From 2006-2012, I worked and traveled with the University of Denver men's basketball team. This is the official team blog that I wrote. All were originally published on www.DenverPioneers.com.
EUGENE, Ore. - After last night's game, the team returned to the hotel for a late night dinner of chicken sandwiches and French fries.
The eating schedule on game days are strange enough, but it's amplified with night games. Yesterday's breakfast was at 10 a.m., pregame (lunch) was at 4 p.m. and dinner was at about 11 p.m. This morning's breakfast was at 8:30 a.m., and pregame will be right after shootaround at about 11:30 a.m., since today's game is at 3:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m. MT).
Speaking of food, the restaurant across the street from the hotel has a sign advertising Tapas night on Wednesdays. After the team's trip to Spain this summer, that sign seemed somehow appropriate.
Delta Tau Chi: We've held off on mentioning this, as we spread the blog about Eugene out to three blogs. Call it saving the best for last.
While walking around this campus, dozens of landmarks jump out. Yes, the University of Oregon was the filming location of one of the most iconic films in history. That's right. Animal House.
The Delta Tau Chi house, or the building used in the film, was torn down in 1986. According to one source, at the time of filming the building served as a halfway house for convicts.
It seems like everywhere you turn on this campus brings back memories of another scene in the movie, and more than a couple lines from the movie have been uttered during the trip. The following video is Mitch Hyder's best imitation of John Belushi's character, John Blutarsky, sneaking into Dean Wormer's office. The Oregon president at the time allowed the crew to use his actual office for the filming.
The Fish Bowl Cafeteria was nearby, but Hyder refrained from imitating a zit or starting a food fight.
Finally, because we like to bring everything in the blog back to focusing on Denver, we leave you with this bit. According to the most accurate source available, Wikipedia, the first screening of Animal House occurred in the Mile High City.
About North Dakota State: NDSU is located in Fargo, N.D. The team turned NCAA Division I a few years ago and became the first team in history to reach the NCAA Tournament in its first year eligible. Current Colorado State head coach Tim Miles held the same position at NDSU.
Famous Bison include former defensive back Tyrone Braxton, who won a pair of Super Bowls with a certain football team in Denver, and Bob Backlund, who beat "Superstar" Billy Graham to win the World Wrestling Federation's heavyweight championship.
Happy Birthday: It's a little early, but just so we don't forget, we'd like to send a happy birthday out to sophomore Chase Hallam, who turns 20 on Wednesday.
Missed Opportunity: Devoted reader and Buffalo Bills fan Dan W. from Denver points out that I missed a couple famous alumni from this weekend's opponents. Former Duck Jarious Byrd led the NFL in interceptions last season, and former Bison Phil Hansen was a second round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. Not sure how I missed them. My sincerest apologies.
EUGENE, Ore. - Tough
loss last night, but the guys are ready and back at Mac Court for
shootaround, which is later than usual today because the Oregon women's
team had an afternoon game.
After
the game last night, the team took in about ¾ of the Ducks game against
North Dakota State (the Bison took Oregon to overtime, but the Ducks
ultimately won by five points in the waning moments.)
The
players had a nice dinner at the hotel before calling it a night. This
morning, the team gathered for breakfast around 10 a.m., followed by a
brief team meeting to discuss tonight's game.
Tonight's
game has a late start (8:30 p.m., local time - 9:30 p.m. MT), which
conveniently will allow Oregon fans to watch their football team take on
Cal before coming down to The Pit.
Did you know?: Two
college mascots were created by Walt Disney (the man, not the company):
Oregon's Duck and Denver's former mascot Boone. In 1947, the Oregon
athletic director struck a deal with Disney to use Donald Duck as the
school's mascot, adopting the cartoon character originally created in
1934. Disney actually created Boone for the University of Denver in
1968.
About Oregon: This
school may best be known for a company that spawned from a head coach
who made running shoes with the help of a waffle iron and one of his
former runners.
That
coach was Bill Bowerman, the Oregon legend who played basketball,
football and ran track for the Ducks prior to taking over as the track
coach and leading the team to four national championships.
The
runner was Phil Knight. Bowerman invented waffle soled running shoes
and with the marketing prowess of Knight helped found Nike. In fact,
Oregon is sometimes called Nike University.
Another
one of Bowerman's runners at Oregon also worked briefly for Nike.
