some of the front rows had dwindled to attend the dance. One individual, who might have made his inaugural appearance at a game, dropped a few expletives in a tirade, and after receiving a few words from the rented security, offered the title of this piece, which was ironically the most true and creative taunt tossed at BYU all game.

BYU managed to show why they were the bigger kid on the block, drawing 53 free-throw attempts during the game, much to the consternation of even the local BYU fans, who might have been seeing their alma mater for the first time in-person since graduation, and children with an early bedtime. When your opponent makes 38, earning literally half of the final points from the line, one does not expect to win.

The title also embodies my feelings to BYU and the student section in general. Afterthe game, I did my usual routine of talking with Bill Johnson, the radio play-by-play man for Portland and occasionally chatting with players and their families. I saw one of BYUs staffers wheeling out a PA system. I knew this could not end well.

I dont know why I stayed. My anger grew at BYU for hosting a glorified postgame show/autograph signing on my schools court for over 30 minutes, at the students for not showing up and at myself for not seizing the opportunity to lead chants at crucial moments.

To be fair, they had reserved the court after the game and had paid for their time, but to myself and the new marketing director, it felt like a truckload of Mortons salt had crashed into a burn ward. When the anger developed, man, it poured! This meet and greet also employed their radio and TV staffs which, in conjunction with a clean-up crew no-showing, the arena staff had their clean-up time doubled, as they could not clear out the press room or breakdown the media table until after they were done. But like a traffic accident and with a lack of plans, I could not look away, I had to stay until the end of the event. I had already been on the property for at least six hours, what would 30 more minutes hurt?

At one point a BYU TV technician came over and apologized to us for how long the event had lasted. Confound it, BYU! I wanted to stay angry with you, why must you employ such nice people! Once I had cooled down, I knew the fans were just trying to honor the local players and enjoy their team for the first time in their hometown. Even though it was a classy move that could be done back in Provo, expressions, religious or otherwise, can be misinterpreted.

BYU may be in the WCC for several years or could leave in two seasons. All I can say is they travel well, are physical and mostly have classy people. As painful as it could be to say it, welcome to a relatively stable and religious conference, BYU, and make yourselves at home with your massive following. Just remember hospitality can only last so long.

BRIGHAM YOUNG 79, at PORTLAND 60
02/04/2012

BRIGHAM YOUNG 20-6 (8-3) -- B. Davies 7-13 4-10 18; C. Cusick 4-9 2-4 12; B. Zylstra 3-5 6-9 12; M. Carlino 3-11 7-8 13; N. Hartsock 0-6 12-12 12; C. Abouo 1-6 4-6 7; A. Winder 0-2 0-0 0; N. Austin 1-2 2-2 4; D. Harrison 0-0 0-0 0; J. Sharp 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 19-54 38-53 79.
PORTLAND 6-18 (3-8) -- R. Nicholas 3-4 2-5 8; T. van der Mars 3-5 3-5 9; D. Rodgers 2-6 0-2 4; N. Mitrovic 2-6 0-0 6; D. Carr 2-4 0-1 6; K. Bailey 5-13 4-6 15; T. Douglas 0-2 0-0 0; D. Cason 4-5 1-4 9; T. Riley 1-4 0-0 3; J. Bailey 0-0 0-0 0; K. Thieleke 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-49 10-23 60.

Three-point goals: BYU 3-16 (B. Zylstra 0-2; C. Cusick 2-4; C. Abouo 1-4; A. Winder 0-2; M. Carlino 0-4), PORT 6-16 (N. Mitrovic 2-5; T. Riley 1-3; T. Douglas 0-1; K. Bailey 1-3; D. Carr 2-3; D. Cason 0-1); Rebounds: BYU 37 (B. Davies 13), PORT 28 (R. Nicholas 11); Assists: BYU 9 (B. Davies 4), PORT 14 (D. Rodgers 4); Total Fouls -- BYU 20, PORT 32; Fouled Out: BYU-None; PORT-K. Bailey.

]]> Mon, 2 Apr 2012 15:52:00 -0400 <![CDATA[GU We Aren`t: A Year After Mauro]]> Steven Langston http://www.midmajority.com/p/2937

Game #8-465: Gonzaga Bulldogs at Portland PilotsJanuary 26, 2012 11:00 pm
Chiles Center
BBState Stats/Recap
Sorry for the cliche to start, but a lot can change over the course of a year.

