Another Thing I Like About The NCAA Basketball Tournament
During the Duke-George Washington game today, the commentator interrupted a well-deserved deluge of praise for Duke forward, Shelden Williams, to note that Shelden’s father, Bob Williams, had himself played college basketball at Oklahoma Christian University.
Disappointingly, this unadorned factoid was dropped without further explanation. Clearly worthy of mention, for example, was Bob’s nickname, Too Sweet Williams. Even more inexplicably, no mention was made of the fact that DrHGuy, when he was still just plain StudentGuy, also attended what was then Oklahoma Christian College (OCC).1 In commemoration of my Christian phase, which, as it happens, ended that very same freshman year at OCC, I have forgiven this slight by CBS.
So –- another thing I like about The 2006 NCAA Basketball Tournament is that I’ve been reminded of the 1967-1968 OCC Eagles basketball team, which was sufficiently skilled to make it to the NAIA post-season tournament and, more to the point, sufficiently exciting to render watching them play basketball the best part of that year of my life — with the possible exception of meeting Vanessa, whose parents had insisted that she attend a church-affiliated college to calm her wild and wanton ways.
And there’s more — not only am I thus connected intimately to Bob and Shelden Williams, but also, according to data garnered from ESPN.com, I am linked to Shelden’s former Duke teammate, Andre Buckner, who is the brother of Greg Buckner, a player for the Philadelphia 76ers along with Monty Williams, who also teamed up with Charles Oakley when both played for the New York Knicks; Oakley, of course, played for the Chicago Bulls (and later with the Washington Wizards, but who cares?) with Michael Jordan.
That’s right: Mike & me are tight.
I love this game.
Footnotes
- Two colleges I attend become universities – after I’m gone. Three women I date find Mr. Right – after I’m gone. Hmmm. Probably just coincidence. ~back~
