Life on the road with the Demon basketball team

No one can argue the amount of time spent at the office in the sports information field. Weeknights, weekends, holidays, etc., etc., etc.

But there are times when “work” is anything but.

That time is occurring to me this week as I’m getting to make my first trip with the Demon basketball team in my three-and-a-half years at Northwestern.

It all started Monday night at 7 when we rolled out of the Prather Coliseum parking lot en route to Denton, Texas – halfway from our first destination, Stillwater, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

After a morning practice at North Texas on Tuesday, we packed up and headed north for Stillwater.

After arriving around 4:30 yesterday afternoon, I got to step foot for the first time in the ever-popular Gallagher-Iba Arena on the OSU campus. I definitely was not disappointed.

Positioned high into the air, 13-thousand plus orange seats are almost literally stacked on top of one another in steep fashion. Out in the lobby of the arena are a few memorabilia displays – one containing things from my all-time favorite football player, Barry Sanders.

While the team was warming up before the short practice, Patrick Netherton and I fired off some three-pointers, most, of course, didn’t go it. But Patrick did make more than he made last year (0-for-15 I think) and I rolled off three-straight 3s before tossing up an air-ball. That was my stopping point. BTW, Jermaine Spencer had a couple of assists off those treys.

After my play time, I was able to sneak away and make my way into the OSU football stadium that is right outside the basketball arena. OSU is playing host to Oklahoma this week, so outside of GIA was a tent city of students camping out, waiting to get their ticket to the big contest. Some said they had been there for 23 days.

It’s now 10:35 Wednesday morning… gameday! We’ll head to shoot-around at 11:15 then play tonight at 7:05.

We’ll head to Oklahoma City tomorrow to fly out for Louisville. There, the Demons will take on Rick Pitino’s Cardinals at noon on Saturday. But prior to then, a lot is to be seen and visited… Churchill Downs, Louisville Slugger factory, Muhammad Ali Museum and maybe even Valhalla Golf Course (site of the 2008 Ryder Cup).

Stay tuned for more.