It is Senior Day here at Williams Arena. A special ceremony to honor center Spencer Tollackson, forward Dan Coleman and guard Lawrence McKenzie has been planned. All three have certainly had long, strange paths to their final regular season game at The Barn. Tollackson was an accomplished baseball player and could have made a college career (and potentially pro) out of the sport. Coleman started his collegiate career at Boston College and after transferring back home to the U of M had to deal with juggling being a first-time father with basketball and school. McKenzie played two years at Oklahoma under Kelvin Sampson, was the Gophers leading scorer during the teams’ program-worst 9-22 season last year and has had to adjust to playing both the point guard and shooting guard position under first-year coach Tubby Smith.

But here they all are. 

The three seniors have heard many negative comments during their tenure at the U – but no one can deny they have been class-acts as far as collegiate basketball players come and they will be missed at this University.

Secondly, just got done talking to MY FAVORITE announcer, Dave O’Brien of ESPN, who will be calling today’s game. Although I haven’t known him long, based on our email exchanges and our lengthy conversation before the game today, Mr. O’Brien is one of the classiest announcers I’ve ever had the privilege of coming into contact with. And I’m not just saying this because he may be reading this (that’s how our relationship first started), but because I truly mean it.

Last but not least, I have to tell you about my struggle to get here.  A little background information, I don’t have a car and it takes me about 20 minutes to walk here from my house. That can be brutal in the winter, but today wasn’t so bad because of the cold, but rather because of the obstacles I had to overcome. I have been recently cutting through the baseball field (Siebert) to cut a few minutes off my walk. Today though, I felt like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible. First I was walking on ice that was covered by snow (so I had no idea which steps would be slippery and which wouldn’t). Next I had to cross train tracks, go around a train, and all in the process decide whether I’d rather step in mud or puddles (both bad for my dress shoes). And after all that, I still had to balance myself along a fence (grabbing tightly) to make sure I didn’t fall as I tippy-toed uphill.

But, hey, I’ve made it to the last regular season game! I wouldn’t have it any other way, really. It’s been a pleasure to get paid to watch games at Williams Arena all season, so no complaining on my part.  

Should be an intense game today, both teams’ NCAA tournament hopes are on the line, as is the fifth seed in the Big Ten tournament.

Take care and enjoy the game.