Snow and old home memories

Nearing tip time today for the 500th game (odd how that number comes up again, huh?) at storied Millett Hall in Oxford, Ohio ... outside it is snowing. Has been since before dawn, but there's just a light carpet across yards and as of yet, it's not a factor for driving.

That's good since we are rolling out after the game for Indianapolis, stopping for a meal in Richmond, Indiana. So you won't have a quick postgame account here this afternoon; we'll get to that early this evening.

Oxford is the consummate college town. The campus is right next to downtown, and this is quintessential middle America. The main street downtown is brick paved, so it had a little Natchitoches feel to it when we were there last night eating dinner, choosing between an array of small shops. There was even the chance to take horse-drawn carriage rides through the downtown area -- but the lights, while nice, aren't the display we have in Natchitoches.

Coach McConathy has family in the stands today. Connie McConathy's parents graduated from Miami in 1947. Her mom, Alice Hermann, lives in Ruston, where her dad was head of the geology department at Louisiana Tech. Her aunt and uncle are here today and enjoyed hugs with grand-nephews Michael and Logan and visiting with Mike.

Also here today - our good friend Kyle Whelliston of ESPN.com and basketballstate.com ... the nation's premier authority on mid-major basketball. K-Dub, as we call him, also saw the Demons at Indiana and will be in our hometown later this year.

He was in the locker room with the team about a half-hour prior to tip time as Coach Mike sent through pregame stategy.

Another on the friendly faces list - Dr. Rocky Colavito and family, over from Indianapolis, where they have resettled as Rocky was recruited to run a department at Butler University this fall. They miss Natchitoches and NSU mightily. Rocky and son Gavin, who have attended Coach Mike's Parent and Kid camps each summer, are on the Demon bench. Gavin has sprouted up in the time he's been eating good midwestern corn and potatoes this fall!

And the small world department wraps up with this one - Mark Schmetzer, covering the game for the Cincinnati Enquirer and sitting next to our broadcast position, is married to a native of my parents' hometown, Butler, PA, a half-hour north of Pittsburgh. The basketball SID, Angie Renninger, is from nearby New Castle, PA. So we had a lot of warm conversation about that neck of the woods.

For you Steelers' fans - this is the place that gave the NFL Ben Roethlesberger. Big Ben was a very talented RedHawk and his success isn't very surprising to the folks here. It causes quite a conflict for most who are fans of the nearby Bengals.

This, too, is regarded as the Cradle of Coaches. More about that later.