This year has been the best year of my life, and I owe it all to 14 guys on the basketball team who have given me a second family that I’ve spent almost every day since September conditioning, practicing and playing with.

After watching my best friends from last year’s team transfer elsewhere, I was hesitant in getting too close to this year’s squad.

After meeting these guys, however, there is no way around laughing and having fun with them.

I hope you have gotten a chance to meet a few of them; they are the funniest, liveliest, most caring group of guys I’ve ever been around.

We had nine new players arrive on campus to play ball for Tech this season, so most thought chemistry would be an issue.

Somehow, though, everyone gelled, and all we had to think about was basketball.

Free throws were questionable at times, but then came another rebounding title for Mr. Millsap, and 20 wins later, a lot of the guys are calling this the most fun year they’ve had.

“This is my favorite team I’ve been on,” a few of the guys said on the way home from Clemson, “Y’all are all crazy.”

Crazy? Maybe.

Hard-working? Definitely.

These guys play harder than any team I’ve ever been on. They swarm on defense, and give their best every second they are on that floor to Louisiana Tech.

Guys like Corey Dean and Paul Millsap, who have been around for a couple years, seemed so much more fun and loose this year. It was because they got to play with a family; a close-knit, crazy, hard-working family who understands how to win and have fun.

Daevon Haskins had another great year, earning a spot on the WAC All Defensive team.

Trey McDowell had a few big scoring games, Marcus Elliot hit some big shots, Drew Washington showed incredible poise for a freshman (2:1 assist to turnover ratio), and so on.

This team has had fun playing for this school, going into everyone else’s gym screaming “That boot, yeah, that boot!” (That boot being Louisiana), made me believe that these guys have a lot of pride in where they came from. I mean, how many times do you hear guys from South Carolina and France screaming about the boot?

From the ridiculous pre-game rituals, to seeing Coach Richard dance after a big win, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much.

I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard either.

I played in 5 games, for a total of 11 minutes. I practiced everyday, and traveled to some of the away games.

Now the season is over, and I’m exhausted. My body feels like I weigh 500 pounds everyday I wake up. Can you imagine what it’s like for Paul Millsap or Jerome Richardson?

All I’m saying is these guys play and work so hard to represent your school (that boot!), but still, it’s a pain to get people to come to the games.

I have no idea why, either; the games are so much fun.

Ask The Blue how much fun it is getting painted up for your school and screaming at the other team. Ask my friends how much fun it is showing up at half time to make us run through an asinine tunnel for warm ups.

Ask the rest of the fans how much fun it is to watch Paul Millsap dunk on Nick Fazekas or grab 28 rebounds.

These guys work hard for you, to represent our school. This year, they did that. Twenty wins, a postseason appearance, and 10-2 at home.

If you see any of them around campus, at least pat them on the back.

Or if you aren’t tall enough like me, just say thanks.

 

JJ Marshall is a sophomore journalism major from Shreveport and serves as associate sports editor. E-mail comments to jjm023@latech.edu