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profgeekFirst, let me give you some perspective. I am probably one of the older posters on this site, and I go back a long way as a fan of BYU basketball. Most of the BYU games I attended, while a student, were in the Smith Fieldhouse. I attended all of the first two seasons of games held in the Marriot Center, including the inaugural game. As a student teacher, I drove several other students to American Fork each day for our teaching. One of those students was Judy Watts, whose dad, Stan, was the head coach. I remember showing up early to pick her up (on purpose) so I could sit and chat with him about basketball in his living room while waiting for his daughter to get ready. I later had frequent front lawn chats with Kresimir Cosic (he lived across the street from my mother-in-law) and watched him develop as a great player and person. I've followed the Cougars for all of the years since.
No matter what happens in the next few hours, or days (hopefully), this is, without a doubt, the team that, in all my years as an observer, has best represented the values of BYU. On the small stage they are now on, most everyone with any fleeting interest in basketball will be tuned in to watch them. This level of national interest has never happened in the history of BYU basketball, including the Danny Ainge era. The contrast between this team and the other 15 left in the tournament is striking.
Most prominent, of course, is Jimmer. It's not just his play, but his story. The way he became the player he is, his work ethic, his goal setting, his dribbling in the dark, his play at the prison. Such stories have been repeated over and over throughout the season and are the stuff of legend. Virtually all of his story mirrors the best qualities of BYU students.
But there are other aspects, too. The Davies story is interesting not for what he did, but for how the team and the university reacted to it. On most teams, someone who is dismissed is swept under the rug and never heard from again. Instead of doing that, the team and the coaches showed great love for him, allowing him to continue to participate with the team as a non-player and showing compassion for him. Never once have I heard any player or coach whine or complain about it. Never once have I heard any talk of "what could have been". Even if they lose tonight, I don't anticipate that I will ever hear such things from any member of the team. Those actions are clearly representative of a Christ-like compassion and broader understanding of life and the relatively small importance of this particular basketball season in the whole scheme of things. And it hasn't been lost on the media.
Is there any other team in the tournament without a player (or several ... or all of them) covered in tattoos? I often wonder if there's any blank space left for their NBA-level tats. Just the look of the team is different, in that and in other aspects.
I am proud of this team. I am proud to be a BYU alum, and will remain that way regardless of what happens on the court tonight or in later rounds. I, like everyone here, hope that they keep on going. The reason I hope that is because I don't want it to end. This team, their handling of adversity, and their play on the court, demonstrate the best of what it means to be LDS and to attend BYU. I will be forever grateful to them for giving me the joy of watching them this season and for the excellent example they have provided.
No matter what happens in the next few hours, or days (hopefully), this is, without a doubt, the team that, in all my years as an observer, has best represented the values of BYU. On the small stage they are now on, most everyone with any fleeting interest in basketball will be tuned in to watch them. This level of national interest has never happened in the history of BYU basketball, including the Danny Ainge era. The contrast between this team and the other 15 left in the tournament is striking.
Most prominent, of course, is Jimmer. It's not just his play, but his story. The way he became the player he is, his work ethic, his goal setting, his dribbling in the dark, his play at the prison. Such stories have been repeated over and over throughout the season and are the stuff of legend. Virtually all of his story mirrors the best qualities of BYU students.
But there are other aspects, too. The Davies story is interesting not for what he did, but for how the team and the university reacted to it. On most teams, someone who is dismissed is swept under the rug and never heard from again. Instead of doing that, the team and the coaches showed great love for him, allowing him to continue to participate with the team as a non-player and showing compassion for him. Never once have I heard any player or coach whine or complain about it. Never once have I heard any talk of "what could have been". Even if they lose tonight, I don't anticipate that I will ever hear such things from any member of the team. Those actions are clearly representative of a Christ-like compassion and broader understanding of life and the relatively small importance of this particular basketball season in the whole scheme of things. And it hasn't been lost on the media.
Is there any other team in the tournament without a player (or several ... or all of them) covered in tattoos? I often wonder if there's any blank space left for their NBA-level tats. Just the look of the team is different, in that and in other aspects.
I am proud of this team. I am proud to be a BYU alum, and will remain that way regardless of what happens on the court tonight or in later rounds. I, like everyone here, hope that they keep on going. The reason I hope that is because I don't want it to end. This team, their handling of adversity, and their play on the court, demonstrate the best of what it means to be LDS and to attend BYU. I will be forever grateful to them for giving me the joy of watching them this season and for the excellent example they have provided.