I love the times when I get together with old friends from high school, junior high and grade school. It seems that we just sit and reminisce about “the good ol’ days” and all the fun times we had together.
Every conversation we have starts out with “Remember that time when . . .” Me and my friends say stuff like “Remember that time when Chandell laughed so hard she cried because Mer supposedly spoke Chinese in the cafeteria?” or “Remember that one time during basketball practice when Corie beat us at down-and-backs and we had to run extra while she watched us?”
Some stories end up with all of us in hysterics because of the crazy things we did. I want to “remember that one time when . . .” with the Weber State University men’s basketball team.
Remember that one time, last year, when WSU was playing the University of Northern Colorado and Scott Bamforth hit that amazing 3-point half-court shot?
I had gotten off work at halftime and met up with some friends inside the Dee Events Center, and we were sitting in the upper bowl at about midcourt on the students’ side. WSU was losing and we were hungry. We were debating about leaving early to go get food. The debate took a while to resolve, and we did not resolve because WSU had tied the game.
We couldn’t leave with seconds left and a tie ball game. We sat tight while NCU made both free throws. Darin Mahoney took the ball out, lobbed it to Scotty B., who took two dribbles across half court and let the ball fly. The buzzer went off and the ball went in the hoop. Nothing but net. The entire Dee erupted. Fans rushed the court. Scotty B. was legendary.
That half-court shot was probably the coolest athletic moment that I have ever personally witnessed. It was so incredible that the KSL video of it on YouTube nearly has 10,000 views, and it’s still growing. That was so incredible I could dwell in its awesomeness for this whole column, but I won’t. Moving on.
Remember last year, how Brigham Young University had “The Jimmer”? Jimmer had 50-plus points in one game and averaged above at least 20 points a game. Remember how, when WSU played BYU last year and only lost by, like, six points? Without our starting point guard, I might add, and with Jimmer?
Remember how, at the beginning of this year, everyone predicted WSU was going to be the best basketball team in the state? With the minor BYU hiccup, that is still accurate.
Remember when we played Utah State University this year? And everyone was so sure USU was going to win? Everyone doubted WSU, until WSU stomped all over USU. WSU rocked that game. I actually got to watch that game as a WSU fan. Not as a reporter or a ticket-seller. I was a fan, and I cheered so loud I lost my voice.
Remember that one time when Damian Lillard got nationally ranked after playing in one game? Remember how Scotty B. started this season with, like, eight straight 3-pointers before he missed one in a game?
Right about here is where I would say “Remember that one time when WSU won the Big Sky Championship and actually won one or more games in the March Madness tournament?” But I am not going to make a prediction about the outcome of the season. I am paranoid and superstitious; I might jinx it.
Hopefully all my reminiscing has brought you to the conclusion that WSU is a good basketball team. There are still a lot of doubters out there, but that is OK. It’s better for us to be the underdog; it gives us something to work for. We are not a perfect basketball team (as the BYU game sadly proved), but we are a dang good team and will continue to be so.