Last year, I showed up several hours before the Gonzaga game only to discover a senior had blown off his classes in order to get the best seats for his last chance to see an upset of the Zags and their fans.

This year, I came to the Student Entrance of the Chiles Center after switching my laundry, at 6:30 I thought I would be a little further back in line because the students would be up for this game, right?

As I rounded the corner, or whatever the equivalent is for a round building, I encountered... two sophomores in folding chairs. I asked how long they had been there; they composed some story that proved they had only been there at most a hour or two. They were new to waiting in line for events from their question of whether they would be allowed to bring their folding chairs into the arena (they werent.)

Students, like at many schools below the Red Line, only got excited for games against schools in the region during on-conference and Gonzaga and Saint Marys during conference play. By the time the doors opened, the line stretched down campus and might have been close to 100 deep. This year, the three of us remained alone for most of the time before the doors opened. Pilot Riot made their appearance in line and had clearly not understood when the doors opened.

By tipoff, the student section filled up, but like Seth has mentioned, this crowd, outside a few more people fueled by Blue Ribbon products or other products that might qualify as half servings of grains, looked like they were forced to attend a mandatory lecture.

Another reason I am attached to this matchup in particular is last years matchup, the first game Mauro Potestio had not attended since 1949, which I covered in last years test run.

As a junior, Portland had graduated seniors that had helped earn the #25 ranking and with a few bounces different, would have had the two seed in Vegas, and with one fewer day of rest, the rest of the country might not have met Omar Samhan and Saint Marys College. Five Seniors moved the team through a rocky season, but were able to step up for games against Gonzaga and St. Marys.

As a senior, Portland had graduated those seniors from that team and had only two players with more than a year of experience on the bluff.

Last year, Portland got out to a 12-4 start, led by as much as 10 and held a 34-28 lead at the half. Could they finally do it and knock off Gonzaga at home for the first time since the seniors were in second grade? The Pilot dance team -- which is Title R compliant -- started performing to "Club Can't Handle Me" by Flo Rida and David Guetta. All of a sudden, I noticed a colleague in student support (who normally sports a painted "P" on his chest at games) replicating their routine in the student section. Others joined him. Then, many in the stands ran onto the court! Our halftime entertainment was a flashmob!

This time around, Portland hung with Gonzaga and led by four, 29-25 at the break, but in the wake of the recent games, the excitement was tempered. Perhaps turnovers would be the undoing or the shots would not fall. No flashmob would entertain the crowd, due to schedule conflicts. The Dance Team was no longer Title-R compliant and the student section was more interested in talking amongst themselves and getting onto the ESPN cameras than an upset.

Gonzaga opened the second half with an 8-0 run to get a four point lead, Tanner Riley and Derrick Rogers tried to keep it close, but the run came. Portland was an athletic team, but every time the lead was cut to 8, Gonzaga would hit a pair of free throws or attack in the paint.

Our Game is often like a class, you could enjoy it coming out of the cold, but with research and further exposure to the topic, the concepts become deeper and connections can be seen. To truly enjoy Our Game, one has to do more than just show up on test days. If one attends as much as possible, conflicts permitted, sometimes family and school comes up, you can better understand the successes and struggles of following a young team. Plus you earn the gift of perspective if circumstances allow your team to make a run in the Conference Tournament.

Last year, Jared Stohl, a senior and all-time leading superhooper for the Pilots, was performing his slow walk back to his campus apartment with his head down. I walked over to him and pointed out that the team had managed to overcome mistakes and rally from a ten-point deficit. That was a task that had not been accomplished in either of their last two games up in Spokane.The quiet, humble and then-despondent superhooper managed to crack a smile.

This year, there were fewer bright spots to find, like Ryan Nicholas getting a double double with 13 and 10 rebounds and barely losing the turnover battle 16-15. It is hard to win when your opponent hits 25-31 free throws. As Portland transitions away from the superhoop and toward a big man inside team, I hope the students are willing to put forth the same effort the team does to prepare for an opponent that most years, will break your toys and walk away like they won a tournament.

Regardless, some people are proud to be a Pilot, even if the students dont think its a rivalry.