However, Steve Prefontaine is better known as arguably the best American
distance runner of all time. Prior to his tragic death at the age of 24
in 1975, Pre set 15 American records at every race distance between two
miles and 10,000 meters. You can't go anywhere in Eugene without seeing
references to Pre.
Anyone
interested in learning more about running in Eugene can check out
"Track Town USA," a coffee table book filled with photographs and essays
that was published by our friends over at Rich Clarkson and Associates,
the official photographers of University of Denver Athletics. The book
hits the shelves this Monday.
Today,
fans know the Ducks as the top rated football team in the nation. But
Oregon has a rich tradition on the basketball court. In fact, the team
won the very first NCAA men's basketball championship in 1939. The
gigantic banner is hard to miss, hanging high above one of the baskets.
It may be bigger than the American flag on the opposite end of the
arena.
Like
many colleges, including Denver, Oregon celebrates all its teams with
display cases filled with pictures and memorabilia. As we walked by the
basketball display, we had to take a second look. One of the photos was
taken the last time Denver played here in 1999.
Welcome Pioneer Fans: A good number of Denver supporters made the trip to Eugene, including the families of Alex Pickert, Chase and Travis Hallam, Brian Stafford and assistant coach A.J. Kuhle, as well as Joe Scott's father, Bob, and avid DU fan John Kirby, who also is a favorite caller to the Joe Scott Radio Show every Monday night.
EUGENE, Ore. - It's
been a great week for the University of Denver. While the men's
basketball team was traveling to Oregon for this weekend's BTI
Tournament, a few in the travel party, including head coach Joe Scott, stayed behind for the big announcement that Denver will join the Western Athletic Conference.
Afterward,
Scott and company jumped on a plane and joined the team in Eugene,
ready for today's season opener against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.
The
team is currently at shoot-around in historic McArthur Court, a.k.a.
Mac Court. It's also The Pit, which is painted inside the lane, and with
apologizes to our friends in Albuquerque, this place is the original,
built in 1926 with the first game on Jan. 14, 1927.
McArthur
Court is the second oldest on-campus arena in college basketball (bonus
points if you know the oldest without the help of Google. Answer at the
end of the blog.)
As
we walked into the arena, the players looked high into the stands,
which are comprised of seven rows in the lower bowl and three balconies.
The place holds a total 9,087 fans, who create a rowdy atmosphere. The Sporting News called it the best gym in America in 2001.
All
of that said, Mac Court is in its twilight with Oregon opening Matthew
Knight Arena in January 2011, about 600 yards from where Denver is
practicing.
The
Pioneers are geared up for the games this weekend. After playing six
games in Spain a couple months ago, there has been a feeling that the
season started in August with an extended break between September 5 and
today.
Everybody
around this program has been looking forward to the start of this
season since March, and nobody is more excited than the 12 players on
the court.
The countdown is on. The tip is set for 5:30 p.m. MT.
Lunchables: For those of you who read Kyle's Chronicles during Denver's tour of Spain, you might remember senior captain Kyle Lewis' consistent references to "Coach Scott's Famous Chicken and Pasta."
Following shootaround today, Lewis was asked what was on the lunch menu. He just smiled.
Upon returning to the hotel, the team headed immediately to a meeting room on the 12th floor
to dine on, you guessed it, Coach Scott's Famous Chicken and Pasta -
the first of 30-plus such pregame meals the team will enjoy.
Junior Brian Stafforddecided to mix things up early, putting his chicken and part of his salad on a roll and enjoyed a chicken sandwich.
About UC Santa Barbara: The
Gauchos have won the Big West Tournament and appeared in the NCAA
Tournament the past two seasons, and they are currently ranked 12th in the Mid-Major Top 25, just behind St. Mary's.
Among
the school's alumni base are actor Michael Douglas, singer Jack
Johnson, sports radio host Jim Rome and 2008 Olympic hero Jason Lezak,
who anchored the 4x100 freestyle with an unbelievable comeback to win
the Gold. Colorado Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs played college
ball with the Gauchos.
Happy Belated: We
had full intentions to write a blog or two last week, but since they
did not happen, we would like to send our best belated birthday wishes
to Andrew Hooper, who turned 22 on Nov. 7.
