James Madison - The Chance to Defend the DAC
12-0
That's the record at the DAC this year. The last home loss that Drexel has had was Wednesday, February 9th, against James Madison University. The same James Madison University that we're about to host, with four starters not practicing, causing their coach to practice and yes, limping into the finish line. You can easily overlook this game, and see at ODU on Saturday, or a trip to the CAA tourney a week away.
The things is, this Wednesday Night is bigger than James Madison. This game allows us to go into the offseason and when another Big5 team refuses to schedule us, we can call them the out for it. We can go to our friends and families that are from that school and say "we went undefeated at home last year, I wouldn't want to play us there either... You know you'll will lose." No one can laugh at you when you say that when you're team hasn't lost a home game in a year. This game is also about that student reporter from VCU who goes around to each coach on Media Day next year and asks "where is the toughest place to play?" He or she will be upset when the answer isn't the Siegel Center, but instead The DAC. And most of all, it's for this year's Seniors, both Samme and in the DAC Pack alike, that can go ahead and say they did everything they could their senior year, that they made the most of it.
So lets do right by Samme and the Seniors on Wednesday. DAC Pack, after the last couple of games you need to go that extra mile and earn back that trust, fill this joint up. It's the last home game, the memory that will be in our heads when we first show up to the DAC next year. If Samme (and his family) have shown me anything the last few years, it's their passion for the game and for this school. It's that working hard and intelligence can beat out raw talent six days a week and twice on sunday. Above all else, I've seen that being a leader on and off the court is so much more about what you do when you don't have the ball and no one is watching you, then it is about when the spotlight is on you.
On Wednesday we get to honor Samme, and all that he has meant when he's been wearing the blue and gold. I'm excited about that. Hell, I'm even sober and skipping a Mardi Gras parade just to write this, since so many people have asked me on and offline about Senior Night and this game. I'm, clearly not the only one excited about this.
The whole country watched that Cleveland State game and the Dragons showed up. That's not what this game is.
This game is the seal that you set so that the guard can get to the hoop, it's the boxout before the shot has even been taken, and it's the offseason work that made you a 19% better free throw shooter while no one was watching. Just because it's not on ESPN doesn't make it less important. Actually, someone just taught all of us that the measure of this team will be how they do when ESPN isn't there. Because if this team plays smart, consistent, and does the little things, not only will they blow out JMU, but they'll make us all proud they are wearing the blue and gold while they do it.
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Originally Posted by MetSox