GONZAGA 74, at PORTLAND 62
01/26/2012

GONZAGA 17-3 (7-1) -- E. Harris 5-10 7-8 17; K. Pangos 4-13 4-5 12; G. Bell Jr. 5-9 7-8 18; R. Sacre 5-5 6-7 16; M. Carter 2-2 0-1 4; G. Landry Edi 1-2 1-2 3; S. Dower 2-8 0-0 4; D. Stockton 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-51 25-31 74.
PORTLAND 5-16 (2-6) -- R. Nicholas 6-14 0-0 13; N. Mitrovic 3-8 0-0 8; K. Bailey 2-7 1-2 6; T. van der Mars 3-4 0-0 6; D. Rodgers 3-5 3-4 9; T. Riley 3-8 0-0 7; T. Douglas 4-8 2-4 11; D. Carr 1-2 0-0 2; D. Cason 0-2 0-0 0; J. Bailey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-58 6-10 62.

Three-point goals: GONZ 1-11 (S. Dower 0-1; E. Harris 0-1; D. Stockton 0-2; G. Bell Jr. 1-1; K. Pangos 0-6), PORT 6-21 (N. Mitrovic 2-7; T. Riley 1-5; T. Douglas 1-3; R. Nicholas 1-3; K. Bailey 1-2; D. Cason 0-1); Rebounds: GONZ 30 (E. Harris 10), PORT 24 (R. Nicholas 10); Assists: GONZ 13 (M. Carter 3), PORT 12 (T. Douglas 4); Total Fouls -- GONZ 14, PORT 26; Fouled Out: GONZ-None; PORT-None.

]]> Mon, 2 Apr 2012 13:41:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Nothing Technical About It Pt. 3: Alumni Day]]> Steven Langston http://www.midmajority.com/p/2936

Game #8-438: San Francisco Dons at Portland PilotsJanuary 21, 2012 4:30 pm
Chiles Center
BBState Stats/Recap
Authors note: This is part three of the Nothing Technical About It Recaps based off Love TKO by Teddy Pendergrass detailing three Portland games within a 9-day period. Part 1 (UP@USF), Part 2 (USD@UP).

As mentioned last time, I was invited to visit the Twilight Room before Portland played San Francisco for the second time in two weeks, a quirk of having nine teams in the WCC.

Upon entering, I briefly talked with Geoff, one of the Pep Bands guitarists and Villa Drum Squad leaders, to Seth and then got into an explanatory conversation with another patron about my life, my future and the recent athletic success and struggles of the University. I learned to stay safe and find jobs that will keep you happy, even if the number of jobs keep moving overseas. Obviously as the job market is interesting to say the least, the near future is interesting. One of the more odd experiences is being asked for my ID even though I was not planning to drink at noon on a Saturday.

Upon getting to campus with Seth, we got to talking about our recaps, this game and the conversation started by a representative of the student support section on the message board that came off as a little haughty, unintentionally painting themselves as special guests that would only come for special occasions.

As Seth mentioned the Villa Drum Squad has been the soccer support group for the last couple decades. This year they have branched out into volleyball and occasionally womens basketball. The awkward part is their want to use songs every so often for chants. They might work for a possession or two, but one does not need to be singing for entire blocks of play because tempo changes and variety can help affect the mood of a game. Similar to Pilot Riot, the Drum Squad does not always do research so they resorted to number calling, easy jabs at Coach Walters name being similar to a dogs and Cody Doolins scrawny build.

Even after I gave them the roster I got down in San Francisco and reminded them of the lopsided victory in San Francisco, some of the members still resorted to number calling. Hopefully with more experience, they can help the other all male dorms turn Chiles back to into a formidable place.

Eric Waterford had received the start after Thursdays performance, an example of Reveno's plan to reward the people who excel in practice and games with starts in action, but hurt his leg after only a few minutes. He looked like he had finally come back to last years form and could help the team rebound from the troublesome start but inevitably, this game will hurt you and is far from fair.

Luckily, San Francisco only hit five superhoops for the entire game and Portland was able to take the lead into the half due to steals, good teamwork and USF coming from a somewhat close game in Spokane.

However the youth got the best of them and USF put on a 19-2 run aided by missed shots and several of Portlands 20 turnovers to lead by 7 at the under 8 Media Timeout.