Yearly travel totals: Total Flights, regular season only - 1
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 977
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 11,220
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 48
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 1,799
Total Number of Hotels - 1
Total Number of Different Airports - 2
Total Number of Airline Delays - 0
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1
Trivia Answer: Rose Hill Gym at Fordham University in New York City was opened on Jan. 16, 1925.
The
SBC utilized web conferencing for the second-straight year, meaning
that the coaches and media could hold a discussion virtually without
traveling to a meeting location. Scott sat in front of a webcam as
reporters from around the nation asked about the Pioneers and the Sun
Belt Conference.
In
addition to being more convenient for everyone involved, it means that
coaches like Scott miss no more than about 30 minutes of practice, as
opposed to the two days it used to take to travel and meet with the
national media and regional reporters from regions throughout the Sun
Belt.
The
web conference is designed so that each team's head coach takes his
turn answering questions for about 10-20 minutes with minimal breaks
between coaches. Tuesday was designated for the SBC West Division, and
Scott was third after Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas State, which
obviously fall before Denver alphabetically.
Scott
opened with an overall preview of his team heading into the season. The
Pioneers were picked third in the annual preseason coaches' poll. In
fact, the top four teams in the West were picked exactly how they
finished last season.
Scott
said the predictions made sense since the teams have a lot of players
returning, but he also explained that the preseason polls do not affect
what actually happens during the season.
He
is pleased with the way the team has practiced so far, in addition to
the work the team did in preparation for the trip to Spain and the games
they played against professional teams while there.
The
Pioneers have seven of their top eight scorers returning, and most of
them are juniors and seniors. Scott has seen a lot of improvement in
every player, but he said Kyle Lewisand Brian Stafford especially made great strides since last season. Additionally, Denver adds Trevor Noonanand Chris Udofia, who provide a presence in the lane that DU has not had in recent years.
"When
you look at the overall picture, we finally have all the pieces," Scott
said. "Will all the pieces gel in November or December or January?
That's going to be the key to the season. We have experienced guards. We
have experienced forwards. We're adding Trevor Noonan and Chris Udofia at
center with some size and athleticism. It's a matter of when those
pieces become a cohesive unit. I think the chances are good that it
happens sooner rather than later, but that's the key to the season."
DENVER - Around 4:45 p.m. on Friday, the University of Denver men's basketball team wheeled a cart filled with balls into Hamilton Gymnasium and started loosening up.
Due to NCAA rules, the coaches remained in their locker room until 5 p.m. - the exact moment that college basketball teams are allowed to begin practice.
Unlike most years, every player on the court ran through the drills and plays with a familiarity, almost like there are no freshmen out there. That, of course, is because the team got to practice 10 times in August before heading to Denver's tour of Spain.
Chris Udofia is the only freshman on the roster, so despite the taste of practice and games he got prior to and in Europe, he continues to learn. He was helped along by senior captain Kyle Lewis and a few other teammates who spent much of the past month working with Udofia on the team's offense.
If there's a question about the excitement surrounding this year's team, you just had to look around practice today. Numerous people caught a peak through the doors at the back of the gym, and even more stopped at the windows overlooking the court on their way to tonight's hockey game.
A few women's basketball players even stopped in to watch practice for a while. You know the team is fun to watch when other teams take time to watch them practice.
Homecoming: It's Homecoming Weekend at DU, which means a lot of excitement as alums return to campus for a visit.
One of those alumni was Joe Jackson, who was on the Pioneers 2004-08. When Jackson strolled into the gym toward the beginning of practice, he smiled as he greeted old friends, including coaches that found a moment to sneak away and say hello.
Those of us that know Jackson were not surprised to see him grab a ball and head up to Gates Field House to fire up some shots.
Open Practice: As a reminder, the men's and women's basketball teams will have open practices this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon in Hamilton Gymnasium. It will be the men's team second practice.
DENVER - The players were looking for revenge. It had been a long, long time since they beat the coaches and staff in the biannual softball game.
After yesterday's performance, it's safe to say they got the monkey off their backs.
The boys were crushing the ball yesterday, much to pitcher (and "Voice of the Pioneers") Mitch Hyder's dismay.
Tyler Thalken, who was a very good high school baseball player in Tulsa, Okla., hit a pair of homers, including a grand slam, to earn Most Valuable Player honors.
