A Wildcat Among Crazies

My undertaking tonight is to record a running diary of the Davidson/Duke game, attempting to put into words what the atmosphere is like for an avid Davidson basketball fan sitting courtside in the Mecca of college basketball. It's only pre-game, but I'll go ahead and apologize; there's no chance that I will be able to describe accurately the electric vibe this place has.

I'll begin by relating a conversation that I had some 90-plus minutes before the opening tip.

4:26 pm: I'm sitting in SUBWAY® and I see a Duke pep band member, so I strike up conversation about tonight's game.  A junior biomedical engineering major, she plays percussion in the band.  Her words tell the story: "I love Cameron. It's my favorite place on campus.  I like being a part of Duke that supports athletics the most."

It's clear that I'm in for a treat.

5:26 pm:  It's a religious experience.  It really is.  That's the first thing I learned when I entered Cameron Indoor Stadium. Four national championship banners hang from the rafters.  The small gym that holds under 10,000 spectators has seen tremendous talent take its court.  I'm in awe that I am stepping into the same gym as Michael Jordan, Dean Smith, Coach K, and Grant Hill, among many others.

5:28 pm: I'm sitting about six inches away from the Cameron Crazies on press row, preparing for a truly special sports experience. The Crazies behind me said they got here at 7:30 am; it's hard to argue with that level of commitment.

5:41 pm: "Every Time We Touch" is playing and my chair is shaking, as the Cameron Crazies erupt with cheers and jumping.  The scantily clad students behind me seem to have a thing for the German dance song, and I can't blame them.  Who doesn't love Cascada?  

5:52 pm: Seth Curry missed a shot in pre-game…I just thought I would note that, just in case it doesn't happen when it counts.  Coach K is here and the "9-0-3" chants have started… my hopes that Duke is primed for a letdown are waning.

5:55 pm: Stars and stripes are presented and I can't even stand up.  The Crazies are too close for me to move my chair. Whatever. They can't get in my head. Focus on lineups and then tip-off.  Let's go.

6:03 pm: tip-off. De'Mon Brooks, Davidson's super sophomore, scores on the first play.  Davidson has to have great play from him all night.

6:04 pm:  Stephen Curry sighting.  Oh, how we remember. He's wearing his Wildcats-Blue Devils half-and-half jersey and sitting behind Frank Ben-Eze.  Meanwhile, De'Mon picked up his second foul; great acting job by Austin Rivers.  At least the Duke freshman phenom has a spot in Hollywood, if the NBA lockout persists into next season.

6:08 pm: Frank is in the game with Clint Mann.  We have a big lineup in right now. It pays off! Frank got an offensive rebound and layup!

6:10 pm: First media timeout.  Davidson leads 9-5.  Brooks is in foul trouble early, but Ben-Eze has stepped up.  Side note: the Blue Devil mascot is surfing over pep band members on the court.  You have to hand it to him; he has great balance for a guy with abnormally large horns growing out of his smurf-colored head.

6:13 pm: Clint draws a charge! That's the second drawn charge Davidson has earned tonight.  Duke already has five team fouls.  Two more and we are shooting the rest of the half.

6:15 pm: Seth Curry, Stephen's younger brother, just completed a graceful layup, hanging in mid-air and drawing the foul from Chris Czerapowicz.  Of course, he completed the three-point play from the charity stripe.  To be fair, there wasn't much contact, but it's in Cameron and Duke's leading scorer will get that call every time.

6:17 pm: Tyler Kalinoski, the Wildcats' most promising freshman, has entered the game.  I'm looking for him to be a major contributor for all four years.  The kid can shoot and I think he has a pretty high basketball I.Q.