the 105-second conversation.

One thing I will most certainly miss when I "retire" from this PA gig is the scorers table camaraderie. I've been working with the same cast of characters for about seven years.

Seven years...wow.

In that time I've seen divorces, deaths (of their loved ones), marriages, promotions and so on.

I'm so used to seeing Joe O. in a striped shirt sitting to my right and Greg Rakestraw sitting to my left that, come next basketball season, I'm going to have to get cardboard cutouts of them just so I know how to behave at a basketball game.

In these past seven years, the gameday crew and I have gotten used to having a full conversation during a media timeout. As the band plays or cheerleaders cheer, we stop what we're doing for 105 seconds and have a conversation. It's kind of funny, really. We pack a lot in those few moments we have. Once that first horn sounds, we're back to business. Joe's on the book, one of the Matts is on the shot clock, CD is on the game clock, Buerge and Adrian or JD or another Kevin are down there doing the stats. And Sherrill's on the phones. Amidst all that racket, we work calmly next to the eye of the storm.

I'm already missing it.

one more game.

My final ORU game was gratifying, to say the least. Oh sure, I wish we'd won by 20, but I'll take a win over ORU any day of the week...especially in, say, three weeks or so when we go to the conference tournament.

I can't believe I've only got one more Saturday at the mic. This season went fast.

Saturday's ORU game wasn't bad. I think I sounded better during the women's game than the men's. That sound system needs a complete overhaul. It was fun to watch the game on TV when I got home that night. It's not everyday IUPUI gets a home game broadcast on TV anywhere!

While my announcing may not have been the best on Saturday night, the crowd was one of the best this season.

I hope some folks can travel to Tulsa for the tournament. I know I'm looking forward to it.

collision course.

For two years, I've been waiting for this game tonight: IUPUI vs. ORU. This is THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE SEASON (to this point) for IUPUI. I won't call it a must-win game, but it's close. Until the conference tournament, this is the one that matters the most.

I'm looking forward to it. I hope ORU brings its students, but word on the street is they're not making the trip. A Tulsa television station is broadcasting the game, though.

I'm going to talk to the band tonight to get our stories straight. I'd like to go back to something we did a couple seasons ago. At about the five-minute mark in the pre-game--before the teams come back to the floor--the JagBand would start a big chant of "Let's go, Jags!" Complete with the drums, clapping and stomping. I think we need that tonight.

I know the Red Zone will join in. This year has been our best student section in my seven years and I hope they bring their A game tonight.

I hope I bring mine as well. But most of all, I hope the Jags bring theirs.

Go Jags.

g.p. for threeeeeeeeeee!

Gary Patterson must've eaten his Wheaties yesterday or something. He was absolutely unconscious. 37 points, 11 three-pointers? That's just stupid.

Good win for the Jags in a game they easily could've looked past. The officials observer (his name escapes me) paid me a very nice compliment last night. He told me "you're very good at what you do." It's always nice to hear.

I can't believe the season is winding down. I'm honestly getting a little sad about it. I've only got nine more games until I "retire" as an announcer:

Men's Games
Saturday, 2 Feb 08 vs. UMKC @ 7 p.m.
Thursday, 14 Feb 08 vs. Centenary @ 7 p.m.
Saturday, 16 Feb 08 vs. Oral Roberts @ 7 p.m.
Saturday, 1 March 08 vs. Western Illinois @ 7 p.m.

Women's Games
Saturday, 2 Feb 08 vs. UMKC @ 4:30 p.m.
Monday, 4 Feb 08 vs. Southern Utah @ 7 p.m.
Saturday, 16 Feb 08 vs. Oral Roberts @ 4:30 p.m.
Monday, 18 Feb 08 vs. Centenary @ 7 p.m.
Saturday, 1 March 08 vs. Western Illinois @ 4:30 p.m.

Three more double-dips...and that Feb. 16 game is looking HUGE right now. I can't wait.