Portland slowly edged down the lead via free throws and had cut it to two after a Tanner Riley superhoop with 37 seconds left. Free throws gave USF a three point lead with 17 seconds left. The plan to tie it fell on Senior Nemanjia Mitrovic but his shooting touch behind the arc was off this season due to pressure to perform, a changing system or luck. Riley corralled the rebound and laid it in with a few seconds left but USF
inbounded it and escaped with a one point victory.

The big downside of this game is how quickly the game passed. Even though I had the rest of the day ahead of me, I just wanted this type of basketball to continue. Sure, they had a nine-point lead, had blown it and nearly come back, but they looked confident and capable of winning in front of the students.

Like Seth, I also enjoyed the alumni game and got to see some lopsided basketball between players I was too young to see perform for the school. As Seth also said, some of the guys were still in decent shape to play and could have helped to get the current players into shape against the more physical big men in the conference.

Hopefully I will be lucky enough to swing by Chiles in a few decades and be able to see how some of the players that helped get the school its first national ranking in decades were able to navigate the European leagues but also through life.

SAN FRANCISCO 72, at PORTLAND 71
01/21/2012

SAN FRANCISCO 13-9 (3-5) -- R. Green 3-7 5-7 11; A. Caloiaro 4-10 2-4 12; M. Williams 1-11 1-2 3; C. Doolin 4-6 5-6 15; C. Dickerson 5-6 2-3 13; D. O'Connor 2-4 4-4 8; P. Blackwell 4-8 0-1 8; J. Raffington 1-1 0-0 2; G. Hoffmann 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-53 19-27 72.
PORTLAND 5-15 (2-5) -- T. van der Mars 5-9 2-3 12; K. Bailey 5-10 3-5 13; D. Rodgers 2-5 6-7 10; D. Cason 3-4 3-4 10; R. Nicholas 1-3 4-4 6; T. Riley 4-9 0-0 10; N. Mitrovic 0-7 2-2 2; D. Carr 1-3 0-0 3; T. Douglas 0-3 4-4 4; E. Waterford 0-0 1-2 1; J. Bailey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-53 25-31 71.

Three-point goals: SF 5-20 (R. Green 0-2; A. Caloiaro 2-8; M. Williams 0-6; C. Dickerson 1-1; C. Doolin 2-3), PORT 4-15 (N. Mitrovic 0-3; T. Riley 2-6; T. Douglas 0-1; K. Bailey 0-1; D. Carr 1-2; D. Cason 1-2); Rebounds: SF 27 (C. Dickerson 7), PORT 38 (T. van der Mars 9); Assists: SF 13 (P. Blackwell 3), PORT 11 (K. Bailey 4); Total Fouls -- SF 22, PORT 23; Fouled Out: SF-P. Blackwell; PORT-R. Nicholas.

]]> Mon, 2 Apr 2012 10:54:00 -0400 <![CDATA[So This is Where My Season Ends]]> Jonathan Green http://www.midmajority.com/p/2935

Game #8-809: Southern Utah Thunderbirds vs. South Dakota State JackrabbitsMarch 5, 2012 9:30 pm
Sioux Falls, SD
BBState Stats/Recap
When South Dakota State took on Southern Utah their fans had to be smiling. As the two seed they'd knocked off IUPUI in the first round and were given a gift when sixth seeded Southern Utah eliminated 3rd seeded Oakland. In the first game of the evening they had seen top seeded Oral Roberts eliminated by fourth seeded Western Illinois. Their path to the NCAA Tournament, by seed, was now 7th-6th-4th, I don't think you can ask for more than that!
Southern Utah played a great first half and really fought hard, but was no real match for South Dakota
State in the second half. It didnt help matters that Southern Utah lost their leading scorer to injury early in the game and never got him back. Without him in the game South Dakota State pulled away en route to a 63-47 game. South Dakota States Nate Wolters wowed me during the game and showed why he is the favorite to be the Summit Player of the Year next season.

