Dec. 5, 2010: I fly down to LA to watch our Griz take on UCLA with my longtime bud, a rabid Tarheel fan. We watch dumbfounded as the Griz take a halftime lead but of, course, that won't hold up in the second half. But It does! We're up by 20 well into game before UCLA cuts it to a 66-57 Montana win. We have the best center on the floor in Quale, the best point guard in Cherry, and better wings in Selvig and Jamarr.
November 11, 2016: I fly down again to watch us open against USC, with our new point guard, Ahmaad Rorie and our heralded recruit, Michael Oguine. Thanks to a gracious guy in the USC Athletic Department, I'm able to secure courtside seats for me and my Tarheel bud. This USC squad features two future NBA players, De'Anthony Melton and Chimeze Metu, but while Oguine doesn't play because of an injury, Rorie gets us off to an early lead. We wind up losing by 14, 61-75, but only because USC goes to the line 38 times and outscores us from there by 20 points. Did we get homered? Even my Tarheel friend agrees with that.
November 10, 2022: Tarheel calls.
"You've made the big time!"
"How so?"
"You're on national TV, FS2! Against Xavier. Big time!"
"Yo, dawg. Against Duquesne we looked like a team of fraternity players. We couldn't even break their press. Our offense is ring-around-the-rosy, circle and pass, circle and pass, until a guard finds an opening to drive down the lane and lose the ball. No baseline cuts, splits, or backdoor passes, and NEVER an uncontested layup.
" Listen, you're a dear old friend. You wouldn't watch a snuff movie would you? Or somebody committing suicide? If you never do anything else for me the rest of our lives, puh-lease, DON'T WATCH THIS GAME!"
November 11, 2016: I fly down again to watch us open against USC, with our new point guard, Ahmaad Rorie and our heralded recruit, Michael Oguine. Thanks to a gracious guy in the USC Athletic Department, I'm able to secure courtside seats for me and my Tarheel bud. This USC squad features two future NBA players, De'Anthony Melton and Chimeze Metu, but while Oguine doesn't play because of an injury, Rorie gets us off to an early lead. We wind up losing by 14, 61-75, but only because USC goes to the line 38 times and outscores us from there by 20 points. Did we get homered? Even my Tarheel friend agrees with that.
November 10, 2022: Tarheel calls.
"You've made the big time!"
"How so?"
"You're on national TV, FS2! Against Xavier. Big time!"
"Yo, dawg. Against Duquesne we looked like a team of fraternity players. We couldn't even break their press. Our offense is ring-around-the-rosy, circle and pass, circle and pass, until a guard finds an opening to drive down the lane and lose the ball. No baseline cuts, splits, or backdoor passes, and NEVER an uncontested layup.
" Listen, you're a dear old friend. You wouldn't watch a snuff movie would you? Or somebody committing suicide? If you never do anything else for me the rest of our lives, puh-lease, DON'T WATCH THIS GAME!"