Brian Stafford, sporting a Brad Hawpe Rockies' jersey (likely because Hawpe is a fellow lefty), nearly hit I-25 three times, as he smacked pitch after pitch over the right field fence.
In all, the players hit nine home runs, including a barrage to erase an 8-0 deficit in the second game. In one inning, Stafford cranked two and Thalken hit his slam.
Freshmen Chris Udofiaand Charles Webb joined the coaches and staff's team in order to balance out numbers (you can probably pick them out in the picture below). Udofia, despite being gifted with great athletic ability, initially was uncomfortable at the plate - quite possibly because he had never picked up a bat before.
As his basketball teammates and softball opponents jeered, Udofia struggled in his first few at-bats, popping up and hitting a soft grounder. Then he seemed to pick up steam, hammering the ball over the outfielders' heads in his next two at-bats.
The coaches and staff battled, as head coachJoe Scott and assistant coach A.J. Kuhle both cleared the fence, but in the end, the players were too much, winning both games, 16-4 after five innings and 9-8 in a four inning encore.
Hyder, for his troubles, ended the fall season 0-2 with a 25.00 ERA.
When asked for a response to his performance, Hyder commented, "Don't blame me. Coach Scott wouldn't let me work the count."
Regardless, sources at the Rockies indicated that the team won't be calling anytime soon.
Open Practice: As a reminder, the men's and women's basketball teams will have open practices this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon in Hamilton Gymnasium. It will be the men's team second practice, since they are not officially allowed to start until Friday night at 5 p.m.
Unofficial Softball Statistics Total Home Runs Hit by the Basketball Team - 9
Total Number of Homers Kyle Lewis Needed to Complete the Cycle - 1
Total Number of Singles Andrew Hooper Hit in Five At-Bats - 5
Total Number of Earned Runs Charged to Mitch Hyder - 25
Total Career At-Bats by Chris Udofia Prior to Wednesday - 0
Total Number of Time Chris Udofia Hit Balls Over the Outfielders' Heads Wednesday - 2
Total Runs the Basketball Team Prior to the Third Inning of the Second Game - 0
Total Runs Scored by the Basketball Team in the Third Inning - 9
DENVER - Junior forward Justin Coughlin's upbringing in Yuma, Colo., has long been the source of entertaining questions from and conversations with teammates and friends.
Yuma is a small town of about 3,300 people in northeast Colorado, about 40 miles from the Nebraska border.
Because most of his teammates are from cities or their suburbs, they are often fascinated by Coughlin's tales of growing up in a small town.
Between workouts, pickup games and school work, Coughlin enjoyed a recent visit from his brother Jared, who made the 2.5 hour drive to DU. Coughlin wanted to show Jared what it was like to live in Denver.
"Denver's a little different than Yuma," Coughlin said with a grin. "There's no Chili's or anything like that, and the movie theater only shows two movies a night."
A Google search for restaurants reveals 15 restaurants within Yuma with the next closest a little more than 13 miles away. The one after that? It's 26 miles away in Otis, Colo. If somebody in Yuma has a Big Mac attack, he's going to have to drive 43 miles to Sterling, Colo., which is also the location of the nearest Wal-mart.
Yes, Yuma is small, but Coughlin would have it no other way. He's proud of his hometown and speaks often of Yuma's friendly people and supportive atmosphere, which is also obvious throughout the season when many people from the town head to Magness Arena for games.
"Sure you only have two movies to choose from, but they're usually first-run movies and only cost about $3," Coughlin said. "They show the same movies in Denver, but it will cost you about $12 per person."
When Coughlin arrived at the University of Denver two years ago, he could have been described as skinny and a little timid, which to be fair describes a lot of college freshmen.
These days, Coughlin walks around campus with more confidence after growing in both maturity and body - the 6-9 forward has added about 30 pounds of muscle since arriving at DU.
Coughlin sat out the first four games as a freshman, but he has started all 59 Pioneers games since then - leading the team in blocked shots each of the last two season - and he and his teammates are excited for the season to start.
"We are feeling good and looking forward to this year," Coughlin said. "We all worked hard during the summer, and the trip to Spain should be a big help for us heading into the season."
Open Practice: The men's and women's basketball teams will have open practices on Saturday, October 16, the day after the men's team is officially allowed to start.
Fans will have an opportunity to meet coaches and players from each team. Look for more details on DenverPioneers.com early next week.