I liked a lot about the arena in Sioux Falls. The sight lines are fantastic and it was a nice place to watch a couple of games. Its a bit old, but it seems to have a lot of character and I look forward to returning for next years tournament. During the game I was able to tweet with several other Summit League fans/media members about South Dakota State and their chances next season. It has been really nice getting to know a few other Summit League fans on twitter and figuring out who some of the media members are. A lot of them have written back to me and it makes me really excited to watch UNO be a full member of the league next year.
I feel much the same way about the 800GP. It was awesome to get to participate in it. I probably didnt quite get to as many games as I thought I would, but I made it to more than enough to make a difference in our
push for 800 games. I have gotten to know a few people online through it, and I hope to get to know more people through Season 9 and wherever the future may take us. I get giddy telling people about the project and what we were able to accomplish. Its amazing how many experiences weve shared.
It's hard to believe how fast its gone though. It seems like just yesterday we were kicking Season 8 off, and yet here we are on the last day. Thanks to all the editors who made these recaps possible! Thanks to Kyle
for all the work hes done in starting this up and thanks to everyone who recapped games all the year long! See you all in Season 9!

This year I think we ended with a win!

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 63, SOUTHERN UTAH 47
03/05/2012

SOUTHERN UTAH 14-17 (8-10) -- M. Massey 3-8 1-4 7; D. Heuir 5-13 3-7 14; R. Jones Jr. 3-5 2-2 9; R. Taylor 3-9 1-4 7; W. Collie 1-5 0-0 3; J. Johnson 1-3 0-0 2; T. Koehler 1-1 0-0 2; J. Stevenett 1-1 0-0 2; J. Jeffery 0-0 0-0 0; B. Cameron 0-0 0-0 0; C. Hanks 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 18-45 8-19 47.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 26-7 (15-3) -- B. Carlson 2-3 0-0 5; N. Wolters 10-17 10-12 31; J. Dykstra 7-10 1-2 17; T. Fiegen 1-2 1-3 3; G. Callahan 2-9 0-0 5; C. White 0-2 0-0 0; T. Prince 1-1 0-0 2; M. Heemstra 0-1 0-0 0; Z. Horstman 0-0 0-0 0; Z. Monaghan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-45 12-17 63.

Three-point goals: SUU 3-8 (M. Massey 0-1; D. Heuir 1-3; R. Jones, Jr. 1-2; J. Johnson 0-1; W. Collie 1-1), SDST 5-17 (G. Callahan 1-6; N. Wolters 1-4; B. Carlson 1-2; J. Dykstra 2-5); Rebounds: SUU 29 (M. Massey 6), SDST 25 (N. Wolters 7); Assists: SUU 7 (D. Heuir 3), SDST 12 (N. Wolters 6); Total Fouls -- SUU 16, SDST 19; Fouled Out: SUU-None; SDST-J. Dykstra.

]]> Mon, 2 Apr 2012 10:46:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Western Illinois vs. Oral Roberts 3/5/2012]]> Jonathan Green http://www.midmajority.com/p/2934

Game #8-808: Western Illinois Leathernecks vs. Oral Roberts Golden EaglesMarch 5, 2012 7:00 pm
Sioux Falls, SD
BBState Stats/Recap
For the last five seasons, I have made my way to a conference tournament game each season. In 2007, I watched Creighton knock off Southern Illinois in the MVC Tournament Final to advance to the NCAA Tournament. In 2008, I watched UNO win the NCC Tournament, and in 2010, I watched UNO win the MIAA Tournament. In 2009 and 2011 I watched UNOs season end in the MIAA Tournament.

Now that its become a bit of a tradition for me and Im faced with four years without UNO being eligible for any conference tournaments, I was faced with a dilemma. Go to Sioux Falls to watch some of the Summit League Tournament, or not. Okay, calling it a dilemma is a big stretch; there was little chance I was going to miss my chance this year. I picked out the semifinal Monday to go up, knowing Id get to watch two games and (hopefully) most of the top four teams.

Game one featured fourth-seeded Western Illinois playing top-seeded Oral Roberts. Western was the only team of the four I would see that night that I had seen earlier in the year. Id actually seen them twice when they played UNO, including just five days earlier. Western plays a strong defensive style and works really hard. They were fun to watch, and I found myself pulling for them and the upset.

Midway through the second half, things were tied, but Oral Roberts went on a nice run to go up eight. I was ready to write Western Illinois off -- they barely had 40 points with six minutes to go -- but the Leathernecks were not ready to quit. They rallied and had cut the lead to 53-52 with 30 seconds left. Terrell Parks, Westerns talented post presence, hit a jumper to give them the lead and they held on with some great defense to win the game.

The South Dakota State fans at the game, and there were many, were thrilled. The upset meant they avoided the top-seeded Golden Eagles and just had to beat Southern Utah and Western Illinois to make their first NCAA Tournament trip. I was excited too, because Western was a team Id gotten to know, and it was nice to see them do well at the tournament. I did feel sorry for Oral Roberts, though. They had an amazing year, 27-6 overall and 17-1 in conference. It didnt matter anymore; this loss ended their NCAA Tournament dreams. It evaporated quickly and was gone.

Being in a neutral site seeing both sides of the battle, the underdog pulling the upset and the favorite getting knocked off, it was easy to relate to both teams. For every underdog that pulls off the upset there is a favorite who has to get beat. Obviously we all want to be on the underdogs side when they pull off the upset, but we arent always. I guess Ill admit that it scares me to think about being that favorite.
Thankfully I wont have to worry about that with UNO anytime soon. Being the underdog is great; theres no pressure about expectations and every upset win can mean so much. Watching Oral Roberts season crumble made me shudder.

WESTERN ILLINOIS 54, ORAL ROBERTS 53
03/05/2012

WESTERN ILLINOIS 18-13 (9-9) -- D. Ward 3-10 3-5 11; C. Clark 4-9 0-1 11; T. Tyler 2-6 1-2 5; J. Houpt 3-5 0-0 9; T. Parks 6-8 2-2 14; O. Emegano 2-9 4-4 8; D. Gebru 2-2 1-1 5; R. Roberts-Burnett 1-1 0-0 2; D. McAvoy III 0-0 0-0 0; J. Packer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-41 8-10 54.
ORAL ROBERTS 27-6 (17-1) -- W. Niles 5-13 0-0 11; R. Pearson Jr. 3-9 1-1 7; D. Morrison 9-12 5-8 23; M. Craion 1-6 1-3 3; D. Bell-Holter 2-5 0-0 5; S. Roundtree 0-3 4-4 4; M. Manghum 0-0 0-0 0; J. Lliteras 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-48 11-16 53.

Three-point goals: WIU 6-13 (C. Clark 3-5; T. Tyler 0-3; J. Houpt 3-5), ORU 2-13 (R. Pearson 0-3; D. Morrison 0-2; W. Niles 1-6; D. Bell-Holter 1-2); Rebounds: WIU 19 (T. Parks 8), ORU 30 (M. Craion 11); Assists: WIU 10 (T. Tyler 4), ORU 6 (M. Craion 3); Total Fouls -- WIU 13, ORU 15; Fouled Out: WIU-None; ORU-None.

]]> Mon, 2 Apr 2012 06:26:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Could It End in a Win? Not This Year...]]> Jonathan Green http://www.midmajority.com/p/2933

Game #8-807: Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks at Western Illinois LeathernecksFebruary 29, 2012 8:00 pm
Western Hall
BBState Stats/Recap
It always ends in a loss. Those words have become very familiar to most of us over the last few years. I know that Ive used it several times to console myself at the end of the year. It wasnt going to end any other way, life goes on, and it always ends in a loss.

This year for UNO there was a chance, a very slim chance, that it wasnt going to end in a loss. Due to not being eligible for any postseason play, UNO knew that their final game was going to be on February 29th at Western Illinois. The downside for UNO was that Western Illinois was the fourth seed in the upcoming Summit League Tournament and was a very talented team. The chance for an upset was slim.

The first half was exciting for the Mavericks. They hung with Western Illinois and didnt get knocked out by any of the punches. UNO even had some punches of their own, and showed they could play with Western. It was like a lot of UNOs season: promising. UNO had gone to Nevada and given them
a bit of a scare. Theyd taken IPFW to overtime, and South Dakota and UMKC to the buzzer. This was a team featuring zero players recruited for the D-I level, yet you could see them competing when they played well.

The second half was not so exciting for the Mavericks. When you are the big underdog in games like this, you really have to play a perfect game. You cant afford to have long stretches of scoreless play during the game. You cant go ice-cold for a while. Defensively, you cant go into lapses where you let the other team do everything they want to do without even slowing them down. And once it starts to unravel, its usually over. The second half went exactly that way for UNO. Itd happened a lot to UNO this season: blowout losses at Colorado State, Michigan State, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, North Dakota State, and twice against Washburn.

I wasnt at any of those games, so this was my first time watching UNO get humiliated in person. It was tough, really tough. I knew the guys were trying but it just didnt seem to matter. Watching Mitch Albers struggle through his final game was very hard. Theres just nothing you can do but hope it ends quickly and make the best of it. After all, it always ends in a loss.

Im looking forward to next season. It will be a much different task for UNO; harder in many ways, easier in other ways. The familiarity of having a conference schedule, complete with some nice home games, will be so nice. Itll be cool to look at the standings and see UNO, even if it will probably be at the bottom. The recruiting is getting going at the D-I level, and will hopefully start to impact the team in the next few years. Of course there wont be many games (just one) against Division II and NAIA opponents. No easy wins next year. A five-win season could happen, though I hope we can see more.

And once again there will be a chance, a very small chance, that UNO will not end the season with a loss. The final game looks to be March 2nd, at home against North Dakota State. UNO would have to have a winning season to make the NIT, CBI, or CIT and is not eligible for the Summit League Tournament. Do the math on all that, and it would probably require a UNO team with less than 10 wins to upset a North Dakota State team that smashed them by 33 this year. I have a feeling that, as always, Im going to end the year saying, It always ends in a loss.

at WESTERN ILLINOIS 72, NEBRASKA-OMAHA 51
02/29/2012

NEBRASKA-OMAHA 10-18 (0-0) -- A. Welhouse 2-11 0-0 6; M. Albers 5-12 1-1 13; C. Carter 0-5 3-3 3; C. Steffensmeier 2-6 0-0 5; J. Karhoff 4-9 0-0 8; M. Hagerbaumer 2-2 0-0 4; J. Coleman 0-1 0-0 0; J. Ring 2-2 0-0 4; I. Gandy 0-2 0-0 0; T. Egli 1-2 0-0 3; M. Farr 1-3 0-0 3; B. Freeman 0-2 2-2 2. Totals 19-57 6-6 51.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 16-13 (9-9) -- C. Clark 3-9 0-0 9; O. Emegano 9-14 0-1 18; J. Houpt 5-8 0-0 15; T. Parks 5-7 2-2 12; T. Tyler 3-9 0-0 6; R. Roberts-Burnett 0-2 0-0 0; D. Gebru 1-1 0-0 2; D. McAvoy III 2-4 0-0 4; J. Packer 0-0 0-0 0; A. Watson 2-3 0-0 4; J. McDonald 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-58 2-3 72.

Three-point goals: NEBO 7-25 (C. Carter 0-4; J. Coleman 0-1; C. Steffensmeier 1-3; B. Freeman 0-1; T. Egli 1-1; M. Albers 2-6; A. Welhouse 2-6; M. Farr 1-2; J. Karhoff 0-1), WIU 8-19 (C. Clark 3-8; T. Tyler 0-2; A. Watson 0-1; J. Houpt 5-8); Rebounds: NEBO 27 (A. Welhouse 6), WIU 34 (T. Parks 14); Assists: NEBO 15 (C. Steffensmeier 4), WIU 25 (T. Tyler 6); Total Fouls -- NEBO 9, WIU 12; Fouled Out: NEBO-J. Karhoff; WIU-None.

]]> Mon, 2 Apr 2012 05:50:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Running Late]]> Jonathan Green http://www.midmajority.com/p/2932

Game #8-806: Evansville Aces at Creighton BluejaysFebruary 21, 2012 8:00 pm
Qwest Center
BBState Stats/Recap
I dont arrive at games late. Well, not really, really late. Quite often my wife and I arrive just before or just at tip-off, but Im basically on time, not missing more than a few moments. Also, when I do arrive, I always wait until the play has stopped before entering the seating area. I hate it when people walk in front of you during play, so Im very careful to try and enter during dead balls or timeouts.

February 21st, I was late -- really late. My wife and I had used an online site to buy two tickets for the price of one to the Creighton-Evansville game. It was a great opportunity, but when we forgot to print the voucher to bring to will-call, we had to turn around and go back. We were already just on the fringe of being late, so now we were definitely going to miss the tip.

Another thing about me: I hate to pay for parking. As George Costanza says, Why should I pay, when if I apply myself, maybe I could get it for free? Thankfully, there is a rather large lot, only a short walk across a bridge from where Creighton plays, that is free. The word seems to have gotten out though, because when I got to the lot it was completely full.

So the game had already started and I was still searching for a spot. The next area to check is the downtown area west and south of the arena. I drove through the areas where Ive parked in the past and couldnt find any spots. I started to realize we were going to have to walk quite a ways from wherever we parked, so I dropped off my wife at the entrance to wait for me. Miraculously, quickly after I dropped her off I was able to find a spot not all that far from the arena. Someone was leaving from a shopping area a few blocks away and I was there to nab their spot!

It was kind of fun to arrive so late. I was able to hear the roar of the crowd as I made my way up the stairs to the upper deck of the arena. It was pretty impressive to hear the noise from the outer part, something I dont ever experience. We arrived nearly at the end of the first half and found our seats. Creighton struggled with Evansvilles hot-shooting guards all night. They werent able to find a way to defend them coming off of screens, and Evansville looked like they were going to pull an upset.

Late in the game the Bluejays needed a couple points to tie the game. As the last seconds ran out several attempts were thrown at the basket. The final one came from Gregory Echenique. When he was about to throw it up, I didnt think there was enough time left. I thought the shot was going to be late. Unlike me, the shot was in time, and it fell through to send the game to overtime.

In overtime, Creighton had a lead as the final seconds ticked down. Evansville played for the win and held for a final shot by their hot shooter, Colt Ryan. Ryans 3-pointer was no good, and Creighton held on to win despite a 43-point game from Ryan.

By that point I felt like Id gotten my moneys worth from the overtime, even if I missed most of the first half. After the game, Creighton had their senior night festivities, videos of the graduating seniors, and speeches by each of them. First were the speeches of three seniors who were walk-ons and had barely
played. It was very nice to see Creighton recognize them in such a big way. Hearing the perspective of someone like them was unique. Finally the big-name senior, Antoine Young, a local kid, got to speak. Antoine is a very polished young man and did a great job. In all fairness, all the players did a great job and showed themselves very well in front of the fans. Creighton University should be proud of the young men they have helped produce.

I dont think Im going to make a habit out of being as late as I was. While it was fun to approach the game from a more laidback perspective (not rushing to be on time), I think Id prefer to see the start!

at CREIGHTON 93, EVANSVILLE 92
02/21/2012

EVANSVILLE 14-14 (8-9) -- C. Ryan 17-24 5-8 43; D. Holmes 8-9 5-6 25; K. Harris 0-4 2-4 2; T. Taylor 3-6 3-3 9; J. Moore 1-1 1-2 3; N. Cox 2-5 2-2 6; L. Jones 1-6 0-0 2; R. Cesnulevicius 0-0 0-0 0; R. Sawvell 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 33-56 18-25 92.
CREIGHTON 24-5 (13-4) -- D. McDermott 7-14 6-13 21; A. Young 4-8 13-14 21; G. Echenique 4-5 1-1 9; J. Jones 4-6 1-3 11; J. Manigat 4-5 2-2 12; G. Gibbs 1-2 0-0 3; A. Dingman 5-6 0-1 14; E. Wragge 0-4 0-0 0; A. Chatman 0-1 2-2 2; W. Artino 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-51 25-36 93.

Three-point goals: EVAN 8-14 (D. Holmes 4-5; C. Ryan 4-8; K. Harris 0-1), CREI 10-17 (G. Gibbs 1-1; J. Jones 2-3; E. Wragge 0-2; D. McDermott 1-3; J. Manigat 2-2; A. Chatman 0-1; A. Dingman 4-5); Rebounds: EVAN 27 (C. Ryan 6), CREI 26 (G. Echenique 7); Assists: EVAN 25 (D. Holmes 7), CREI 19 (A. Young 7); Total Fouls -- EVAN 31, CREI 22; Fouled Out: EVAN-L. Jones; CREI-J. Manigat.

]]> Mon, 2 Apr 2012 05:32:00 -0400